“Oliver!” takes the stage at Evanston High School

In celebration of Charles Dickens’ 200th bicentenary year, Evanston Township High School (ETHS) will present “Oliver!,” the award-winning musical adaptation of his classic novel “Oliver Twist.” The show will run April 20, 21, 27, and 28 in the school’s auditorium; curtain is at 7:30pm each night.

A story of a young orphan who escapes the horrors of the workhouse to take up with a band of young pickpockets in rough-and-tumble London, the musical and subsequent movie captured the hearts of viewers through its memorable songs and well-etched characters since it premiered in London’s West End in 1960.

ETHS’s production features a talented high-school cast as well as several 5th-8th-grade “orphans” from Evanston’s elementary schools. Lead actors include Matthew Chappelle as Oliver Twist, Jacob Bond (Artful Dodger), Katie Greenberg (Nancy), Aaron Hellman (Fagin), and Kai Drozd (Bill Sykes). Tom Sollers directs the musical, supported by chorus director Mary Theresa Reed, orchestra director Charles Abplanalp, and technical director Aaron Carney.

Reserved-seat tickets at $10 are available through the ETHS Fine Arts Hotline (847-424-7848). Call early for best seats!

ETHS is located at 1600 Dodge Ave. The auditorium, at the south end of the campus, is handicapped accessible. Parking is best in the large lot on Dodge Ave., directly across from the auditorium entrance.