Katie Schick

The most difficult aspect of dramatizing a well-known and well-loved work of literature is finding the correct balance between maintaining the integrity of the original work and adding elements to justify the adaptation. The recent Broadway revival of A Chorus Line was criticized for being a carbon copy of the original production, while the short-lived, musicalized version of The Wedding Singer film was criticized for changing key plot points. How, then, can an adaptation to the stage do justice to the original work as well as bring the material to life in a new and innovative way? Neil Bartlett seems to know the secret. In his adaptation of 'Oliver Twist,' the classic novel by Charles Dickens, Bartlett captures the dark, dank world of the young orphan in a way that Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! fails to do. There are no upbeat songs about 'Oom-Pah-Pah!' or considering yourself part of the family; Bartlett's Oliver Twist is no musical comedy.

'You're making a mistake. You are making a mistake in daring to disapprove of something that has nothing to do with you whatever.' -Otto This is the mistake we are all guilty of, and the one which Noel Coward's 'Design For Living' is attempting to ameliorate. The Publick Theatre, known for their outdoor summer theater, has moved inside for the winter with 'Design For Living,' Noel Coward's play based on the group dynamic between himself and his two closest friends, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, which opened at the Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center For the Arts this past Sunday. A witty comedy featuring snappy dialogue and unconventional ideas about marriage, 'Design For Living' explores the quintessential 'love-triangle,' one in which love flows freely between genders and equally among all three friends.

The national tour of All Shook Up, a rock 'n roll musical featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, began its run at The Opera House in Boston on September 26th, the third stop of the 35-city tour.