Oliver, with a twist

“Oliver!” doesn’t quite have a cast of thousands, but there are dozens of cute, talented youngsters, plus a few not quite as young, singing, dancing and emoting in the Frontenac High School production of “Oliver!”

The show will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the school.

“I think this is probably the first musical done here in decades,” said director Barbara Hilt. “I was talking to Mark Allai, elementary school principal, and he said he’s been here 15 years and can’t remember a musical during that time.”

There were a few difficulties with scheduling, including some cast members who also had track obligations, but the show came together and Hilt believes it’s been a good experience for students.

“I think they’ve learned a lot,” she said. “Frontenac has a great deal of talent, and I hope we’re able to showcase it.”

Ross Fry plays the title role of Oliver Twist, the orphan boy who dares to ask for more gruel at the workhouse. This so angers Mr. Bumble, played by Josh Crown, that he sells Oliver to Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry, who run a funeral home. Mrs. Sowerberry, generous soul, allows Oliver to eat a dish of scraps that she had intended to feed to her dog.

The poor boy rebels when a friend of the housemaid says insulting things about Oliver’s dead mother. Rather than return to the workhouse with Mr. Bumble, Oliver runs away, meets the Artful Dodger, played by Matt Buck, and is brought into Fagin’s gang of junior pickpockets and petty thieves.

Through the long arm of coincidence, a favorite plot device of author Charles Dickens, Oliver eventually finds a loving family. For others in the show, including Nancy and her brutal boyfriend Bill Sykes, there is no happy ending.

The cast also includes Makayla Hastings and Dylan Pyle as Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry, with Pyle also playing Sykes; Marissa McLees as the loving but ill-fated Nancy; Brittany Sellars as the Widow Corney; Katelyn Sellars and Lauren Eagon as workhouse assistants; Adrien Gillespie as Charlotte and Trey Medlin as Noah Claypool; Alice Hilt as Mrs. Brownlow; Conner Hastings, Makenzie DeMott, Braylyn Wilson, Kieran Wilson, Macy Kotzman, Ana Herrera, Storm Niegsch, Trinity Hildebrand, Ariel Bridges, Anna Walrod, Coy Medlin, Madison Stotts, Allan Adelman and Aslan Hilt as Bullseye the dog.

Then there are Kate Walrod, Marissa McLees and Autumn Bryant as circus performers; Allan Adelman, Frank Mariano, Trinity Lohrmeyer, Ashley Lovell, Anna Lovell, Coy Medlin, Autumn Bryant, Alana Bryant, Blake Adelman, Storm Niegsch, Trey Medlin, Nicholas Schlesnecker, Tevaris Young, Jonah Potts and Brandon Loudermilk as Fagin’s gang; Trinity Hildebrand, Kate Walrod, Macy Kotzman, Madison Stotts, Anna Hogard, Lauren Eagon, Kieran Wilson, Anna Walrod, Makenzie DeMott, Braylyn Wilson, Anna Herrera and Ariel Bridges as Nancy’s crew of shady ladies; and Ali White, Bria Ginavin, Alexis Leonard, Alexandria Rosebrough, Madison Hagerty, Desiray Laidler, Mackenzie Hensley, Madison Short, Alex Medlin, Abbie Musgrave, Mia Brown, Lydia May, Mackenzie Fries, Danielle Young, Caroline McKnight, Kiera Threllfall, Jaydn Meyer, Lawren Blair, Lily Gariglietti, Hannah Eckstein, Taylor D’Amico, Reagan Clark, August Chamerlin and Dominique Schlesnecker.

Linda Evans is vocal director and accompanist. Many of director Hilt’s family assisted with costumes, set design and construction props, etc. Rachel Herring is stage manager/light operator, and sound operators are Brandon Belew and Brad Southard.