Lyric Stage’s production of Oliver! has three things going for it: a big beautiful set, a big beautiful orchestra, and big, beautiful voices. Taken on its own, each element exemplifies what can go gloriously right with a musical. When strung together, however, only the lush, 30-piece orchestra shines completely. Lack of cohesion and focus turn what should have been a melodic romp with Charles Dickens’ beloved orphan into an awkward, herky-jerky plod.
First, the set. Originally designed and built for Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, the design is a versatile wonder, continually shifting to become the orphan’s workhouse, Fagin’s lair, The Three Cripples pub, and even London Bridge. Side pieces slide in and out as needed, and the actors get a good workout clambering up and down the various staircases. Intricately detailed, appropriately surprising, and delightfully clever, it is practically a character in itself. But it’s big—so large and lumbering, in fact, that it slows down the scene changes considerably. Some might even call it the show’s diva, demanding most of the attention and hogging the spotlight to the point where the actors sometimes seem a bit lost in its numerous nooks and crannies.
Occasionally, the talented cast manages to break through during the musical numbers. Songs such as “As Long As He Needs Me,” “I’d Do Anything,” and “Oom-Pah-Pah” will sound familiar to anyone who has previously seen the musical or its Oscar-winning 1968 movie version, but others, such as “That’s Your Funeral” or “I Shall Scream,” might be less so. Despite at-times crackly over-amplification, the voices are robust, intelligible, and on-pitch. Thirteen-year-old Jack VanGorden (as Oliver) and operatic Christine Chambers (as Widow Corney) especially charm when singing. While Catherine Carpenter Cox (Nancy) has a voice so powerful it could rattle the floorboards, her tendency to scowl no matter the song’s sentiments lessens its impact.
Perhaps the best example of sheer vocal prowess not being enough to save the musical numbers is presented in “Who Will Buy,” a layered plea put forth by the various street sellers. Diane Powell, Lindsey Gallegos, and Amber Nicole Guest’s voices combine magnificently, but physically they are left with not much to do other than wander aimlessly around the stage and stare blankly into the distance. The effect of not just that song, but of the musical in its entirety, suggests that resident director Cheryl Denson mapped out the show with its littlest actors forefront in her mind. Like the adorably scruffy orphans, the rest of the cast is expected to hit its marks, say its lines, and do nothing more.
It’s not the strongest endorsement to say that—at times—the best way to reap the most benefit from this Oliver! is to close your eyes and just listen. Under the baton of Jay Dias, Lionel Bart’s score sounds jaunty, menacing, and wistful in all the right places. While the action onstage can repeatedly lose its momentum or suffer from a frightening disconnect in emotional storytelling, the music is a welcome constant.
The exception to this onstage downfall is the performance of Jonathan Beck Reed. As Fagin, the colorful leader of a rag-tag band of young pickpockets, Reed flawlessly takes charge of his character. Acted with nuance, his beguiling presence commands absolute attention. His solo song “Reviewing the Situation” manages to do completely what the rest of the 2 1/2-hour show does not: captivate.
Photos courtesy of Lyric Stage
