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Classic "Oliver," With Cast Of 100

Classic "Oliver," With Cast Of 100 image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
February
Year
2007
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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stage

Classic 'Oliver,' with cast of 100

Burns Park Players show directed by U-M theater student

BY ROGER LELIERVRE

News Arts Writer

Michael Lowney, director of the Burns Park Players’ upcoming production of “Oliver,” may be making his debut in that role, but the University of Michigan musical theater student isn’t worried.

“They are blowing me away ... They have so much talent over there,” he said.

Traditionally, Ann Arbor’s Burns Park Players put on a musical every year to raise money for various school projects. Formed in 1984 by a small group of parents looking for a way to raise funds to send children to camp, the Burns Park Players have developed a reputation for excellence, and this year promises to be no exception, Lowney said.

“Its mostly your classic ‘Oliver,’ with great sets, costumes and cast. ... I really do love the score out of everything. This has some great songs, the show has its darker moments and some comedy and comedy relief. In any musical, it’s always good to have those things working together,” said Lowney, who appeared in a production of the show last summer in St. Louis, Mo.

“Oliver,” a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” is the story of a runaway orphan who hooks up with a group of boys trained as pickpockets by Fagin, an elderly mentor. The score includes “Food, Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself” and “As Long As He Needs Me.”

The cast numbers more than 100 children and adults, all of whom live in the Burns Park neighborhood.

Casting the show’s title character was a breeze, Lowney said, especially when sixth-grader Jordan McKay showed up.

“I had no idea what we were going to get when we auditioned the kids,” Lowney recalled. “He came in and by far obviously he was going to be Oliver. He’s high energy, very charismatic and picked up things very quickly. I don’t think I ever saw a script in his hand - he had his lines before anyone else. He has a great singing voice.... His ‘Where is Love’ - there’s going to be some tears during that song.”

Zack Pearlman has been cast as the Artful Dodger and Christopher Taylor is Fagin.

“Zack just graduated from Pioneer High School. ... I had seen him in a couple of things, he was always very funny and brought a lot to everything he did, and he has a great singing voice as well,” said Lowney. “He and Jordan look great together and it seems they have become friends, even with the age difference.” Taylor, by day a local attorney, “has a classical tenor’s quality to his voice, and he brings a lot of life and color and texture to the role. He has so many scenes with the little kids and he does a great job with them keeping them interested.”

With so many youngsters in the show, Lowney said he’s glad he was active in youth theater in Missoula, Mont., where he grew up. “I’ve been using a lot of their techniques in getting the kids to pay attention and to follow direction,” he said.

Other roles include Lisa Harris as Nancy, Jay Pekala as Mr. Bumble, Janet Taylor as Widow Corney, Jeffrey Post as Bill Sykes, Liz Stern and Frank Worden as Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry. Eric Lofstrom is music director and Marjorie Failoni is choreographer.

Harris, an OB-GYN at the U-M, has been involved in Burns Park shows since she moved here nine years ago.

“I love it as a form of self-expression and I think more than anything else in Ann Arbor the Burns Park Players have given me community,” she said.

Harris finds her role as the abused spouse Nancy especially interesting because of the domestic violence advocacy work she did as a medical student. “We all recognize that violence against women in any form and family violence is not acceptable. The challenge for me is to make (Nancy) believable - and that is still a challenge for women in violent relationships, to get people to believe why they just don’t leave,” she said.

Roger LeLievre can be reached at 734-994-6848 or by e-mail at rlelievre@annarbornews.com.

PREVIEW

'Oliver'

Who: Burns Park Players.

What: Musical adaptation of Dickens' classic tale about an orphan who runs away from an orphanage and joins a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by Fagin, an elderly mentor. The score includes "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself" and "As Long As He Needs Me."

Where: Tappan Middle School, 2251 E. Stadium Blvd.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday. Also 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15-16 and 4 p.m. Feb. 17.

How much: $12 (limited number of patron tickets in premium rows with reserved parking are available for $30 by calling 734-669-0431).

Details: 734-665-2518.

In the Burns Park Players' production of "Oliver," Jordan McKay, front, is Oliver; Lisa Harris, left, is Nancy; Christopher Taylor is Fagin and Zack Pearlman, right, is the Artful Dodger