The BCHS musical cast is busy rehearsing the musical Oliver! for the fall show in late November. Oliver! is an English Broadway musical based on one of Charles Dickens’s most famous novels, Oliver Twist. This year’s musical is different from previous year’s musicals because of its darker undertones.
“I’ve been waiting for a good time to do [Oliver!] at our school,” said director Mr. Tommy Lueck, “It has tragic elements like Les Miserables.”
The musical is set during Industrial Revolution London. It tells the story of a young workhouse boy who eventually joins a group of adventurous young pickpockets.
“My favorite part about Oliver! is definitely the music,” said Sophie Michalski (‘18), “It’s all really fun and super catchy. Plus, they all have to be sung with British accents, which is even more fun.”
The cast of the musical allows the young actresses and actors to surround themselves with others who share their passion for musicals as well. After numerous rehearsals, the cast members often become close friends.
“What I like most about being in the musical is definitely how close you get to everyone in the cast by the time it’s over,” said Michalski, “and what I love most about the cast is how friendly everyone is and how much they all truly love performing.”
The actors and actresses are also accompanied by the BCHS pit orchestra, which begins its rehearsals in late September. The pit plays the music behind the scenes, but their job as musicians is important to a musical. Many of the musicians play in other types of ensembles as well.
“My favorite thing about being in pit is the different styles of music that I get to play,” said Eric Chen (‘18), “Also, all the musicians are really close with each other, and there is a strong sense of fellowship between us.”
There are over thirty members of the pit orchestra, over forty members of stage crew, and over fifty cast members in the musical this year. The large stage crew is especially beneficial for Oliver!’s colorful special effects.
“There’s a lot of colorful stuff,” said Lueck, “so we’ll be using a lot of haze, smoke, and saturated colors.”
Rehearsals have begun, and the cast, crew, and orchestra work to prepare for their shows during the weekend of November 18.