Troupe puts final touches on Oliver

“Louder, guys! I can’t hear you!” director Rebecca Sporman hollers, with clipboard in hand, from a back row seat. She races down the aisle to the stage to give further instructions and then returns to the back.

Lorraine Braun, choir director for Libby public schools, leads the orchestra from her seat at the piano, and keeps an eye and ear on the actors’ movement and sound.

Organizers say that “Oliver! The Musical” will mark the first local musical performance with a live orchestra in recent memory.

With only days left before their Friday and Saturday performances, the 50-plus volunteer actors, musicians and tech crew members, from ages 8 to over 50, have kicked rehearsals into fifth gear – and are just about ready to experience the reward of five weeks of hard work.

Galen Graziano, 12, is performing in his first theater production, aside from school Christmas plays, and has the lead role of Oliver.

Asked if he’s nervous for this week’s performance, he responded, “Actually, yes, because I’ve never had a main part. Like this last Christmas play I was a ‘pitiful elf.’ I actually had one line – ‘Merry Christmas.’”

Graziano, who has participated in Braun’s Children’s Select Choir, has many more lines this time around, but found them easy to memorize.

“Doing the movements in the songs and the actions of dialogue really helps me remember,” he said. “It’s like, OK, these words go with this movement.”

Last week Graziano and 15-year-old Jolee Holder, who plays the Artful Dodger, began their number during an evening rehearsal.

“Consider yourself at home,” Holder sang in her best British accent, and threw an arm over Graziano. “Consider yourself one of the family…”

Cue the company entrance – a dozen or so children and adults.

“Consider yourself at home!” they sang in unison, but moved in discord.

The number began again from the top. And again. And again. And again until they achieved smooth movement. Then on to the next scene. 

By 9:30 p.m., it was dusk and parents were waiting in their vehicles. Members of the orchestra put away their instruments, and Sporman gave the cast and crew final instructions.

Graziano looked tired, but his mom, Keli Graziano, was probably exhausted. From after work until 9 or 10 at night, five days a week for over a month she has rehearsed in the production alongside her three children. 

“It’s been a lot of work,” Keli said. “People have put in a lot of work and a lot of time into this.”

The Graziano family has had to make special arrangements to get Galen and his 8-year-old brother, Jarun, and 14-year-old sister, Maya, to different small group rehearsals that occur before evening rehearsal. Keli also points out that the rest of her family hasn’t seen much of her or the kids.

“My family that’s not in it have made great sacrifices because we haven’t been home,” she said.

Other families have put in a lot of time, as well. The Curtiss kids – Rick, 26, Kimberlee, 17, Mark, 14, and Michael, 12 – all act or play in the orchestra.

During dress rehearsals this week the work of the cast, orchestra and crew came together and a professional performance began to materialize. Sporman says that as a director, the biggest reward is to witness people’s progress.

“Really seeing people grow,” Sporman said. “To see how much they’ve improved, kids and adults alike, that’s really cool. Especially adults who are shy and have speaking lines in the show and, suddenly, they’re great.”

Tickets

Adults: $10 in advance; $15 at door.

Students: $5

Children (6 and under): Free with donation to food pantry

Tickets can be purchased at the Memorial Center, Cabinet Books, the Caboose Motel, Libby Chamber of Commerce or online at khcenter.org .