Paper Mill Playhouse’s OLIVER!

I'm seeing this production tomorrow night. Can't wait!

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I will growl. I've been dying to see a "professional" stage production of this show. They were sold out when I was in London a couple of years ago. I've only seen 2 H.S productions years ago.

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When does it close?

Thanks for the report, boobs! It sounds like you had a really great time!

I agree that David Garrison is a terrific and underrated musical theater actor. His presence notably elevated both the national tour of WICKED I saw him on and the otherwise disappointing SILENCE! THE MUSICAL. John Treacy Egan is a Pittsburgh CLO staple and performed Bumble here a few years ago. (According to the New York Times review of the Papermill production, the CLO sets were used here, too.) It would have been interesting to see Jose Lana as Sikes; that strikes a funny chord on hearing it.

I’m sorry to have missed it, but thanks again for sharing your thoughts

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Updated On: 12/30/13 at 09:40 AM

Damn, damn, damn I am so pissed I missed this!!! I love unconventional casting. I was surprised Jose Llana was playing "Bill Sykes" in this. Glad to hear he aced the role.

I had no idea David Garrison did musical theater. That goes to show you that I don't claim to know everything...LoL.

I would love to see him in something, it's obvious from those of you who have seen him on stage that he's good.

If they did a revival on Broadway of OLIVER! they'd be fools not to hire him to recreate his role of Fagin. He had me from "Pick a Pocket or two" until his curtain call.

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I wonder if they used the original orchestrations or the new ones that Bart did for the Macintosh "revisal". I much prefer the newer ones, but for some reason they don't seem to be available in this country. They have been used in the UK and even in some other European countries, but never in the USA except for the Macintosh non-equity tour about 12 years ago. Seems odd that are used everywhere else but here in the states.
Something tells me that OLIVER! might get a Live TV presentation within the next year or so. I honestly can't think of another musical that is so 100% family, even with the starving urchins and murder of Nancy.

I've always found the Paper Mill constantly puts on amazing productions of the shows that they produce.

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I saw the show this past Saturday evening. OLIVER! was the first show I had ever performed in about 110 years ago (!!!!) so it always has held a special place in my heart. I found the production to be very well done, beautifully designed, staged and performed. However ... and this is not a criticism, just merely an observation ... it was directed at break-neck speed (started at 7:08 and we were in the parking lot at 9:10), the tempos were kept brisk, there were some minor cuts and revisions to the text. But the director tended to keep the mood bright. Regardless of the fact that it's a musical, it's still Dickens. And Dickens, by nature, has some bleak moments. I had directed a production of OLIVER! a few years back, and I remember working very hard to get a balance of the dark and the light. This production was mostly light, with the occasional dimmer light. Im guessing this was a choice in order to keep the "family" element, so as to not disturb the young-in's in the audience. I would have also preferred more "moments" to have been taken. It's ok to linger on a line or a scene, but like I said before, they just barreled on through the material. And before you know it, it was over. You were never bored, and it was a very enjoyable production (as are most of the first class lavish things at Paper Mill), I just wish more of the darker elements of the tale had been explored.