Nicely Theatre Group’s Oliver! Reveals the Complicated Reality of Revisiting a Childhood Favorite
Some musicals are simply shows we enjoy. Others become lasting memories that extend far beyond anything written on the page. For me, Oliver! has always belonged firmly in the second category.
I grew up watching the film adaptation and genuinely loved it. The memorable characters, sprawling musical numbers, and larger-than-life version of Victorian London captured my imagination. The songs were easy to remember, the danger felt thrilling, and Oliver’s search for a place to belong carried an emotional simplicity that resonated deeply with me as a child.
That connection became even more personal when I had the opportunity to play Oliver as a kid. Performing songs like “Where Is Love?” and stepping into the familiar orphan’s shoes made the story feel like part of my own theatrical upbringing. Even years later, hearing the opening notes of “Food, Glorious Food” or “Consider Yourself” can immediately transport me back to that experience.
Nicely Theatre Group’s production marked the first time I had seen the full musical performed live as an adult. I walked into the theater expecting nostalgia, and the production certainly provided plenty of it. What I did not anticipate was how differently I would respond to Lionel Bart’s musical now that I was watching it through a more critical and experienced lens.
The cast was clearly talented, enthusiastic, and committed to the world they were creating. Unfortunately, seeing Oliver! again also revealed something I had never fully recognized as a child: the show itself can be surprisingly clunky and repetitive.
[Warning: Spoilers from Nicely Theatre Group’s Oliver! are below!]
A talented cast working against uneven material
Based on Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, the musical follows a mistreated orphan who escapes the workhouse, falls in with a group of young pickpockets, and becomes caught between the criminal world of Fagin and the possibility of a loving home. Lionel Bart wrote the musical’s book, music, and lyrics, creating a score filled with standards including “Food, Glorious Food,” “Where Is Love?,” “Consider Yourself,” “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,” “As Long As He Needs Me,” and “Who Will Buy?” Nicely Theatre Group has assembled a substantial cast for the production, led by Joshua Kremhelmer as Oliver Twist, Cecily Gamarra as the Artful Dodger, Patrick Lane as Fagin, Sara Grice as Nancy, Kevin Starnes as Bill Sikes, and Mark Hammell as Mr. Bumble. The production is directed by Mitch Master, with music and vocal direction by Daniel Greig and choreography by Mark McCleese. No questioning the amount of talent involved. The cast approaches the show with an energy and sincerity that frequently make the material more engaging than it has any right to be. The young performers, in particular, take on an enormous responsibility. Oliver! requires children to carry major musical sequences, establish the story’s emotional stakes, and navigate material that shifts rapidly between broad comedy and genuinely disturbing circumstances.
Kremhelmer brings the necessary innocence to Oliver, a character who is often more symbolic than fully developed. Oliver is the title character, yet he spends much of the musical reacting to situations rather than actively shaping them. The performer playing him must therefore communicate vulnerability, goodness, and determination even when the script provides limited complexity.
Gamarra’s Artful Dodger brings a welcome liveliness to the story. Dodger is one of the musical’s most immediately theatrical characters, sweeping Oliver into a colorful but dangerous new world. The role requires charisma and confidence, and the relationship between Dodger and Fagin provides some of the evening’s most naturally entertaining material.
Lane’s Fagin is also central to keeping the production moving. The character receives several of the show’s most memorable numbers, including “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” and “Reviewing the Situation.” Fagin exists somewhere between a comic showman, a surrogate parent, a manipulator, and a criminal. That complicated balance gives an actor far more to explore than many other roles do.
Grice faces a different challenge as Nancy. “As Long As He Needs Me” remains one of the score’s most powerful songs, but Nancy’s storyline is also where the musical’s dated writing becomes especially difficult to overlook. Her loyalty to the violent Bill Sikes is meant to be tragic, but the script does not always give her enough space to fully examine the emotional and psychological realities of that relationship. A strong performer can bring humanity to Nancy, but the character deserves more depth than the book consistently provides.
The songs endure, but the storytelling struggles
The central problem with Oliver! is not its music. The score remains the primary reason the show has survived for generations. “Food, Glorious Food” is a fantastic opening number because it immediately establishes the desperation of the workhouse children while delivering the kind of bold ensemble sound audiences expect from a classic musical.
“Where Is Love?” continues to provide the show’s emotional heart. Having performed the song as a child, I found it impossible to hear it without feeling the pull of memory. Its melody is gentle, direct, and emotionally accessible. It allows Oliver to express the loneliness that the dialogue often fails to explore.
“Consider Yourself” remains irresistibly welcoming, while “Who Will Buy?” creates one of the score’s most beautiful musical landscapes. These numbers explain why audiences remain attached to Oliver! even when the surrounding storytelling falters.
The difficulty is everything connecting those songs.
The book frequently feels less like a cohesive dramatic journey and more like a series of Dickensian episodes stitched together. Oliver moves from the workhouse to the undertaker’s home, then into London, then into Fagin’s den, then into Mr. Brownlow’s care, and finally back into danger. Many of these sections introduce new characters, comic routines, or musical ideas without building enough dramatic momentum.
As a child, I accepted those transitions as part of the adventure. As an adult, I found myself increasingly aware of how long it takes the plot to advance. Scenes occasionally repeat information the audience already understands. Supporting characters arrive, perform their function, and disappear before establishing any meaningful connection to Oliver’s larger journey.
The tonal shifts are equally awkward. The musical moves from starvation and child abuse to broad romantic comedy, then into colorful criminal hijinks, domestic violence, murder, and cheerful ensemble spectacle. Theatre can certainly hold humor and darkness within the same story, but Oliver! does not always transition gracefully between them.
The result is a musical that can feel strangely detached from its own stakes. Oliver is abused, sold, kidnapped, and repeatedly placed in danger, yet the show often rushes past his trauma to reach the next recognizable song. Nancy’s relationship with Sikes is horrifying, but it sits beside comic material that makes the story’s emotional world feel inconsistent.
At approximately two hours and 40 minutes, including intermission, Nicely Theatre Group’s production also has plenty of time to expose the musical’s pacing problems. Ensemble songs create bursts of excitement, but some of the scenes between them feel noticeably slow. There were moments when I was fully absorbed by the performances, followed by stretches when I could feel the story losing momentum.
That boredom was the most surprising part of the experience. I remembered Oliver! as a constantly moving adventure filled with danger, humor, and enormous musical sequences. Watching it now, I realized how much of that excitement came from my childhood imagination, my affection for the film, and my own experience performing the role.
Revisiting the past without losing affection for it
None of these criticisms erase my connection to Oliver! The music still awakens something deeply personal, and watching a new generation of young performers discover the show carries its own emotional reward.
Nicely Theatre Group’s cast treats the material with respect and commitment. The performers understand the importance these songs hold for many audience members, and their collective enthusiasm helps carry the production through the script’s weaker passages. This is a large undertaking that requires children and adults to work together through demanding ensemble numbers, dramatic scenes, and familiar songs, with audiences arriving ready to judge.
The production also reminded me that revisiting a childhood favorite can be complicated. Sometimes a story grows with us, revealing new layers as we age. Other times, growing older exposes the cracks we were once too enchanted to notice. For me, Oliver! falls somewhere in between.
Perhaps that is the bittersweet reality of returning to something that helped shape us. We may still love what it meant to us, even when we can no longer love every part of what it is.
Stay tuned to Nicely Theatre Group’s website to learn more about their past and future productions! Were you able to catch their production of Oliver!? What did you think? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
Exclusive Interview: Sara Grice and Kevin Starnes of Nicely Theatre Group’s Oliver!
