November 16, 2016
For: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kirsten Park
801-581-6270
kirsten.park@ptc.utah.edu
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
Oliver!
Music, Book and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Salt Lake City – Pioneer Theatre Company presents Oliver!, the award-winning musical by Lionel Bart inspired by the orphan’s tale, Oliver Twist, written by Charles Dickens. Oliver! runs December 2 to December 17, 2016.
Charles Dickens’ tale of the plucky orphan has been turned into a rousing musical featuring one of the most memorable Broadway scores ever written, including “Food, Glorious Food,” “Where Is Love?,” “Consider Yourself,” “You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket or Two,” “Who Will Buy,” and more.
Oliver! was the first musical adaptation of Dickens’ to become a stage hit. Oliver! debuted on Broadway in 1963, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical Score and has enjoyed several revivals over the years. It was turned into a movie in 1968, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The professional Equity cast of 14 is joined by local cast members, including 13 child actors.
BILL NOLTE plays Fagin, the career criminal who lures in homeless orphans and educates them in the fine art of picking pockets. Nolte is a veteran who has been seen on Broadway in The Producers, Amour, Jane Eyre, 1776 (revival), King David, A Christmas Carol, Me and My Girl, Joseph…Dreamcoat (revival), The Secret Garden, La Cage Aux Folles (revival) and Cats.
PTC alums HOWARD KAYE and NATALIE HILL play the brutal Bill Sykes and his soft-hearted girlfriend Nancy. Kaye returns to PTC after It Happened One Christmas, The Music Man and Peter and the Starcatcher. He toured with the Broadway production of Mamma Mia! and also appeared on Broadway in Miss Saigon. Hill was last seen at PTC in Sweet Charity, In the Heights and in Miss Saigon. A Utah native, she received her degree in music from NYU, and stayed in New York City, appearing on Broadway in Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland, Bye Bye Birdie and Grease.
MAXWELL RIMINGTON and CHRISTIAN LABERTEW play the title role of Oliver Twist, the lonely orphan boy and The Artful Dodger, the most clever of Fagin’s pickpockets. Rimington makes his PTC debut, but has recent local credits in Mary Poppins and Seussical. Labertew, a senior at Park City High School, returns to PTC after A Christmas Carol-The Musical.
Broadway veterans KEVIN LIGON and LINDA GRIFFIN both debut at PTC playing Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney, whom he later marries.
Ligon has appeared in the Broadway productions of On The Twentieth Century, Bullets Over Broadway, The Phantom Of The Opera, Sister Act, Finian’s Rainbow, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Kiss Me Kate, 1776 and The Secret Garden. In addition to a career in film and TV, Ligon will be in the highly-anticipated Broadway revival this spring of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler. Griffin was an original cast member of Broadway shows Something Rotten! and The Drowsy Chaperone and can be heard on both Grammy nominated cast albums. She was featured in the Broadway tours of Wicked, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
JAMES MICHAEL REILLY and CAROL SCHUBERG play Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry, the often cruel couple who take Oliver in their home to employ him in their business. Reilly has been seen at regional theatres across the U.S., including Geva, Denver Center, and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. This is his PTC debut. Schuberg returns to PTC after appearing in Sweet Charity, Fiddler on the Roof and How to Succeed in Business…. She has also performed on Broadway in Meet Me in St. Louis.
Oliver’s kind and wealthy grandfather, Mr. Brownlow, and the role of Mrs. Bedwin are played by local Utah Equity actors RICHARD SCOTT and COLLEEN BAUM, respectively.
JESSICA BLAIR, KYLE BRAND, LENNY DANIEL, STEPHANIE MALONEY, MYLES MC HALE and ADAM PELLEGRINE comprise the remaining Equity cast members.
ALEXIS BAIGUE, MICHELLE BLAKE, BAILEY CUMMINGS, TAMARI DUNBAR, LUKE SIDNEY JOHNSON, MANDY MC DONELL, JOHN PETERSON and TORI SICKLICK complete the ensemble.
Local young actor ABIGAIL HIGBEE plays the role of Bet, Nancy’s young friend. NATALIA BINGHAM, AFTON GRACE HIGBEE, AVA HOEKSTRA, MILO MOZAFFARI, JT O’REILLY, MASON SHANKS, BRANDON SMITH, DIXON TRUMBO, MASON TRUMBO and BRANDON WELKER comprise the rest of young people in the cast.
Pioneer Theatre Company Artistic Director KAREN AZENBERG directs and choreographs this production. Azenberg is in her fifth year as Artistic Director and directed the regional premiere of Sting’s The Last Ship to open the 2016-2017 season. Last season, she directed Fiddler on the Roof, The Rocky Horror Show and It Happened One Christmas. Originally from New York, Azenberg’s work there includes Lyrics and Lyricists (92nd St. Y), Blocks (a collaboration with Jonathan Larson), Prom Queens Unchained, and choreography for Richard Greenberg’s The Dazzle (Roundabout).
TOM GRIFFIN returns to PTC as the guest Musical Director after recent productions It Happened One Christmas, Peter & The Starcatcher, Elf-The Musical and A Christmas Carol: The Musical. He also musically directed the West Coast and Los Angeles premieres of The Last Five Years, Sweet Charity, Sweeney Todd and The Music Man; the West Coast premiere of Spitfire Grill; Annie, West Side Story, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Bye Bye Birdie.
