[The Duchess of Mint]

Dear "Oliver!" Fans,

Most of us know that Fagin can be portrayed as being slightly creepy.

Have you ever seen him being portrayed as being perverted, with regards to his many possible personal reasons for providing a home for homeless boys?

Thanks in advance for your replies, and please try to keep the conversation clean, even though the topic is slightly mature.

[jax1491]

The Fagin in our version was definitely not portrayed as perverted by any means. He was just a sweey (yet miserly) old man. He was so cute and funny.

[pish123c]

[jax1491]

I realize that. I didn't think about it at the time because I was like 8 when I was in it. It was just a local theater and he was like 75 years old, so yeah...it was weird.

[jackissensational]

I think that would be an unusual way of looking at it. But I mean, his motive for hanging out with a bunch of small boys is really clear, imo. He uses them as pick-pockets, and being small is a very big advantage in that line of work.
I deffinately think that different angle is possible, however.

[music is my life!!!]

he is really old compared to the kids which so he could be a bit pervy. otoh it's a young persons' show so iut might not be a good idea tointroduce kids as young as 8 to that kinda thing...

[jackissensational]

Since when is it a "young person's show"?

[music is my life!!!]

since oliver was created!

[music is my life!!!]

reasons why it is a "young persons' show"

popular with youth groups to perform
loads of roles in pro/am prods can be playyed by under 18's
it's one of the few shows that little kids (disturbingly, i know! ) can relate to

[jackissensational]

I don't agree at all. It deals with murder, kid-napping, pick pocketting, abuse, and a lot of other horrible things that children may not be comfortable viewing. And on another note (excuse the pun), I don't see any of the music being awfully appealing to youngsters.

[The Duchess of Mint]

Dear jackissensational,

What about the song "Consider Yourself"? I should think that young, rowdy boys would love singing, or at least hearing, that song. It can be sung in a standard choral way, or in a rowdy, careless, fun sort of way, so it's a very versatile song.

I also can't think of any child who wouldn't like the song "Food, Glorious Food". It's a song about starvation, but it's fun, nonetheless. That sounds crazy, but just try to avoid smiling when thinking of lyrics like "hot sausage and mustard".

Thanks in advance for your reply.

[jackissensational]

That still doesn't excuse the fact that some very deep and graphic situations are inclded.

[Lara]

I'd have to say that Oliver is considered a children's show more than it should be. I mean, it really does have some things in it that kids won't get or be comfortable with, but because there is a large children ensemble, people think that it is automatically a kid show.

That's like saying Lord of the Flies is a kids' book because they're all children.

[pish123c]

[Kiwi]

Yeah, I agree it's not a show for young kids to see, but it's still a show that young kids perform in. This was my first musical, I was in seventh grade and I played an orphan. Schools do this show all the time, and even community theatres that put the show on would have to use young kids or maybe young teens to play the orphans and/or Fagin's kids. So even though it's not a show for young kids, it's still a show that many young kids have been/are/will be involved in and in that case, depending on their age, it may indeed be inappropriate to have Fagin played as a perv. Not saying you shouldn't, only justifying what someone else (sorry, I don't remember who) said.

[jackissensational]

Yeah, if you were to play Fagin as a perv, it would have to be in a very professional enviornment.