‘Oliver!’ hits the stage at BP high school

For a small school, Blooming Prairie High School has big visions – especially when it comes to musical productions.
There has been very little repetition in more than 50 years of annual shows, beginning with “Carousel” in 1969.
This year’s cast of student actors will present “Oliver!”, which was last performed in 1986.
It is the musical drama adaptation of the book “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. It follows the story of Oliver, a young orphan who is sold to an undertaker, then runs away and falls in with a group of young pickpockets. The boys are led by the Artful Dodger – known for his means of escape – and take orders from the criminal Fagin.
When Oliver tries to steal from wealthy Mr. Brownlow, the man takes pity on him and offers him a home. Fagin’s hired muscle, Bill Sikes, hatches a plan to kidnap Oliver to keep him from talking to the authorities about the gang.
Sophomore Kolby Vigeland plays Sikes, whom he calls “the most feared thief in town.”
This is the second musical in which Vigeland has had a role: “it’s a lot of fun, and more people should do it,” he said.
Senior Bradley Simon plays Fagin in this, his fourth musical.
His favorite song is “Who Will Buy,” with its layered parts.
“There are a lot of songs this year,” Simon said, “so it has been a little more difficult.”
Another challenge: “Learning to speak with an accent,” he said. Still, he said, “all of the kids that do the musical are very dedicated individuals, and the play takes a lot of commitment.”
His star urchin, the Artful Dodger, is played by Simon’s real-life brother, Mason, a sophomore.
Mason Simon has a favorite line that’s “fun to say with an accent” and described his character as “witty, quick on his feet.”
Ethan Brandt, a junior, is Oliver.
This is his fifth musical, and he said it’s “a great way to make friends, and also a great way to de-stress.”
For Tamzen Johnson, who has directed the musicals since 2004, leading students in school plays is much different from community theater.
“We have to teach them everything,” she said, including stage terminology. “They just need more direction.”
But that comes with limits, said Johnson, whose directing style is “somewhere between a screamer and a (regimented) list-maker. I want them to enjoy themselves, to have fun, but they can only go so far with it. I speak real frankly about respect.”
It’s a theory that works, according to the students.
“It’s a really fun experience,” said Olivia Anderson, who plays the role of Widow Corney. “It’s awesome getting to know the other kids and developing our acting skills together.”
Melanie Winzenburg, a senior who is also in her fifth musical, plays Sikes’s girlfriend, Nancy.
She said the musical “takes a lot of time and work, but it is a super-fun experience, with a great cast and great directors, as well.”
Winzenburg plans to continue in theater and choir after high school.
David Kartes, also a senior, is making his acting debut in “Oliver!”
“It takes practice,” he said, “but it’s a lot of fun. If you have friends in it, it’s even better.”
With about three weeks left before their first performance, the rate of line memorization ran anywhere from “definitely need some work” to “I know most of them.”
There was one thing every student mentioned, though, about community support:
“Come watch us perform;” “come watch our musical;” “attend the play;” “come to the shows and enjoy” were repeated over and over.
“Kids have changed, but they’re the same,” Johnson said. “They want to know they have value, they matter, and they’re just as important as a winning football team, as a spelling bee winner.
“The kids that are in this play are some of the top-notch kids in the school,” she said. “I believe they’ll be the leaders of our future.”
If You Go
What: “Oliver!”
When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. dinner theater, 7 p.m. musical; Sunday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m.
Where: Blooming Prairie High School
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students; $25 for dinner theater (Saturday only)