Encores! 2023: LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA with Ruthie Ann Miles, DEAR WORLD with Donna Murphy, and OLIVER! — Page 2

Dear World is a twee mess that'll probably never work but to hear that score with a full orchestra and Murphy leading should be a treat. It'll be interesting to see how Oliver! has aged.

VintageSnarker said: "Who would be young enough to play Clara? Eva Noblezada? It would be nice if they highlighted an "unknown" actress. After Samantha Williams and Justin Cooley recently proved themselves fresh out of school, I'd love to see another young talent. Plenty of opportunity for "star" casting in the other adult roles.

I'm excited about the season and wary about what they might do to these shows. I love "As Long As He Needs Me" but Oliver! is the show I'll wait on getting tickets for. I could see them wanting to mess with Nancy and Clara the most, though I agree that Oliver! would also make for a good Publicworks/community theater style show that they might leave mostly untouched aside from Nancy."



Nancy will now be a gay trans sex worker, who steps out of character in Act 2 and makes a speech to the audience about the Second Amendment.

I wouldn't be opposed to Nancy reconceived as a Molly Boy or portrayed by a trans actress. Why not?

Oliver must be the “community” production.

Taffy, I think it's because "Dear" and "Ben Platt" are both part of the quote. They left off Oliver, too.

Sally Durant Plummer said: "Damn,I wish the season looked like this when I was a subscriber.

Exciting! Though wonder if people might be a little iffy about Guettel... Separate the art from the artist, I say."

"Iffy about Guettel"? What did I miss?

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Globefan said: "Maybe Ashley Park will play Clara Johnson"

She's only 8 years younger than Ruthie Ann! Would be weird to have a Clara who's older than the character and a Margaret who's younger."

Well that won't happen they are basically in the same age group LOL

It is interesting that the least talked about choice is running for two weeks. The dance articles indicated that this coming season would be Arlene Shuler’s last which was odd because she spent a large part of spring saying goodbye.

Updated On: 6/14/22 at 11:14 PM

Robbie2 said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Globefan said: "Maybe Ashley Park will play Clara Johnson"

She's only 8 years younger than Ruthie Ann! Would be weird to have a Clara who's older than the character and a Margaret who's younger."

Well that won't happen they are basically in the same age group LOL"


The age issue aside (Margaret should be 45 - 50, Miles is 39 but appears younger), I am curious if they will make this “color conscious” casting or “color blind.” Will the actors playing Clara and Roy also be Asian? And would they use Southern accents? The 1950’s Southern-ness of the Johnson family seems so integral to their characters I’m not sure how it would work. Not looking to argue, just genuinely curious what Chay Yew’s approach to the story will be.

Dolly80 said: "Does Ruthie have the voice for this role? I don’t think so."

That was my thought as well. I'm guessing her version of Margaret will be much more subdued.

SonofRobbieJ said: "I wouldn't be opposed to Nancy reconceived as a Molly Boy or portrayed by a trans actress. Why not?"

I see no issue with gender-diverse casting for Nancy. My main concern with Oliver! is ensuring that they cast a Jewish actor as Fagin. In the original production and film, Lionel Bart and Ron Moody allowed their more comical interpretation of Fagin to come across as a "reclaiming" of the problematic Jewish crook.(along the lines of the countless more sympathetic takes on Shylock we've seen in recent years). However, since Ron Moody, Fagin has rarely been played by Jewish actors, so this sense of ownership has been diminished. In recent months, several hit plays and musicals have featured overtly Jewish themes and subject matter, and it would be nice to place Oliver back into Jewish theatre history...

DeBessonett is a solid choice to direct Oliver! given her experience helming Annie Live! last year. Although it had its share of flaws, it showed she could adapt a family-friendly, rags-to-riches musical in a reasonably faithful way, and the fact she restored the sociopolitical themes omitted from the other Annie adaptations gives me some confidence she she will be able to do something interesting with the socio-political elements of Oliver!...

jbird5 said: "I’m not sure of the optics of a trans actor playing a character who is violently killed."

Perhaps she can pull a gun out and shoot Sikes in the head, instead.