Lionel Bart's class musical Oliver! takes to The Heritage Center stage as the Actors' NET of Bucks County assembles one of its largest casts ever to bring to life Charles Dickens' memorable characters from the novel, Oliver Twist. BroadwayWorld has new photos of the cast onstage below!
NET Co-founder
Joe Doyle directs
Adam Juraga of Morrisville as Dickens' orphaned waif, who escapes from a Victorian era workhouse and falls in with a youthful gang of thieves led by the lovable but criminal Fagin. Juraga, the 12-year-old son of Kresimir and Dani Tucci-Juraga (who choreographs) of Morrisville, last appeared as Tiny Tim in the company's 2009 dual productions of A Christmas Carol and The Christmas Carol Conspiracy: Scrooge's Revenge.
Connor is the 13-year-old son of Charity and David Connor of Yardley and a veteran of stage productions at the Charles Boehm Middle School. His sister Viva also appears in the cast.
DeLarme Landes of Doylestown as Fagin costars alongside
Tess Ammerman of Allentown, NJ as Nancy, a former Fagin gang member who befriends Oliver. Landes recently costarred as the title NET's character in the NET's productions of both The Merchant of Venice and Dracula. Miss Ammerman's many starring roles with the company include Sally Bowles in 2011's Cabaret and Martha Jefferson in several runs of 1776.
"De as Fagin," Doyle said, "gets to steal the show with such great musical numbers as 'Reviewing theSituation' and 'Pick a Pocket or Two,' while Tess' Nancy will rock the house with her boisterous 'Oom Pah Pah' number and then break hearts as she sings the show-stopping 'As Long As He Needs Me,' which is about her ill-fated romance with sinister Bill Sykes - played by
Scott Lutz of Levittown."
The supporting cast is led by
Dennis McGuire of Levittown as Mr. Bumble, Marie Maginity of Doylestown as Widow Corney, Pater Sauer of Yardley as Mr. Sowerberry, Florence Mitchell of Yardley as Mrs. Sowerberry, Dana Maginity of Doylestown as Nancy's friend Bet and dozens more, ranging in age from 6 to well past their 60s. Pat Masterson of Mount Airy, NJ is musical director, conducting a small live orchestra.
Oliver! runs July 12 - 28 at the air conditioned Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville. Show times all three weeks are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. To reserve, phone 215-295-3694 or email actorsnet@aol.com. The company's website is www.actorsnetbucks.org. The musical is presented by special arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.
Fagin (DeLarme Landes) contemplates the secret stash of valuable he has saved for his old age.
Several young pickpockets (top, left to right,) enjoy the song “Iâ€d Do Anythingâ€? as Nancy (Tess Ammerman) asks the Artful Dodger (Forrester Connor) if heâ€d fight Bill Sykes for her.
Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker (Peter Sauer, left) measures Mr. Bumble, the beadle (Dennis McGuire) for a coffin â€" just in case! â€" as Mrs. Sowerberry (Florence Mitchell) sings along.
Nancy (Tess Ammerman, center) embraces Oliver (Adam Juraga), pretending the boy is a runaway as his “sister� Bet and a horrified milkmaid (Maryalice Rubins-Topoleski) look on.
