REVIEW Play leaves audience feeling good

Acting and singing were superb in this hit musical.
By SARAH POULTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The New Castle Playhouse's rendition of the classic Charles Dickens novel "Oliver Twist" brought a hilarious slant to the 1960s musical.
"Oliver!" takes place around 1850 in London. The young orphan Oliver, played by Tyler Perry, was lifelike and adorable on stage. Dressed in rags and in desperate need of a hair cut, Perry made his NCP debut as the leading role. The fourth-grader at Neshannock Middle School strutted his stuff on stage while belting out tunes with great ease.
Mr. Bumble, played by Anthony Geramita, was the initial keeper of young Oliver. Geramita played the part with ease, after being thrown into the role only three weeks ago. He was portrayed as a comical, heartless gold-digger, who had an unlikely ability to show his softer side to his mate, Mrs. Corney, played by Janice Hanna. The two flirted and fought behind closed doors, giving the musical a humorous, adult twist.
As the play progressed, Oliver finally managed to maneuver his way out of Mr. Bumble's workplace and a funeral parlor. He was found on the street by a young pick pocketer, Dodger, played by Antonio Blundo. With great confidence, Dodger convinced Oliver that he had the perfect home for him.
Dodger took Oliver to the Thieves' Kitchen, where you are introduced to pick pocketers' middle man, Fagan, played by Neal Edman. Fagan may have been the backbone of the play as he skillfully showed compassion to all the boys, while keeping his greed to himself.
Beautiful renditions
Shortly thereafter, Nancy, played by Connie Cassidy, enters the picture. Nancy, a pick-pocket since childhood and girlfriend of headman Bill Sikes, played by Robert S. Hazen, was torn between her loyalty to Sikes and the happiness of others. Cassidy beautifully sang the classic Oliver tunes, "As Long As He Needs Me" and "Oom-Pah-Pah" gracefully, keeping the audience amazed with every note.
After the audience spent two hours of watching Oliver dodge the thieves and the slave-owners, he is finally reunited with his maternal grandfather, Mr. Brownlow, played by Phillip Clark Jr., at the cost of Nancy's life. As in all feel-good shows, young Oliver lives happily ever after.
The youth ensemble doubled as the Workhouse Boys and Fagan's Gang. These youngsters filled the musical with spunk and entertainment as they awkwardly sang and danced as boys their age often would.
Although there were a few opening night blunders, first-time Oliver viewers would have never noticed them. Under the direction of Michael Cavalier, "Oliver!" is a hit for all ages.