By Brenda Anderson
An orphan boy in Victorian England runs away, falls in with the wrong crowd and ends up singing and dancing his way into the hearts of millions.
It can only happen on Broadway.
Or, in this case, in Credo Christian High School’s production of Oliver!, set to hit the stage at the Abbotsford Arts Centre from April 25 to 28.
This is the first major musical production to be put on by the Langley high school in more than a decade, said Credo’s vice principal Ron de Haan, who is directing the show.
And it’s not a challenge they’ve taken lightly.
In fact, work on the project got underway more than a year ago. Casting took place in the spring, final touches were done on the script over the summer and production began in earnest when school resumed last September.
This musical retelling of the classic Dickens tale, Oliver Twist, follows a young orphan who, after being mistreated in a workhouse, runs away to London and is welcomed by a gang of pickpockets led by an old crook named Fagin. When Oliver is caught stealing, the wealthy victim Mr. Brownlow decides to bring the boy home and shelter him. But Fagin and the dangerous Bill Sikes have other plans for the hapless lad.
With just two weeks to go before the curtain rises, costumes have been pulled together and the set — taking up most of a wall in the Credo gymnasium — is almost complete. Once it’s finished, it will be trucked to Abbotsford.
As much as they’d love to stage their show in Langley, without an auditorium at the school, there are really no appropriate venues the community, lamented de Haan.
Gathered in the school’s science lab to chat, the director and four of the more than 80 performers involved – including actors and chorus members — are anxious to hit the stage, regardless of which town it’s in.
Sharing the title role in the production are Credo Elementary School Grade 6 students Michael Jacobi and Ethan Sikma, who will each perform twice.
Ethan auditioned after his parents brought home a DVD of Oliver! to watch as a family. It wasn’t so much a coincidence, as it was a chance for them to ask whether he’d be interested in performing in the school play. The opportunity to miss a few classes and get out of his paper route for a while were factors in his decision, he admitted with a sly grin.
One of the later additions to the production was Abbotsford’s Justin Deddens, as the evil Sikes, a burglar who eventually turns to murder. The Grade 12 Credo student was already working on a production of The King and I in Lynden, Wash. when the opportunity came up to perform in front of a home town crowd.
Because of ties within the church community on both sides of the border, a lot of Credo students perform in Lynden, said Deddens. But crossing the border for rehearsals and performances can be time consuming, especially with school still in session, he noted.
And, Deddens admitted, the role of Sikes tempted him with the chance to step into a character that is completely unlike himself.
“Outside of acting, I’m not the most threatening guy out there,” he said with a smile.
Playing Sikes’ long-suffering girlfriend, Nancy, is Chilliwack’s Tiffany VanWinkoop, a Grade 10 student at Credo whose previous credits include children’s theatre productions in her home town.
For her, the opportunity to work with students she might not otherwise meet has been rewarding. “I’m talking to Grade 12s, and I wouldn’t normally do that,” she said.
“It’s fun to get out there and be someone totally unexpected. And I get to scream really loud,” she laughed.
The role of Fagin went to Burke Vanderhorst, a math, science and art teacher at the high school.
“It was hard to find someone to play the role, but he was very well-suited for it,” said de Haan.
For Vanderhorst, taking on the role provided not only a chance for him to get to know his students outside an academic context, but for them to see a different side of him as well.
“Anytime you get to work with students outside the classroom, it’s great,” he said.
Rounding out the cast as orphans and pickpockets, are students from Credo’s three feeder elementary schools in Langley, Chilliwack and Cloverdale, while members of an Aldergrove church choir make up the street chorus.
Although the collection of private schools doesn’t take on major productions such as this very often, they are a perfect opportunity for students to discover hidden talents, said de Haan. Some may not excel in academics or sports, for example, but end up finding their niche on a stage, he noted.
Although acting is relatively new to some of the cast, all of them have a background in music — specifically singing.
And that’s where Oliver! really finds its heart, said de Haan.
“It’s a great story, with great music and a lot of really strong performances.”
“We had so much fun doing it, so hopefully the audience understands our love of it,” added VanWinkoop.
Oliver! runs for four nights at the Abbotsford Arts Centre, 2329 Crescent Way, from April 25 to 28.
Tickets are $15, with Thursday’s show offered at $10. Call the school’s office at 604-530-5396
Doors open at 7 p.m.; show starts at 7:30 p.m.
– Black Press
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