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Photos by Adrian Fussell
RIVERDALE CHILDREN’S Theatre cast members rehearse ‘Oliver!’ at Lehman College on Jan. 20.
Mom and dad get into the act in ‘Oliver!’ By Maya Rajamani mrajamani@riverdalepress.com
T
hough the musical centers on a band of rag-tag orphans, the Riverdale Children’s Theatre’s (RCT) production of “Oliver!” has proven to be a family affair. “It’s really fun. I’ve never been in a show with both my parents,” said P.S. 24 student Ava Wanko, 7, at the show’s dress rehearsal on Jan. 15. While Ava plays a schoolgirl and an orphan, her parents, professional freelance opera singers Theresa Santiago and Michael Wanko, of south Riverdale, have volunteered for roles themselves. RCT is known for recruiting professional guest artists for more prominent roles in its productions. They act as mentors to the young actors and actresses in the rest of the cast. “We’re happy to be doing this,” Mr. Wanko said as he stood with his family during the dress rehearsal’s intermission. “We’re taking it as seriously as we take the opera.” “Probably even more so,” Ms. Santiago added. The show, based on Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, follows the young Oliver Twist from a workhouse where he lives with other orphans to the streets of London, where the Artful Dodger recruits him into a gang of young pickpockets. The miserly Fagin acts as leader of the street urchins. In RCT’s production, guest artist David Winter has tak-
en on the role, joined by his daughter Hannah Winter, 11. Mr. Winter’s daughters convinced him to play the part. “They said, you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to do it,” he recounted. “And it’s fun — I love acting with the kids.” With its focus on the youth of 19thcentury England, “Oliver!” has allowed directors Becky and Derek Woods to feature the talents of around 60 young actors. “I’ve done over 100 plays, but I’ve never done a play with 60 people, let alone 60 kids,” said guest artist Guy Ventoliere, who plays the kindly Mr. Brownlow. The character is revealed as Oliver’s grandfather toward the end of the musical. “That’s how you know you’re in the ensemble — when you’re playing more than two parts!” added AmPark Neighborhood School fifth grade student Naveah Diaz, who played a rose seller and a member of Fagin’s gang. Preparation leading up to the show has been intense, many of the young actors said. The cast met with husband-and-wife directing team Becky and David Woods three times a week for upward of four hours at a time on some days. But that level of commitment has paid off for many of the performers, who spoke of the bond the musical has forged between them. “They put a lot of people of all ages in a show, from different schools and different communities, and they’re able to become friends,” said Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy student
Jemima Schwartz, 12, who plays two roles: Bet, one of the girl’s in Fagin’s circle, and a member of Fagin’s gang. Though the show takes a darker turn than the average RCT production, its cast members never lose their energy and enthusiasm. Liam Padden, 11, who plays the Artful Dodger, brings gymnastic training from his elementary school days to the show, performing a flip on stage when he and Oliver first meet. “He’s really spunky and fun, and that’s what I like,” said Liam, a student at the David A. Stein Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (M.S./H.S. 141). The star of the show, Oliver, is played by Solomon Schecter student Basia Fellner-Dublin. “I like how sweet he is, and I just love the song that he sings,” she said of Oliver’s solo “Where is Love.” Mr. Winter’s daughter Hannah, an SAR Academy student who plays an orphan, a balloon girl and a member of Fagin’s gang, said her sister Sarah, also an actress, inspired her to give the performance a try. She did not hesitate when asked which of her three roles was her favorite. “Fagin’s gang, because I get to be with my dad,” she said. The Riverdale Children’s Theatre will perform “Oliver!” at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre, located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. on Saturday, January 24 at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, January 25 at 2 and 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $16 at the door. Advanced seating is available online at www.riverdaletheatre.org.
KAREN COUGHLAN, 13, sings in the role of Nancy.
DAVID WINTER, as Fagin, above, belly laughs while members of his gang look on.
STUDENTS prepare for the second act backstage during intermission, right.
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