Review: OLIVER! at Wildwood Park For The Arts Brings the Seediness of London to West Little Rock

Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Rd., in Little Rock, is committed to maintaining as much beautiful green space as possible in West Little Rock. The gardens and its surroundings are well maintained and breath taking, but the same can be said for the inside of the performing arts building there. It blends in well with the park, but the inside is just as gorgeous. And to match the magnificence of the area, they have produced yet another show that is worthy of the venue. OLIVER!, which has one more weekend to go, Friday-Sunday, Oct. 21-23, transports you to dreary London right as you step into the theatre. This is an experience that you don't want to miss!

With book, music, and lyrics by Lionel Bart, OLIVER! is a musical adaptation of Oliver Twist, written by Charles Dickens. The orphan Oliver is taken in at a workhouse, then sold to an undertaker. He then runs away to London in search of his fortunes, takes refuge with a gang of pickpockets, and gets caught. He is taken in by a wealthy family, is kidnapped back to the pickpockets' abode, and is then exchanged on the London Bridge where a serious scene takes place. Not everyone lives happily ever after, but Oliver is returned to the wealthy family who happens to actually be his family.

Now, where do I begin on the awesomeness that is this production? With the guidance of the people from Praeclara, Producer Bruce Rentz, and Director Bevan Keating, this musical goes above and beyond a mere children's tale. Grant it, there are a lot of young actors in this show, but every single one of them made their appearances known through their dedication to their characters and commitment to their group numbers. Each actor had a big personality and made it fun to watch for the differences in their personas. No one was lost on this reviewer.

This production double casted the role of Oliver (Jaydon Clark and Hope Hinton) and The Artful Dodger (Bee Golleher and Blythe Keating). I had the privilege to attend when Clark performed the title role, and he was amazing! He led the cast skillfully through the whole show like a seasoned professional. Golleher was equally entertaining, helping her young castmate along through his time as a pickpocket.

There were a lot of memorable characters and musical numbers in this production. The choreography was enjoyable, but the singing was beyond phenomenal. At times, it had a more operatic feel to it, and in some scenes, they just stood still and sang. They were mesmerizing! There are some numbers you may recognize even if you haven't seen the musical prior to this show (like myself). Food, Glorious Food, the opening number with Oliver and the Workhouse Children, was a grand start to the show. It not only sets the foundation for the musical, but it allows the kids to show off right away. I knew this was something special right from the start. That's Your Funeral with Mr. & Mrs. Sowerberry (Ed Lowry & Kira Keating) and Mr. Bumble (D.C. Miles) cracked me up! Mr. Bumble's reactions to the undertakers became more and more alarming the further into the song. It was so funny. Consider Yourself and You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two were both wonderful Pickpocket ensemble scenes that, again, showcased how wonderful the kids were, not to mention Fagin (Matthew Tatus), the jewel-loving adult figure of the group, who was loveable despite his scheming ways. Then the girls Nancy (Moriah Patterson-choreographer) and Bet (Finley Daniel) joined the gang with It's a Fine Life, and added even more flair to the ensemble. And then again, Nancy rips your heart out with As Long as He Needs Me.

However, the one character I want to spotlight gets my Broadway World Award for Best Villian of the Year. I knew there was a bad guy in this show, but I had no idea that Ben Barham as Bill Sykes would make me hate him so much (In a good way, of course)! And I'm not alone on this assessment, as evident that he got as many boos as applauses at the end of the show. Barham brought so much testosterone-infused energy to his character, you could feel the slimy...the horridness...the despicable nature every time he stepped foot on the stage. I mean...you could feel it even before he got on stage. It was that saturated in toxicity. I am assuming that the actual kids in the show love him, but...WOW! Just WOW!

As always, I LOVE it when there is an actual orchestra in the pit. Led by Music Director Scott Whitfield, it is handy to have live musicians so the cast can be properly supported during their musical numbers. Instrumentalists for OLIVER! are Barry McVinney, winds; Daniel Olah, percussion; Kristin Harwell, piano; Brian Wolverton, bass; and Dustin Yoder, strings.

