Stepping Out

Aeden Conefrey and Corrine Jaquith as Oliver and Dodger


The Madrona Children’s Theatre (MCT), in cooperation with Madrona K-8 school in the Edmonds School District, is producing its 17th musical – Oliver. The cast is comprised of 78 Madrona students in two casts (Charles cast and Dickens cast).
 
Shows are at 7 p.m., on Thursday, March 25 (ASL Interpreted – Charles cast); 7 p.m., on Friday, March 26 (Dickens cast)
; 2 p.m., (ASL Interpreted) and 7 p.m., (Charles cast) on Saturday, March 27; and at 12:30 and 5 p.m. (Dickens cast) on Sunday, March 28, at Mountlake Terrace High School, 21801 44th Avenue West, Lynnwood.

As in seasons past, MCT productions are performed by Intermediate (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7 - 8), and DHH students, with all who audition getting to participate in the production.

Each year the production offers something unique, such as using a shadow casting technique with disabled actors.

This year, Oliver! features six DHH students (more than ever before), and there are a whopping four sets of identical twins participating in the production, two in each cast.

Nearly 1300 students have participated in MCT over the years, with some even going on to success in regional theatre groups, television and film, including Brett Davern, who has appeared several times this season on CBS' s "Cold Case."
Another MCT alum Kevin Hamedani has directed a film airing in February 2010 in major theaters called "Zombies of Mass Destruction".


Oliver! is based on Charles Dickens' touching tale of an orphan boy who runs away from an orphanage and tries to pick a pocket or two, but gets caught.

The show spawned several musical standards including "Food, Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", "As Long as He Needs Me", "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two", "Oom-Pah-Pah" and "Where is Love?" and the 1968 film version won six Academy Awards.

 Tickets are available for $10 adults, $5 students by calling Deborah Hargrave at 425-774-8639.

Show team is Director Ted Jaquith; Assistant Director Diane Jamieson; Music Directors Mark and Nancy Press; Choreographer Carissa Meisner Smit, Producer Sharon Quiring and Assistant Producer Brandis Roundy.