Oliver! Success!
Carol Brimm
An entire auditorium of elementary students sat silent and spellbound for three hours Friday as Mustang High School students performed a special matinee of Oliver! The hard work, dedication and musical mastery of students, teachers, volunteers and sponsors paid off handsomely in a production that was wonderfully entertaining.
Emily Farnham, drama teacher and director of the play, deserves high praise for bringing together 80 actors, 35 crew members, 14 musicians, and a host of volunteers, woodshop students, art students, parents, teachers and business sponsors to produce such a seamless performance.
The play begins when Oliver, played by Reba Baker, asks for more food at a London workhouse. Baker, a senior in varsity choir who plans to attend Southern Nazarene University and major in music education, did an excellent job portraying a strong, tough, scared little boy. As she sang “Food, Glorious Food” her years of vocal training were evident in her performance.
Actor Antonio Gloria was very believable as Mr. Bumble the hard-hearted workhouse official who sold Oliver into servitude and Erin Keel, who played Widow Corney did a great job pretending to ward off Bumbles clumsy advances while actually luring him into marriage. A comic element was brought to the story when the funeral director, played by Brian Abraham, his wife, played by Jessica Wheeler, their daughter, played by Hannah Otto and the shop clerk, played by Devon Hannaford had a rough and tumble scene that allowed poor Oliver to escape.
Enter the Artful Dodger who lures Oliver into a life of crime. Tara Dillard transformed herself into the tough, likeable little pickpocket, Dodger. As Dodger swaggers across the stage, you believe, for a moment, that these are the dirty streets of London where a youth must do what he can to survive.
Fagin, played by Mark Fairchild, trains “Fagin’s Boys” in the fine art of thievery as he leads the chorus in the song “Pick A Pocket or Two”. Fairchild, a senior in Drama and Varsity Choir, is perhaps the most experienced actor in the play. He has performed in Shakespeare in the Park and Cimarron Circuit Opera Theatre and plans to attend the University of Central Oklahoma and major in theatre or theatre education.
“My passion is the theatre,” said Fairchild, “it’s what I want to do when I grow up.”
Aaron Lechliter plays Bill Sykes, Fagin’s boss. Sykes is the true “criminal” in the group. Lechliter’s heavy steps and deep gruff voice produce a feeling that this man is dangerous, which proves to be true when Sykes kills his girlfriend Nancy.
Dia Baker, a sophomore choir student, plays Nancy who is truly the heart of the play. Baker, who has been in choir since 6th grade, does a wonderful job singing “As Long As He Needs Me” when describing her love for evil Bill Sykes. It is Nancy who defies Sykes and tries to reunites Oliver with his wealthy grandfather, Mr. Brownlow, played by Andy Washington. Sykes kills Nancy, Fagin changes his ways, and the play ends with Oliver, now the picture of health, living in the lap of luxury. Rags to Riches…every little boys dream.
Farnham said the success of the play is due not only to the daily 3-hour rehearsals since January, but in large part the help and support of everyone in the school and community.
Thanks begin with Greg Johnson and Stephanie Abell who took 14 exceptional MHS band students and melded them into an excellent orchestra. Ms. Abell also choreographed the entire show, and her depiction of students as a horse and carriage was wonderful. Mike McGarry’s class built the set, Gail Wilson’s art class painted them. Mr. Marzec’s class designed the program cover and the organized Ms. Dillard helped with ticket sales.
Karen Fairchild and MHS drama and choir parents made sure the cast had food at rehearsals and Vicki Lennert, dubbed the fastest stitcher in the Midwest, made most of the costumes. English teacher, Gayla Case shopped thrift stores to outfit the workhouse and Fagin’s boys and Shannon Rigsby did the head shots. All of this would not have been possible without the support of MHS administration and staff and the sponsorship of the Mustang Chamber of Commerce and local area businesses.
Carol Brimm
An entire auditorium of elementary students sat silent and spellbound for three hours Friday as Mustang High School students performed a special matinee of Oliver! The hard work, dedication and musical mastery of students, teachers, volunteers and sponsors paid off handsomely in a production that was wonderfully entertaining.
Emily Farnham, drama teacher and director of the play, deserves high praise for bringing together 80 actors, 35 crew members, 14 musicians, and a host of volunteers, woodshop students, art students, parents, teachers and business sponsors to produce such a seamless performance.
The play begins when Oliver, played by Reba Baker, asks for more food at a London workhouse. Baker, a senior in varsity choir who plans to attend Southern Nazarene University and major in music education, did an excellent job portraying a strong, tough, scared little boy. As she sang “Food, Glorious Food” her years of vocal training were evident in her performance.
Actor Antonio Gloria was very believable as Mr. Bumble the hard-hearted workhouse official who sold Oliver into servitude and Erin Keel, who played Widow Corney did a great job pretending to ward off Bumbles clumsy advances while actually luring him into marriage. A comic element was brought to the story when the funeral director, played by Brian Abraham, his wife, played by Jessica Wheeler, their daughter, played by Hannah Otto and the shop clerk, played by Devon Hannaford had a rough and tumble scene that allowed poor Oliver to escape.
Enter the Artful Dodger who lures Oliver into a life of crime. Tara Dillard transformed herself into the tough, likeable little pickpocket, Dodger. As Dodger swaggers across the stage, you believe, for a moment, that these are the dirty streets of London where a youth must do what he can to survive.
Fagin, played by Mark Fairchild, trains “Fagin’s Boys” in the fine art of thievery as he leads the chorus in the song “Pick A Pocket or Two”. Fairchild, a senior in Drama and Varsity Choir, is perhaps the most experienced actor in the play. He has performed in Shakespeare in the Park and Cimarron Circuit Opera Theatre and plans to attend the University of Central Oklahoma and major in theatre or theatre education.
“My passion is the theatre,” said Fairchild, “it’s what I want to do when I grow up.”
Aaron Lechliter plays Bill Sykes, Fagin’s boss. Sykes is the true “criminal” in the group. Lechliter’s heavy steps and deep gruff voice produce a feeling that this man is dangerous, which proves to be true when Sykes kills his girlfriend Nancy.
Dia Baker, a sophomore choir student, plays Nancy who is truly the heart of the play. Baker, who has been in choir since 6th grade, does a wonderful job singing “As Long As He Needs Me” when describing her love for evil Bill Sykes. It is Nancy who defies Sykes and tries to reunites Oliver with his wealthy grandfather, Mr. Brownlow, played by Andy Washington. Sykes kills Nancy, Fagin changes his ways, and the play ends with Oliver, now the picture of health, living in the lap of luxury. Rags to Riches…every little boys dream.
Farnham said the success of the play is due not only to the daily 3-hour rehearsals since January, but in large part the help and support of everyone in the school and community.
Thanks begin with Greg Johnson and Stephanie Abell who took 14 exceptional MHS band students and melded them into an excellent orchestra. Ms. Abell also choreographed the entire show, and her depiction of students as a horse and carriage was wonderful. Mike McGarry’s class built the set, Gail Wilson’s art class painted them. Mr. Marzec’s class designed the program cover and the organized Ms. Dillard helped with ticket sales.
Karen Fairchild and MHS drama and choir parents made sure the cast had food at rehearsals and Vicki Lennert, dubbed the fastest stitcher in the Midwest, made most of the costumes. English teacher, Gayla Case shopped thrift stores to outfit the workhouse and Fagin’s boys and Shannon Rigsby did the head shots. All of this would not have been possible without the support of MHS administration and staff and the sponsorship of the Mustang Chamber of Commerce and local area businesses.
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