Starving Artist Studios Presents OLIVER!, Featuring Local Celebs, Now thru 7/20

As part of the Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs' "What the Dickens" celebration, Starving Artist Studios is getting ready to present Lionel Bart's Oliver! Presented in association with Central Florida Community Arts, who will be providing a full 22-piece orchestra, this production also features a cast of fifty well-known local television personalities, professional actors, stage veterans and an ensemble of children ages 5-18!

Nothing works on the stage like a well-crafted tale, and OLIVER! is just such a show. Based on the Dickens novel, it has engaged audiences with its pathos and drama, while delighting everyone with its outstanding musical numbers since it was first presented in London, where it played for 2,618 performances at the New Theatre. It played for 774 performances on Broadway at the Imperial and Shubert Theatres starring Georgia Brown and Clive Revill as Nancy and Fagin. It has been revived on Broadway several times, as in 1984 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, and in London in 1994 at the Palladium starring Jonathan Pryce as Fagin. Food, Glorious Food, I'd Do Anything, Where is Love?, Consider Yourself, As Long As He Needs Me, Who Will Buy and Reviewing the Situation are musical theatre classics. Dickens' characters are brought to life - perhaps larger than life - with all their facets glowing in this production.

This Orlando production stars WFTV Meteorologist Marina Jurica and Equity Actor Eric Pinder as Nancy and Fagin. Orlando Weekly Creative Director Adam McCabe plays the villainous Bill Sykes. Nine year old Aalic Anderson plays the title role. The show is directed by Starving Artist Studios' Owner Tim Evanicki, musical directed by stage veteran Kevin Kelly and choreographed by Choreographer Joyce Lemos.

Oliver! opens today, July 11 and runs through July 20 at the Winter Springs High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 with discounts for seniors and students, and are available online at www.starvingartiststudios.com/tickets.