Metropolis Performing Arts Centre is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Lionel Bart’s Oliver! A Staged Concert, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, 111 W. Campbell St., January 21 - February 8. Oliver! A Staged Concert is freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and features book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. This staged-concert is directed by Patrick Tierney and music directed by Aaron Kaplan.
Previews are Wednesday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m., with the press opening Friday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (please note that the performance on Thursday, Jan. 29 is at 2 p.m. and not 7 p.m.). The performance on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. will also be ASL interpreted and Saturday, Jan. 31 performance at 2 p.m. will be closed captioned. Tickets are now on sale from $25 to $49 at MetropolisArts.com or by calling the box office at 847.577.2121.
Oliver! A Staged Concert engulfs audiences in an emotional world of subterfuge, survival and friendship. Produced in collaboration with Metropolis’ School of the Performing Arts and featuring the JAM Orchestra—a live 26-piece orchestra on stage, this staged concert adaptation tells the story of an orphan who sets out in search of a brighter future. Oliver quickly becomes entangled in the gritty, dangerous London underworld and encounters an unforgettable cast of characters. Winner of three Tony Awards and six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Oliver! A Staged Concert features timeless tunes like “Consider Yourself,” “Food, Glorious Food” and “I’d Do Anything.” Revel in the resilience of the human spirit.
The cast of Oliver! A Staged Concert includes Carmelo Kelly (Oliver); Mae O’Connell (Oliver); Tommy Thurston (Fagin); Janelle Sanabria (Nancy); Cameron McCabe (Charlie Bates); Henry Lombardo (Dodger); Jared Hoover (Bill Sikes); David Blakeman (Mr. Bumble); Alicia Berneche (Widow Corney); Ian Rigg (Mr. Sowerberry) Kathleen Puls Andrade (Mrs. Sowerberry); Annie Beaubien (Mrs. Bedwin); Gabriel Fries (Dr. Grimwig); Korey White (Mr. Brownlow); John Marshall Jr. (Noah); Mollie Peery (Charlotte); Lili Galuzzo (Bet); Laura Quinones (The Matron); Kameron Rojas-Schueneman (The Chairman) and Sophie Smekens (Old Sally).
The youth ensemble includes AJ Finnegan, Ava Bohannon, Brielle Horwitch, Cece Faust, Eleanor Merrick, Elsie Christiansen, Emma Ritter, Hadley Strom, Jazmyne Williams, Mason Houltram, Maya Peterko, Molly Hamada and Patrick Sylvia in Fagin’s Gang. Alyssa Maskaleris, Andrew Montesano, Campbell O'Hinsley, Carolyn Michael, Ella Sparrow, Evelyn Etchell, Harper Richards, Mairin Finnegan, Morgan Medina and Spencer Schillinger are a part of the Workhouse Ensemble.
Oliver! A Staged Concert’s creative team is Patrick Tierney (director); Aaron Kaplan (music director); Kevin Zhou (associate director/music director); Matthew D. Carney (casting director); Mitzi Smith (casting associate); Kyle Aschbrenner (stage manager); Dan Frank (lighting designer) and Maya Reter (sound designer).
ABOUT PATRICK TIERNEY, DIRECTOR
Patrick Tierney is a longtime Chicago Theatre artist, born and raised on the southwest side. Previous directing credits include Gypsy (Beverly Theatre Guild), Beauty and the Beast (Oak Lawn Theatre), The Sound of Music and Hello, Dolly! (Beverly Arts Center), The Music Man (Children’s Theatre of Winnetka), Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish (Ghostlight Theatre). As an actor he has worked with the Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, Marriott Lincolnshire, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Metropolis and Chicago Kids Company, where he is currently directing several shows in their 25 - 26 season.
ABOUT AARON KAPLAN, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Aaron Kaplan is a passionate advocate for the American musical theatre, having been the music director/conductor for over 80 productions ranging from student-run theater and community theatre productions, to shows featuring world-class artists from the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway. In addition, he has served on the board of directors for the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company since 2011, Uptown Music Theatre of Highland Park since 2020 and was one of the co-founders and co-presidents of Illini Student Musicals on the University of Illinois Campus. Kaplan has conducted shows ranging from the classics (West Side Story, Les Miserables), to intimate black box shows (Chess, The Last Five Years), to rock musicals (Rent, The Who's Tommy), to contemporary shows (Mel Brooks’ The Producers, The Drowsy Chaperone) and less-often produced gems (Of Thee I Sing, On the Twentieth Century).
ABOUT METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre is a vibrant cultural hub that enriches the community through inspiring live performances, creative arts education, and impactful partnerships. It fosters artistic excellence, cultivates multi-generational connections, and offers inclusive experiences that engage and uplift all community members. Located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, Metropolis is not just a theatre, it is the cultural pulse of the area, surrounded by premier shopping, dining, and nightlife. Metropolis offers a dynamic year-round season of professional theatre, comedy, concerts, and cabaret performances along with engaging arts education for ages 3 to 85 years old. Serving more than 65,000 patrons annually from across Chicagoland and beyond, Metropolis plays a pivotal role in the community. It provides arts education programs that support thousands of aspiring young artists, as well as community engagement initiatives like the Third Act Players (musical theatre for thespians over 50), Crescendo Chorus (for singers over 55), Flourish in the Footlights (for young artists with disabilities), and Clearbrook on Cue (for artists with disabilities). Metropolis is proud to partner with local organizations such as Endeavor Health, Arlington Heights Senior Center, and Clearbrook. Scholarships are available for students at the School of the Performing Arts to ensure access to the arts for all.
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents Lionel Bart’s Oliver! A Staged Concert, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, 111 W. Campbell St., January 21 - February 8. Previews are Wednesday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m., with the press opening Friday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (please note that the performance on Thursday, Jan. 29 is at 2 p.m. and not 7 p.m.). The performance on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. will also be ASL interpreted and Saturday, Jan. 31 performance at 2 p.m. will be closed captioned. Tickets are now on sale from $25 to $49 at MetropolisArts.com or by calling the box office at 847.577.2121.
Oliver! A Staged Concert’s sponsors: The show sponsor is Suburban Accents. The season's Paint Sponsor is Marc Poulous Painting and Decorating. The season costume storage sponsor is Jennifer Burnidge, CLU, ChFC, RICP State Farm Agent.
This show is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com