“Oliver!” Starts Tonight At Alton Little Theater

ALTON - After lots of hard work and preparation, Alton Little Theater is officially kicking off their production of “Oliver! The Musical,” with showtimes starting tonight (Friday, Aug. 2, 2024) and running throughout the month of August.

Executive Director Lee Cox shared more about the musical as it draws closer on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com. She said Sunday’s show has completely sold out, with less than 20 tickets remaining for opening night. While ticket sales are going well for the remaining dates, Cox emphasized there are still plenty of tickets left to purchase by visiting altonlittletheater.org or calling the Box Office at 618-462-3205.

Cox said the “Oliver!” cast, which features several young talents and some first-time on-stage actors, “are so excited” to take the stage at ALT. While they’re already hesitant to see rehearsals end, Cox said she’s preparing a pizza party for the cast after the show on Saturday.

“Oliver!” will mark the “last big musical” directed by Kevin Frakes, who Cox said will stay with ALT for the remainder of the year and help with their performance of “A Christmas Carol.” In the meantime, Cox is helping the theater’s new directors - including Kristy Doering, who will direct the opening show of ALT’s 91st season with “Making God Laugh.”

Also coming up on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024 are the second round of auditions for “Rocky Horror - The Musical” at ALT later this fall. Cox said interested auditioners should bring a song to sing, but noted that it doesn’t have to be a song from the show. More details about auditions for this and other upcoming productions at ALT are available at altonlittletheater.org/auditions.

Connecting with the next generation of directors is especially important for Cox to “build a foundation” at ALT as she looks to transition out of the role of Executive Director in the next few years. While she acknowledged technology may help make some due changes, she discouraged ALT’s next director from rushing into its implementation.

“Certainly changes are due, but you have to understand, our season ticket base are people over 60 - so inching them into buying a ticket online has been a big deal,” Cox said. “I want, when I do leave, to leave the theater in the very best shape possible - I don’t want to just say, ‘Good luck.’”

Don’t miss the upcoming showings of “Oliver!” at ALT, starting with a 7 p.m. evening performance tonight (Aug. 2, 2024), as well as evening shows on Aug. 2, 3, 8, and 9, with 2 p.m. matinees on Aug. 4, 10, and 11. Tickets and more details are available on the ALT website.

For more information and insights into ALT’s upcoming production of Oliver! The Musical, see the full “Theater Thursday” segment with Cox at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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