Oliver!

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Oliver! (1963) One of the few West End musicals to find success on Broadway before the British invasion of the 1970s, the musical play with book, music, and lyrics by Lionel Bart opened at the Imperial Theatre for a lucrative run of 774 performances. Charles Dickens's epic tale of the orphaned Oliver Twist was given a cursory but tuneful retelling, from his days in the orphanage to getting mixed up with a gang of pickpockets in London to discovering his true parentage and fortune. Notable songs: I'd Do Anything; As Long as He Needs Me; Consider Yourself; Where Is Love? The show (co‐produced by David Merrick and London's Donald Albery) benefited from a lively production and some songs that became very popular in the States. Although it has always been popular in summer stock and schools, a 1984 Broadway revival (and musical versions of other Dickens novels) failed.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Oliver!." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Oliver!." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-Oliver.html

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Oliver!." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-Oliver.html

Learn more about citation styles