photo by Michael J. Lutch
Theater for a New Audience has given us a thoroughly mesmerizing adaptation of the Dickens tale. Too often I've walked out of stagings of "Oliver!" with digusted contempt for a musical that glamourizes a period of history that was anything but cheery. With this Victorian melodrama, justice has been served in the form of a stylized morality tale that weighs good against evil, and exposes the darker side of innocence, blah blah blah. I'd say wait a few more weeks before this production gels, but the run is very short. Sunday evening's performance was a bit stale, with uneven acting and a lack of much needed intensity. Despite that, go now and don't miss it.
