The Bromfield School Drama Society will put on the musical “Oliver” March 8, 9, and 10. The show features a cast and crew of middle and high school students, as well as a 26-piece pit orchestra. The musical director is Andrew Milne, who serves as the unified arts department leader at Bromfield. “Oliver” is directed by Lynne Weatherbee, who directed “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” last fall.
The choice of “Oliver” was based on several criteria. The musical needed to have roles for performers from sixth grade all the way up to 12th grade. “The fact that we can have sixth-graders and 12th-graders working so harmoniously is probably the most impressive thing,” Milne said. Feedback from the previous production of “Sound Of Music” pointed out the need for the ensemble to play a meaningful part, rather than having a story centered around just the lead roles. “The ‘Oliver’ ensemble is very involved. They’re all over the place throughout the entire show,” stated Milne.
However, an active and engaged ensemble wasn’t the only appealing feature of “Oliver.” The show also had roles for the more experienced and older students. Milne said: “We also wanted to give some of our high school performers some really heavy, meaty roles to sink their teeth into. There is some really heavy acting that goes into some of the older, adult roles of the show.”
Rupert Harvey as Mr. Bumble, Gina Moussouris as Oliver, and Claire Hardisty as the Widow Corney. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
In the musical “Oliver,” the audience follows the story of a young orphan living in Victorian England who escapes a workhouse. He meets a group of pickpockets and goes on a series of adventures while trying to find a place to belong. For “Oliver” Weatherbee said she “wanted to bring out that children can always find love and brightness in any sort of situation, and that we can learn a lot through the eyes of children.” Children are good at finding new and creative ways to do things, and the director said this is something she wanted to highlight. She said she also sees this creativity during rehearsals as the students give new ideas on how to improve the production.
The musical’s set uses several platforms, including one that rotates. Milne said that Eric and Jason Ward, Bromfield parents and brothers who graduated from Bromfield in the early 1990s, spearheaded the construction of the set. They helped design it in partnership with Ien Ruark, who plays one of the leading roles, Nancy. Milne said, “In addition to Jason and Eric, we have a lot of other parents who have been coming in for the last month or so, including over February break, to keep pushing us toward the finish line there.”
Ruark, a senior at Bromfield, has previously performed in several productions. “Oliver” will be Ruark’s last show before graduating. “As a senior, the last show is really meaningful to me,” Ruark said. Although the original story has been adjusted for a younger audience, Ruark makes clear the grim realities that led Nancy to a life of crime. “Getting to play Nancy is special,” said Ruark. “She is hiding a lot under her smile.” Nancy is a motherly character in the story, and Ruark has taken on a mentor-like role for younger members of the cast. “Interacting with the younger cast members has been really wonderful,” Ruark said.
Lauren Stoller as The Artful Dodger, Gina Moussouris as Oliver, and Conall Munoz as Fagin.
Conall Munoz, a junior, plays Fagin, one of the lead roles. Fagin is the adult leader of a group of young pickpockets on the streets of London. This is Munoz’s first-ever theatrical production. He described the Bromfield Drama Society as a small group with a big sense of community. “There’s a lot of encouragement to do your best,” said Munoz. “I’m inspired to continue and come back.”
The Bromfield School Drama Society has previously put on shows such as “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” “The Play That Goes Wrong,” and “The Sound of Music.” This is Milne’s fifth musical at Bromfield, and he said he has been impressed by how much time and work the students put into the shows. “Oliver” is more than two hours long and has taken extra dedication and perseverance. Milne noted the students’ teamwork on and off the stage, and, Milne said, “A lot of them have really great artistic instincts.”
“Oliver” will be performed four times at the Bromfield School’s Cronin Auditorium. The evening shows are March 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. The matinees are March 9 and 10 at 2 p.m. The show runs 2½ hours, including a 20-minute intermission. Tickets are sold at showtix4u.com. The price for tickets is $15 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors.