This show is a must-see for the whole family. Though the theatre has wonderful seating, the cast does tend to play towards the center. So, I advise you to get your tickets early online at https://www.wildwoodpark.org, to ensure a proper view of the performers.

Broadway World gives a special thank you to photographer Kelly Hicks for the use of these wonderful pictures. Visit https://www.kellyhicksmedia.com/ for all of your photography needs.

OLIVER! CAST

Oliver Twist ........................... Jaydon Clark and Hope Hinton

Fagin........................................................... Matthew Tatus

The Artful Dodger .................Bee Golleher and Blythe Keating

Bill Sykes .........................................................Ben Barham

Nancy ......................................................Moriah Patterson

Bet.................................................................Finley Daniel

Mr. Bumble.........................................................D.C. Miles

Widow Corney ..........................................Gabrielle Neafsey

Mr. Sowerberry ....................................................Ed Lowry

Mrs. Sowerberry.............................................. Kira Keating

Mr. Brownlow ................................................. Byron Taylor

Dr. Grimwig...................................................Eric Harrison

Noah Claypole............................................. Nathan Morton

Charlotte .................................................. Shea Williamson

Mrs. Bedwin ................................................. Sharyn Davies

Charley Bates................................................ Brock Keating

Old Sally ......................................................Jamie Boshears

Adult Ensemble: Jamie Boshears, Raquella Bourgeois, Taylor Bumann, Mandi Carreiro, Kendel Haycook, Adrian Hinojosa, Karly Hutchins, Bret Kagebein, Bruce Rentz, Clayton Reynolds, and Katie Reynolds

Children's Ensemble: Madden Babb, Rose Braga, June Cross, Lila Cross, Adelaide Droste, Olivia Dudley, Harper Hartzell, Ivy Hinton, Reese Hinton, Lily Hirscheider, Gus Howell, Jax Judd, Izais Kopsky, Braden Lisowe, Mabel Miller, Samson Scott, Farrah Sherman, Piper Wallace, Walt Wenger, and Tina Wu

PRODUCTION TEAM

Stage manager................................................................................Zachary D. Rhodes

Assistant stage manager .................................................................Heather Rookey

Music director..........................................................................................Scott Whitfield

Youth music director .................................................................................Kira Keating

Lighting director............................................................................... Dena Kimberling

Crew chief.....................................................................................................Cindy Downs

Set and scenic designer.............................................................................Bruce Rentz

Scene charge............................................................................................... Robin Tucker

Scenic painters ................................. Bruce Rentz, Jessica Riddick, Cindy Downs

Set engineer and master carpenter................................................ Terry Johnson

Props manager........................................................................................Jessica Riddick

Master electrician ...............................................................................Manuel Angeles

Spot operator.......................................................................................Glenn Grossman

Sound engineer......................................................................................Josh Anderson

Stage crew................................. Cindy Downs, Heather Rookey, Jessica Riddick, Donovan Riddick, Bruce Rentz, Stephen Rookey

Dialect coach.................................................................................................. Ben Grimes

Dance captain......................................................................................... Taylor Bumann

Junior dance captain...............................................................................Reese Hinton

Costume director ........................................................................................... Shelly Hall

Costume crew.................................Mandi Carreiro, Samantha Key, Betty Reese, Sharon Hankins, Roxanne King

Promotional photography.........................................................................Kelly Hicks

Graphic designers..................................................Loren Snow-White and Hk Hite

Social media..........................Elizabeth Riddick, Karen Kuralt, Hannah Bernard, and Micah Rodriguez

Program editors........... Karen Kuralt, Hannah Bernard, and Micah Rodriguez

Executive director, Wildwood Park for the Arts ........................ Bevan Keating

Wildwood Park publicity coordinator................................................Karen Kuralt

Wildwood Park education coordinator ................................Zachary D. Rhodes

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