🎙 TMP’s musical ‘Oliver!’ has a ‘twist’—a food drive

By Linn Ann Huntington
Special to the Hays Post

The Dreiling Theatre stage at Thomas More Prep-Marian will be transformed into Victorian London when the school’s musical “Oliver!” is staged Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Performances will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, and Saturday, Nov. 14, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Tickets are $8. They are either available at the door, or reserved seats may be purchased in advance at www.tmp-m.org.

The musical is based on the 1838 novel “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. With music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, the story follows the plight of a young, impoverished orphan. Many of the musical numbers, including "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself," and "I'd Do Anything,” will be familiar to the public.

Directing the production is Travis Grizzell, who has been the theater director at TMP for 20 years. Grizzell also serves as the advancement director for Hays Catholic Schools.

He decided the musical’s theme was an ideal opportunity for the school to initiate a food drive. The public is invited to bring non-perishable food items to each production. A box will be placed in the lobby for donated items, Grizzell said.

The junior high and senior high student groups are also competing to see which group can bring in the most donated items. The drive will last until Dec. 15. The school will provide the winning group members and their faculty sponsor free Chick-fil-A lunches the day before Christmas Break, Grizzell said.

Although it is billed as the “Food, Glorious Food Drive,” Grizzell said the school is also collecting diapers, baby formula and personal hygiene products, such as deodorant and body wash. The collected items will be distributed among the community’s food pantries, Grizzell said.

“Whatever items are collected, we will make sure they get to the right place,” he said.

Twenty-eight students are in the cast, with another 11 students serving on the lights, sound, and stage crew, Grizzell said.

Playing the title role of Oliver Twist is seventh grader Catherine Marintzer. Another seventh grader, Lola Gerber, has the role of the Artful Dodger. 

Grizzell said he cast young ladies in these two roles because of their size (they both must portray small, 11-year-old boys) and the high vocal range required.

The villain, Fagin, is being portrayed by 12th grader Ernest Pfeifer IV. The role of Nancy is being performed by 10th grader Kendall Seiler, who has also done all the choreography for the show, Grizzell said. 

“It’s a very young cast, with a few of the more experienced, very patient high school students doing a great job of mentoring the younger students,” he said.

Auditions were last May so that cast members could become familiar with the musical score over the summer. The extra time also gave his wife, Pamela Grizzell, the costumer, all summer to create the costumes.

Amy Staab is serving as both the musical director and accompanist. Rehearsals began the Tuesday after Labor Day, Travis Grizzell said. 

When asked why he chose “Oliver!” as this year’s school musical, Grizzell said, “Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors. I have looked at this musical for a long time. It is timeless. How society looks at and takes care of its most vulnerable populations is still relevant today.”

He said that adding the food drive “is such a natural thing. It’s good for our students to be aware that poverty and hunger still exist—even in Hays.”