Under the direction of new Williams Bay High School choral director and theatre teacher Autumn Lloyd, the Williams Bay High School Music Department brought Charles Dickens’ beloved 1838 novel “Oliver Twist” to life on stage, taking audiences on a wild trip back in time to Victorian England during the Nov. 22-23 run of the musical, “Oliver! Jr.” Pictured from left are Jackson Wiley, Renata Hernandez, Cameron Keith, Camden Hemmerich, Keller Cook, Elena Walker, Isabella Chamberlain, Libby Anhold, Finn Wagner, Mary Neiger, Tula Shade, Ashlyn Olson, Gracie Pils, Sophia Howarth-Yonke and Jayden Cook.
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Living an early hard-knock life as a malnourished workhouse orphan before being sold into servitude as a neglected undertaker’s apprentice, runaway Oliver Twist (left, sophomore Isabelle Chamberlain) escapes to the gritty streets of London, where he is befriended by personable, intelligent, savvy and charismatic street kid Jack “Artful Dodger” Dawkins (right, freshman Elena Walker), who welcomes Twist into a “family” of homeless young petty thieves and pickpockets.
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Underfed orphan boys in an English workhouse, subsisting on bowls of gruel for nourishment, dream about grander fare in the chereographed "Food, glorious food" song and dance scene in the Nov. 22-23 Williams Bay High School Drama Club production of the musical "Oliver Jr."
Cruel and scheming workhouse operator Mr. Bumble (right, Keller Cook), always looking to line his pockets at the expense of the orphans in his care, sells intelligent and kind, independent-minded 11-year-old orphan boy Oliver Twist (left center, Isabelle Chamberlain) as an indentured servant apprentice to cold and callous funeral parlor owners Mrs. and Mr. Sowerberry (Sophia Howath-Yonke at left, and Libby Anhold at center right).
Charming, upbeat and charismatic street kid Jack "Artful Dodger" Dawkins (left, Elena Walker) works as a thief for Fagin (right, Jackson Wiley), who oversees a "family" gang of orphaned pickpocket child-thieves. While Fagin claims he cares for the orphans, providing them food and shelter and characteristically calling them “my dear,” he’s really only concerned with the money these young thieves bring in to fill his personal treasure chest.
Orpaned no more, 11-year-old Oliver Twist (right, Isabelle Chamberlain) finds a loving forever home in the care of Mr. Brownlow, a sweet and kindly man who takes Oliver in, even after Oliver picked his pocket on the street. In the ultimate musical-ending plot twist, the long-orphaned Oliver turns out to be Mr. Brownlow's missing grandson.
Possessing a spirit of unchenchable optimism, even in bleak life circumstances, 11-year-old orphan Oliver Twist dreams of finding a forever home. In this scene, Oliver, sold into indentured servitude to the local undertaker, wonders if anyone will ever love him as he sings "Where is Love?" Intelligent and kind, but not afraid to stand up for himself when the situation calls for it, young Oliver longs for a family and eventually escapes to London to try to make his fortune and find a forever home.
New Williams Bay High School choral music and theatre teacher Autumn Lloyd welcomed Williams Bay Elementary School second through fifth grade students to a special Nov. 21 school day performance of the Williams Bay High School Music Department production of "Oliver Jr." A Class of 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Beloit area native Lloyd holds a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 music education and choral studies, as well as a Master’s degree in vocal pedagogy focusing on the teaching and science of the voice, all earned from UW-Stevens Point. She currently serves on the board of Kids Fun and Drama (KFAD), a Beloit nonprofit local theater company serving youth ages 7-18, of which Lloyd is an alumnus.
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As dusk falls on the cold, mean streets of gritty 1830's London, life and death hangs in the balance of a knife's edge as an enraged and ruthless Bill Sikes (standing, Jayden Cook) prepares to stab the heroic Nancy (Libby Anhold) after she protectively saves orphan boy Oliver (not pictured) from the evil hands of the murderous street thug.
While his gang "family" of orphan child-thieves sleep, Fagin counts his riches. Fagin recruits, trains, and manages a gang of child-thieves. Though Fagin claims he cares for each of the orphan children that he recruits, trains and manages, providing them with food and shelter and characteristically calling them “my dear,” he’s really only concerned with the money and jewelry the young thieves bring in to fill his treasure chest of ill-gotten gains.
