On November 29, “Oliver!” debuted at the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown. Dancing their hearts out on stage were two talented Brookline residents: Rashed Alnuaimi and Ian Freedson Falck. We may be a little biased, but we expect these two stars to shine among the brightest in the show.
Based on the classic Charles Dickens novel, “Oliver!” is a lively musical that tells the story of a daring orphan and a band of Victorian misfits who find hope and community in each other while dealing with tough circumstances. Directed by newly minted artistic director Michael J. Bobbitt, the performance will run at the New Rep through December 29.
Alnuaimi makes his New Repertory Theatre debut as Bill Sikes, the antagonist of the show. A ruthless criminal, Sikes will stop at nothing to get his way. Falck is also making his New Rep debut as a member of the youth ensemble. Ten-year-old Falck has previously performed in many productions at the Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University, including James and the Giant Peach, The Jungle Book, and others. Falck says the biggest adjustment in performing in the New Rep show was getting to know a new group of people. But since his audition, he’s made many friends in the cast.
It’s clear that this isn’t Falck’s first time on stage, because he’s put a lot of thought into his character. “Every character who is in it feels a different way about Oliver, and I feel like the character who I play is happy about him being there but a little bit nervous too about what he’s going to do,” says Falck. His favorite number is “Consider Yourself” because it allows him to move through all areas of the stage, illustrating his diverse set of theater skills.
In addition to the Brookline residents, New Rep’s production of “Oliver!” features a very diverse group of actors. Diversity has been an important mission of New Rep, and seeing many backgrounds represented on stage lends a contemporary feel to the classic stage show.
Although Dickens originally published “Oliver Twist” in 1837, the story continues to captivate modern audiences. Falck believes it’s the broad spectrum of emotions portrayed that keep the plot continuously relevant. “I think at some parts [the audience will] feel like it’s a really funny show,” he says. “But there are some parts that are really dark, so I think that it will make audiences feel a lot of different emotions.”