Layla the bulldog is ready for her closeup.
The 9-year-old dog — owned by Jim and Rachel Higgins of Orland and handled by Neil E. Graham — had never been on stage before being cast as Bullseye, the dog companion of villain Bill Sikes in the musical “Oliver!,” to be staged this month by the Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor.
“We did the Paws on Parade event in Bangor, and we brought her there to interact with some of the kids from the show that were there, and with other dogs,” said Graham, a Hancock County-based actor who plays Bill Sikes in the show. “She did great. She’s very well-behaved. She’s just got a really sweet temperament. I said to Rachel, ‘Rachel … I need your dog.’ And I can be intimidating if I have to be.”
The affectionate, roly-poly Layla is the fifth dog to be featured in a Penobscot Theatre Company production, after well-known theatrical canines such as Sandy from “Annie” in 2012 (played by ZuZu, owned by Green Acres Kennels Shop trainer Don Hanson of Bangor) and Toto from “The Wizard of Oz” in 2014 (played by 7.5-pound Yorkshire terrier Sophie, owned by Cyndy Ingalls and Amy McCormick of Bangor).
“Oliver!” is one of the most popular musicals in the world, with six other regional and educational productions of the show happening in the U.S. in December 2016 alone. It’s popular for a reason — it’s got a big cast full of meaty characters taken straight from the pages of Charles Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist,” such as petty crime kingpin Fagin (played here by Penobscot Theatre Company mainstay Dominick Varney), teenage pickpocket the Artful Dodger (Andrew Barrett) and the damaged but compassionate Nancy (fellow Penobscot Theatre Company mainstay Brianne Beck). The production is being directed by Allison Bibicoff.
And there’s the title character himself, Oliver, the innocent, love-starved orphan who must learn to survive in an otherwise bleak, dangerous 19th century London. Twelve-year-old Zachary Spreng, a student at Bangor’s James F. Doughty School, is making his mainstage debut with the company in that role, though Spreng is an old hat in Penobscot Theatre Company’s Dramatic Academy shows.
“I’m nervous about doing well and about doing the best that I can, but I’m not nervous about being onstage,” said Spreng, who has appeared in Dramatic Academy shows since he was 7. “This is my favorite thing to do … Oliver is a really interesting character to play. He has to learn how to stand up for himself.”
Young Oliver is tossed around by the whims of a cruel and draconian government system, by an exploitative foster family, and eventually, by the criminal underworld in 1830s London, the world of which is evoked by an atmospheric set by Tricia Hobbs and lighting by Scout Hough.
And yet, the tone of the musical is anything but grim — memorable songs such as “Consider Yourself,” “Food, Glorious Food” and “It’s a Fine Life” feature big company scenes of orphans, pickpockets and the denizens of a lower-class tavern, while showstopping solo songs such as “Where Is Love?” and “As Long As He Needs Me” are vocal showcases for the characters of Oliver and Nancy, respectively.
Nevertheless, Graham — who plays the burly, scary bad guy Bill Sikes with dog accomplice Bullseye — is relishing playing the villain.
“To me, Bill Sikes is the quintessential theater villain. Most other villains have a point at which they’re savable … but Bill has nothing redeemable about him,” said Graham, last seen in Penobscot Theatre Company’s “Rock of Ages” in the role of yet another villain, real estate developer Hertz. “And I love playing the bad guy. I love being the villain. That’s my favorite type of character to play.”
Despite its somewhat dark source material, “Oliver!” is ultimately a story about good triumphing over evil, against all odds. In “Oliver Twist,” Dickens explored social justice and the deplorable treatment of children and the poor in 1830s England — and the musical does the same, though with the addition of Lionel Bart’s exceptionally catchy songs.
“This kid goes through so many horrible things, but at the end, he finds his way out of it,” said Bibicoff, a regional theater and Broadway veteran making her Penobscot Theatre Company debut as both director and choreographer. “It’s uplifting, by the end. … It’s perfect for the holidays.”
Not to mention the added bonus of seeing Layla the bulldog’s theatrical debut — alongside the many different rescue dogs that are up for adoption from the Bangor Humane Society, a different one of each will get to take the stage for a few minutes before all the shows in the 20-show run begin.
In a way, the rescue dogs tug at the same kinds of heartstrings as do the orphans in “Oliver!.”
“It’s hard to resist, when you see how cute they are,” said Newport. “Everyone needs love.”
This is the fifth year that the Penobscot Theatre Company has partnered around the holidays with the Bangor Humane Society, to help adopt dogs to audience members and their families. For Penobscot Theatre Company producing artistic director Bari Newport — herself a loving dog mom to 15-year-old toy poodle Zippers — it’s a personal passion.
“This partnership has helped find homes for 72 dogs so far,” said Newport. “It’s been so great to see dogs get adopted right off the stage here.”
Penobscot Theatre Company’s production of “Oliver!” will be performed from Dec. 1 through 24 at the Bangor Opera House. Tickets for shows, set for Wednesdays through Sundays as well as on Tuesday, Dec. 20, are available at www.penobscottheatre.org, through the box office at 131 Main St., Bangor, or by calling 942-3333. Regular ticket prices are $38 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets for preview performances Dec. 1 and 2 will be $25 and $27, respectively.
