OLIVER! Begins Previews at Drury Lane Theatre Tonight

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, begins its exciting 2013 season with a grand scale production of the Tony Award-winning musical OLIVER!, previewing April 4, opening Thursday, April 11, and running through June 2, 2013. OLIVER! features an all-star cast of 35, led by Heidi Kettenring as "Nancy" (National Tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Broadway in Chicago's Wicked, the World Premiere of Hero at Marriott Theatre, and Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre); Jeff Award winner John Reeger as "Fagin" (The Iceman Cometh and A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre, Amadeus at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Hamlet at Court Theatre, and Chicago at Marriott Theatre); J.D. Rodriguez as the "Artful Dodger" (National Tour of A Christmas Story) and Brady Tutton as "Oliver Twist" ("Tiny Tim" in A Christmas Carol at Drury Lane Theatre). The production is Directed and Choreographed by multi-Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell (Ragtime, The Sound of Music and Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre). Rockwell will direct both her mother, Glory Kissel, who stars as "Mrs. Bedwin" (Pericles at the Goodman Theatre and Anyone Can Whistle at Ravinia), and her son, Jake Helm, who plays an orphan. Her husband, Garth Helm, provides Sound Design.

Hailed as "Ageless, timeless and matchless!" by Sunday Express and "A glorious smash hit. Vibrant, energetic, comical and fun!" by Edinburgh Evening News, OLIVER! is adapted from Charles Dickens' riveting 1838 masterpiece Oliver Twist. The musical features music, lyrics, and a book by Tony Award-winner Lionel Bart. The original West End production opened in 1960 and the 1963 Broadway production won two Tony Awards. The film version of OLIVER! won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. OLIVER! has played in 22 different languages in counties throughout the world, and a recent Cameron Mackintosh-produced revival at London's Drury Lane was seen by nearly 1.5 million people.

Set in the dismal slums of nineteenth-century London, OLIVER! follows the adventures of Oliver Twist, a resourceful young orphan. Forced from a seedy workhouse into pick-pocketing, Oliver finds himself caught in a tug-of-war with his family and the sinister characters he has met in the streets. OLIVER! is a poignant story that features a spectacular score including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You've Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I'd Do Anything, and As Long As He Needs Me.

Jeff Award winner Roberta Duchak (Singin' in the Rain and Ragtime at Drury Lane Theatre, and vocal coach for Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman for the Academy Award-winning film LES MISERABLES) serves as Musical Director of OLIVER!, with George Keating serving as Associate Director and Laura Savage serving as Associate Choreographer. The elaborate set by multi-Jeff Award winner Kevin Depinet (Singin' in the Rain, Xanadu, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, and Ragtime at Drury Lane Theatre; The Iceman Cometh at the Goodman Theatre; and Set Designer for the film Public Enemies) transports audiences to the gritty underworld of Victorian London. Lighting Design by Greg Hofmann further enhance the elaborate set. Costume Design is by Theresa Ham; Prop Design is by Nick Heggestad; and Wig Design is by Rick Jarvie.

OLIVER! stars Larry Adams as "MR. Brownlow" (Broadway and National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera and The Sound of Music at Drury Lane Theatre); Don Forston as "Dr. Grimwig" (Singin' in the Rain at Drury Lane Theatre); John Gawlik as "Bill Sikes" (The Gift Theatre's The Lonesome West); George Keating as "Long Seller" (National Tour of Scrooge and Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre); Michael Aaron Lindner as "Mr. Bumble" (Hairspray at Drury Lane Theatre); Catherine Lord as "Mrs. Sowerberry" (Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre); Benjamin Magnuson as "Mr. Sowerberry" (the National Tours of Sweeney Todd and LES MISERABLES); Rebecca Pink as "Charlotte" (Hairspray at Drury Lane Theatre); Catherine Smitko as "Widow Corney" (Chicago Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) and Patrick Tierney as "Noah" (My Fair Lady at Light Opera Works). The production also features John Babbo, Cody Bolithon, William Burke, Patrick Cannon, Justin Hunt Cole, Declan Collins, Cameron Conforti, Daniel Coonely, Brennan Dougherty, Shane Frantz, Cameron Goode, Zach Gray, Kyle Halford, Matthew Jones, Cale Manning, Ann McMann, Ben Parkhill, Daniel Pass, Valen Piotrowski, Johnny Rabe, Olivia Renteria, Jennie Sophia, Sophie Thatcher, Matthew Uzarraga, and Michael Winner.

The performance schedule for OLIVER! is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35) and 8 p.m. ($45), Fridays at 8 p.m. ($49), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($49), and 8:30 p.m. ($49), and Sundays at 2 p.m. ($49), and 6 p.m. ($45). Lunch and dinner theatre packages range from $50 to $74 depending on the day of the week. Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $32 for matinees and $47 for a matinee luncheon package. For reservations call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit www.drurylane.com.

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