The musical Oliver was originally based off the 1838 book Oliver Twist written by Charles Dickens. Performed everywhere from small high schools and middle schools to Broadway, this musical has won over six Academy awards. The main character of the musical, Oliver, starts out his life malnourished in a neglected orphanage in London. In one of the iconic songs, “Food, Glorious Food,” Oliver pulls the short straw and is forced by the other children to ask for more gruel. The orphanage caretaker, Mr. Bumble, puts Oliver in a coffin forcing him to spend the night in it to teach him a lesson him to stay the night. Mr. Bumble sells Oliver to a group of hostile undertakes, who make Oliver try out coffins and brutally mistreat the boy. After it became unbearable, he manages to escape and goes to live out on the streets. He is taken under the wing of a group of pickpockets who are led by a man named Fagin. For the first time, Oliver feels as if he belongs some place. However, he is initially unaware of how dangerous Fagin and his violent side kick, Bill Sikes, are.
Charles Dickens experienced his fair share of poverty during his life and many people think that some parts of his book, Oliver Twist, are based off his life. Dickens’s father was in debtors prison for part of his life, and that difficult period stayed with Dickens for the rest of his life. Many orphans during the Victorian Era grew up neglected and would never know true love and a stable household. Oliver demonstrates this, as at one point in the musical, Oliver gets accused of a crime he did not commit and is taken captive. During his time in jail, he becomes extremely ill and is fortunately taken in by a kind gentleman and his wife. For the first time in his life, Oliver experiences what it feels like to have a family and a safe household. Fagin and Bill Sikes start to fear that Oliver will expose their evil thievery to the police. At one point during the musical, Bill Sikes girlfriend, Nancy, who loves Oliver dearly, has to choose between helping Oliver escape or stay loyal to her boyfriend. In the end, Oliver finds love and a stable family.
Overall, this music teaches its audience many important life lessons. One of the most noticeable lessons in Oliver is that no matter in what circumstance a person is in, family is always the most important. Through thick and thin, Oliver managed to find love in his life and instead of living on the streets he makes the most of himself and finds his family.
Works Cited
“Oliver!” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063385/plotsummary.
“Oliver Twist.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oliver-Twist-novel-by-Dickens.
-, Sponsored Spotlight, et al. “Watch the Tale of Oliver Twist Come to Life on Stage at Tuts’ Oliver!” 365 Things to Do in Houston, 18 Apr. 2016, https://365thingsinhouston.com/2016/03/30/tuts-oliver-musical-houston-april-2016/.