Scenic design is by GEORGE MAXWELL. He has been the resident scenic designer at Pioneer Theatre Company for over 25 years and has designed over 90 productions for the company. Last season he designed Fiddler on the Roof and It Happened One Christmas.
Resident Costume Designer K.L. ALBERTS marks his 29th year at PTC, and has designed a wide range of shows, including Of Mice and Men, both Les Misèrables, The Producers, Elf-The Musical and The Music Man. Alberts has also costumed casts for the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Lighting design is by KIRK BOOKMAN. Bookman’s New York credits include Charles Busch’s The Tribute Artist, and The Divine Sister. He most recently designed for The Glass Menagerie and Fiddler on the Roof.
Hair and makeup design is by PTC resident designer AMANDA FRENCH; sound design is by PTC resident designer JOSHUA C. HIGHT. CHRISTOPHER DU VAL is Resident Fight Choreographer. SARAH SHIPPPBOTHAM is the Dialect Coach.
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PUBLICITY PHOTO SHOOT: There will be an off-site Publicity Photo Shoot on Friday, November 18, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at This is the Place State Monument. Please call 801-581-6270 to RSVP.
MEDIA PHOTOS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD: High-resolution color photos of this production will be available for media use on the PTC website beginning Monday, November 21, 2016 after 3:00 p.m. Go directly to http://www.pioneertheatre.org/press-room/media-photos/ to view the photos.
TV CAMERA FILMING: Filming a short segment of the production during Preview or Opening Night for press use can be arranged. Call 801-581-6270.
INTERVIEWS: Interviews with the cast and artistic staff are available. Call 801-581-6270.
WHO:
Pioneer Theatre Company
WHAT:
Oliver!
Music, Book and Lyrics By Lionel Bart
WHEN:
December 2 – December 17, 2016
TIMES:
New Curtain Times 2016-2017 Season
Mondays – Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday matinees, 2:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
PRICES:
$40 – $62 in advance, and $5 more when purchased on the day of the show
Kids in grades K-12 are half-price on Mondays and Tuesdays
MORE INFO:
Box Office: 801-581-6961
Open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Mon – Fri
www.pioneertheatre.org
ADULT CAST:
ALEXIS BAIGUE…………………… Ensemble
COLLEEN BAUM*………………….. Mrs. Bedwin/Ensemble
JESSICA BLAIR*……………………. Ensemble
MICHELLE BLAKE………………….. Ensemble
KYLE BRAND*……………………… Ensemble
BAILEY CUMMINGS………………… Ensemble
LENNY DANIEL*……………………. Ensemble/Dance Captain
TAMARI DUNBAR…………………… Ensemble
LINDA GRIFFIN*……………………. Mrs. Corney/Ensemble
NATALIE HILL*…………………….. Nancy
LUKE SIDNEY JOHNSON…………… Ensemble
HOWARD KAYE*…………………… Bill Sykes
KEVIN LIGON*…………………….. Mr. Bumble – The Beadle
STEPHANIE MALONEY*……………. Ensemble
MANDY MC DONELL………………..Charlotte/Ensemble
MYLES MC HALE*………………….. Ensemble
BILL NOLTE*………………………. Fagin
ADAM PELLEGRINE*………………. Ensemble
JOHN PETERSON………………….. Ensemble
JAMES MICHAEL REILLY*………….. Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig
CAROL SCHUBERG*……………….. Mrs. Sowerberry/Ensemble
RICHARD SCOTT*………………….. Mr. Brownlow
TORI SICKLICK……………………… Ensemble
YOUTH CAST:
NATALIA BINGHAM……………….. Ensemble
ABIGAIL HIGBEE………………….. Bet
AFTON GRACE HIGBEE……………. Ensemble
AVA HOEKSTRA…………………… Ensemble
CHRISTIAN LABERTEW……………. The Artful Dodger
MILO MOZAFFARI…………………. Ensemble
JT O’REILLY……………………….. Ensemble
MAXWELL RIMINGTON…………….. Oliver Twist
MASON SHANKS…………………… Ensemble
BRANDON SMITH………………….. Ensemble
DIXON TRUMBO…………………… Ensemble
MASON TRUMBO………………….. Ensemble
BRANDON WELKER……………….. Ensemble
ARTISTIC TEAM:
Director………………………………………………………………. Karen Azenberg
Musical Director………………………………………………………. Tom Griffin
Associate Director/Choreographer…………………………………….Lenny Daniel*
Assistant Director/Choreographer…………………………………….Natalie Malotke
Scenic Designer………………………………………………………. George Maxwell
Costume Designer……………………………………………………. K.L. Alberts
Lighting Designer……………………………………………………… Kirk Bookman
Sound Designer……………………………………………………….. Joshua C. Hight
Hair and Makeup Designer……………………………………………. Amanda French
Resident Fight Choreographer………………………………………..Christopher DuVal
Dialect Coach ………………………………………………………..Sarah Shippobotham
Production Stage Manager……………………………………………. Mary P. Costello*
Stage Manager………………………………………………………… Tanya J. Searle*
Stage Manager………………………………………………………… Augie K. Mericola*
1st Assistant Stage Manager…………………………………………. Analysha Mulcock
2nd Assistant Stage Manager…………………………………………. Martin C. Alcocer