A young boy runs away from an orphanage and roams the streets of London, searching for one thing only: a family who will love him.
That is the classic story of “Oliver Twist,” written in the mid-1800s by Charles Dickens. But J*Company Youth Theatre, a program of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, will bring back the old tale in its upcoming musical production of “Oliver!” Oct. 19-29 at the David and Dorothea Garfield Theatre at the JCC, 4126 Executive Drive.
˜Oliver!’ is a production that, at one point, was done all over the world and was one of largest musical theater productions when it first came out,” said Joey Landwehr, artistic director at J*Company. “We found over the years it has dwindled and people don’t do it as much anymore. We want to revive the classics, because it’s so important to learn from these theatrical classics and make everything we do now as good as that.”
A cast of 76 children and young adults, ages 7 to 18 years old, will help relay Dickens’ original story to a crowd of 500 people, with help from a nine-piece orchestra and San Diego musician and Broadway play producer Rayme Sciaroni, according to Landwehr.
Dialect coaching was given to cast members by Monty Silverstone, actor and father of big-time actress Alicia Silverstone. Silverstone, who is originally from London and has played the character Fagin, leader of the pickpocket gang, from the story in at least seven productions, has been a longtime friend of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture and will play Fagin in the company’s presentation to donors.
The production can be enjoyed by all ages, but it was key to staff at J*Company to help its young cast members understand the importance of learning the classic piece, as well as learning about theater in general, Landwehr said.
“One of the reasons we chose to involve as many young children and let them be a part of this is that nowadays, especially in California, it’s helpful for students to go somewhere outside of school to have the arts presented to them,” he said. “Because oftentimes they don’t have that within their school system.”