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The Lofte Community Theatre, located in Manley, NE will stage Lionel Bart’s classic musical, Oliver! July 21 – 22, July 26 – 29, and August 2 – 5.
Set in Victorian England, the musical follows the story of young Oliver who escapes from an abusive orphanage and soon finds himself on the streets of London, settled in with a band of pickpockets and thieves, led by Fagin. When the boy is captured for a theft that he did not commit, his benevolent victim becomes his only chance of discovering the true love of a family.
In addition to the musical, the Lofte is also hosting a lunch fundraiser event called Food, Glorious Food! where patrons can purchase a lunch ticket and eat with the cast of Oliver! These lunches will be held Sundays of the musical on July 22nd, 29th, and August 5th from noon to 1:30 PM. Tickets are $20 per plate, not including the price of admission to the musical, and meals will include smoked brisket/pork sandwiches, coleslaw, beans, chips, cookie, and lemonade/water. Seating is limited.
Tickets for Oliver! and the Food, Glorious Food lunch event can purchased by calling the Lofte Community Theatre box office at 402-234-2553, or by visiting the theatre’s website at www.Lofte.org and clicking on “Tickets”. Curtain time for the show is 7 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2 pm. For more information, call the Lofte Community Theatre or visit www.Lofte.org .
The Tony and Olivier Award-winning show is one of the few musicals to win an Academy Award for Best Picture and is widely hailed as a true theatrical masterpiece by actors and audience members alike. Lionel Bart wrote the music, book and lyrics for Oliver!
Oliver!, premiered on London’s West End in 1960 before moving to Broadway in 1963. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the show making its American debut which is why Lofte Artistic Director Kevin Colbert thought it was time to bring the show to the stage in Manley once again, “This classic piece of musical theatre has been charming audiences for more than five decades. It’s full of memorable tunes, a heart-warming story, and, of course, allows the Lofte to fill our stage with so much local talent. That’s a hallmark of a big summer musical at the Lofte. This cast has been hard at work since the beginning of June, and there are countless others who volunteer their summer to make Oliver! A huge success. We can’t wait for audiences to see this show!”
Joining Colbert’s artistic team is musical director, Betty Colbert and choreographer, Noelle Bohaty.
The cast of Oliver! Includes John Bell, Natalie McGovern, Peyton Banks, Chris Berger, Wade Mumford, Atticus Heneger, Brandy Abbott, Rilynn Whitney, Kharis Jensen, Cyrus Monson, Drew Carlson, Haley Cecava, Xander Monson, McKenna Jones, James Nygren, Skyler Radloff, Therese Rennels, Kathryn Rappold, Kori Radloff, Aaron Spracklin, Eric Radloff, Khyenne Cottrell, Stephen Paal, Lilly Frields, Abraham Vidaurre, Hannah Segure, Piper Monson, Ken Patry, Jeff Johnston, Lynette Boyce, Brenda Jones, Bob Boyce, Lucas Hrabik, Dayton Carlson, Rachel Radloff, Lily Borland, and Andrew Schell.
About The Lofte Community Theatre: The Lofte Community Theatre is located in Manley Nebraska, approximately 25 miles south of Omaha. The theatre, a new post-and-beam style performing arts facility can seat approximately 330 patrons for each performance. Actors and audience members enjoy a beautiful climate-controlled venue year around. The Lofte offers a full concession stand, and also sells beer and wine. The theatre offers six core season productions each year as well as many special events featuring visiting artists including week-long children’s theater workshop, a free Veterans Day concert, and host high-school one-act play competitions in the fall. Approximately 12,000 visitors come through the doors annually.