Yesterday afternoon we went to the big Catholic church down the street to see this play. A friend and former neighbor who had a small part invited us.If you don't know Oliver!, it's the musical comedy version of Oliver Twist, an olde English kid who, along with other kids, is starved, beaten, sold into slavery, tossed into a coffin, thrown in with a bunch of thieves and, eventually, saved.
It's great fun!
Early on, when the kids are sharing their one and only daily meal - gruel - they sing:
Food, glorious food!
We're anxious to try it.
Three banquets a day-
Our favorite diet!
The despicable but dopey funeral directors that poor Oliver gets sold to and who throw him the the coffin as punishment sing:
In the end we'll either burn you up or nail you down,
We love coughs and wheezes
And diseases called incurable.
That's your funeral.
No one else's funeral
When Oliver gets saved by the Artful Dodger all the boys sing:
Consider yourself at home
Consider yourself one of the family
We've taken to you so strong
It's clear we're going to get along
But then Mr. Fagin sings:
In this life, one thing counts
In the bank, large amounts
I'm afraid these don't grow on trees
You've got to pick a pocket or two.
This church production of Oliver! was excellent. It involved at least a hundred people. Many of them were polished and talented performers.
So thanks to St. Mary Magdalen's C.A.S.T. Ministry and to Tom for inviting us. If you'd like to see a sweet funny musical about adorable, starving and beaten up little kids, see Oliver! And see it in church.
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