Oliver! #1
OPENING: January 6, 1963
CLOSING: November 14, 1964
Date Seen: March 1963
LOCATION: Imperial
It’s becoming clear to me that my dad doesn’t remember seeing most of these shows. At least not the early ones. For those of you still reading – stick around. I promise that when we get to my boxes of programs, every entry will have that personal touch meant just for this blog.
At least for this next entry, the show is one I am familiar with. A show I have studied. A show I performed in high school. A show called Oliver!
Oliver! was one of the first shows my dad really introduced me to. I remember him bringing me over to his CD rack, showing me the soundtrack, and then following it up with “But it’s not the original, so it’s not Georgia Brown. You’re missing out.” (For those of you younger readers: This was before the days of Spotify, Youtube Music, and online streaming. There was no jumping online and hearing the desired cast). It makes me happy to know that despite not remembering being at the show in person, my dad was so taken by Ms. Brown’s performance that even sixty years later, he cannot fathom anyone else in the role.
For the record (No pun intended), the soundtrack on his shelf was the 1994 London version with Sally Dexter. I must say, her rendition of As Long As He Needs Me is lovely and I’m sure that Ms. Dexter was unbelievably wonderful on stage.
Based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, Oliver! takes us to 19th century London. Not the upper class London – the seedy underside with prostitutes, pickpockets, and con artists. We follow the story of Oliver, an orphan boy in a workhouse who has the gall to ask for more “food” and subsequently finds himself sold to an undertaker. A series of events brings him to a street gang and then, miraculously, enough, the fancy side of London.
Oliver! first premiered in London in 1960, where it did very well on the West End. David Merrick, always on the lookout for his next Broadway project, was entranced. He immediately made arrangements to transfer the show to the US. The show did not immediately go to Broadway once it transferred; it first embarked on a pre-Broadway national tour.
I don’t remember where I read it (It may have been the liner notes in the 1994 London revival album) but I remember reading that while the transferred production was touring, another adaptation of Oliver Twist was gearing up for a bid at Broadway. Terrified that his investment would be for naught, he had the touring cast record a Broadway album and shortly after cut the tour short. Unfortunately, this meant that while a majority of the transferring London cast are featured on the album, Davy Jones (Later of The Monkees fame) is not. He was still performing the role of The Artful Dodger in London and was not able to join the American cast in time to record.
Oliver! was a hit when it finally made it to the Imperial Theater on January 6, 1963, replacing Carnival! And for us nerds keeping track, (I myself had to do a double take on this one) Carnival! Transferred to the Winter Garden for the last two weeks of it’s run. There was not a theater turnover in 24 hours.) London cast members Davy Jones (Dodger), Georgia Brown (Nancy), and Barry Humphries (Mr. Sowerberry) crossed the pond to open the show on Broadway.
Oliver! is a bit of an enigma of a musical. Audiences loved it, but New York Times reviewer Howard Taubman was clearly a Dickens purist and hated it, claiming the musical took a cheap approach to the source material. (Taubman, 1963) It’s a musical with a huge cast and lots of kids, but it is extremely dark and even shows domestic violence on stage. Every assumption that is easy to make about this show is wrong. And the cast of kids aspect of this show is an argument for why theater kids should be introduced to full versions of shows as opposed to junior versions; it was not until I was in high school that I fully understood why my music teacher in middle school tried to talk me out of singing As Long As He Needs Me in a middle school talent show. (Technically, I rocked it. Interpretation? Yikes.)
The original production took home three Tonys. It was up against Forum, so it was not a light season in Tony Land. Statues were given to Sean Kenny (Scenic Design), Donald Pippin (Conductor and Music Director), and Lionel Bart (Composer and Lyricist). The lack of Tonys has not affected Oliver’s popularity. It has been revived multiple times in both London and New York, most notably in 1983 with Patti LuPone as Nancy. High Schools and local theaters routinely produce it.
It's been thirteen years since the last revival. Another one is due soon. And maybe, just maybe, the next Nancy will leave that unforgettable impression on audiences just like Georgia Brown did on dear ol’ dad. I hope so – the theater world needs more inspiring powerhouses.
CAST: ORIGINAL
OLIVER TWIST: Bruce Prochnik
MR BUMBLE, THE BEADLE: Willoughby Goddard
MRS CORNEY, THE MATRON: Hope Jackman
OLD SALLY, A PAUPER: Ruth Maynard
MR. SOWERBERRY, THE UNDERTAKER: Barry Humphries
MRS. SOWERBERRY, HIS WIFE: Helena Carroll
CHARLOTTE, THEIR DAUGHTER: Cherry Davis
NOAH CLAYPOLE, THEIR APPRENTICE: Terry Lomax
FAGIN: Clive Revill
THE ARTFUL DODGER: David Jones
NANCY: Georgia Brown
BET: Alice Playten
BILL SIKES: Danny Sewell
MR BROWNLOW: Geoffrey Lumb
DR GRIMWIG: John Call
MRS BEDWIN: Dortha Duckworth
WORKHOUSE BOYS AND FAGIN’S GANG: Johnny Borden, Eugene Endon, Bryant Fraser, Randy Gaynes, Bobby Gold, Paul Kroll, Ronald Kroll, Sal Lombardo, Christopher Month, Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Alan Paul, Barry Pearl, George Priolo, Robbie Reed, Christopher Votos.
LONDONERS: Jed Allan, Barbara Bossert, Jack Davison, James Glenn, Lesley Hunt, John M. Kimbro, Michael Lamont, Allan Lokos, Dodie Marshall, Richard Miller, Moose Peting, Ruth Ramsey, Nita Reiter, Ray Tudor, Maura K. Wedge
Atkinson, Brooks. “Broadway.” New York: Macmillian Publishing Co, Inc, 1970.
Bordman, Gerald. “American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle.” New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1978.
Internet Broadway Database. Accessed September 2022. www.ibdb.com
Taubman, Howard. “Oliver Twist As A Musical” New York Times, January 8, 1963. https://www.nytimes.com/1963/01/08/archives/theater-oliver-twist-as-a-musical-wide-gap-between-it-and-dickenss.html?searchResultPosition=2
Tony Awards. Accessed September 2022. www.tonyawards.com
