Nate Turcotte and Bradley Greenwald in Oliver! Photo by Heidi Bohencamp.
I took my 18 yo son to see Oliver! (Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust, performing in the exquisite Pantages Theatre, through March 1). During intermission, we had the following conversation:
“Whaddaya think?”
“I’m having a problem with the tech – the mics. I keep hearing scratching and feedback. Uneven sound. Sometimes the mics cut out altogether.”
“You can hear all that? I guess my aging ears aren’t picking it up.”
“It’s especially a problem with Oliver.”
Ah. Here Michael put his finger on a real problem (and I want to apologize in advance to readers who will no doubt accuse me of mean-mindedness and outright child-hatred): Nate Turcotte as Oliver was tentative and bland, way under-energized. The problem was exacerbated but not, imo, caused by technical glitches with his microphone. This damaged the play, as I couldn’t believe everyone’s obsession on this boy. I believe the problem is fixable: Turcotte can relax. Commit to the story. Discover reservoirs of passion.
Everyone else in Oliver!? Boffo. I was especially taken with the fervor of Lauren Davis as Nancy. She takes and holds the stage beautifully. And of course with James Ramlet as Bumble, with his rafter shaking, asparagus-in-January (rare, iow) basso profundo voice. His physicality matches his voice. And Dieter Bierbrauer as Sykes. So smooth – and so scary.
And then there is the amazing Bradley Greenwald, who dominates, as well he should, the play as Fagin, the wild-haired agoraphobic who almost never leaves the ratty cellar he shares with his adolescent pocket-picking “gang.” Greenwald’s Fagin is sweet and friendly, always on the verge of violence, a skilled magician (wow), pop-eyed, loose-limbed, strutting, with a soaring tenor voice and energy to match. He flies over everyone on the stage. It’s easy to see why his kids worship him. Greenwald is truly a treasure and I lie awake at night fretting that some producorial Daddy Warbucks will snatch him away from us. (Latté Da: immediately give Greenwald a raise.)
The design thrills. Director Peter Rothstein and his uber-talented team of designers – Rick Poloneck (sets), Christine A. Richardson and Alice Fredrickson (costumes), Paul Hackenmueller (lights), Alex Ritter (sound) – have turned Oliver! into a feast for the eyes. Music direction is by the always reliable Denise Prosek. She makes Oliver! take flight.
The story? Well, gosh. Oliver! is 50 plus years old and its age shows. Based (barely) on Charles Dickens‘s Oliver Twist, the story zigs and zags, with a an off-putting (well, to me) herky-jerky quality. After the play, I educated my son on the term deus ex machina, an illogical plot device that renders the whole story moot. Oliver! has one, when its discovered that Oliver actually hails from great wealth. The moment this is revealed the play becomes predictable.
Still, the story (thanks to Dickens) does generate power and the music (by the late Lionel Bart, who wrote the book, the lyrics, as well as the tunes) is marvelous: “I’ll Do Anything,” the catchy “Oom-Pah-Pah,” the rousing “Consider Yourself.” To name but a few.
Oliver! is, beyond a doubt, a worthwhile and seeable play: excellent performances, lovely music, exquisite deign, all done in one of the best theaters in town (surpassed only, imo, by the Southern).
John Olive is a writer living in Minneapolis. His book Tell Me A Story In The Dark will be published in March, by Familius, Inc. For more information, please visit John’s website.