Day Nine: Rocky Horror Show

I admit there are other shows that I know by heart (cough cough RENT) but that show will come up later. Today's post is a musical you know all (or almost all) of the words to, and it's Rocky Horror Show.

The show starts with an Usherette basically describing what the show is about, not going into details.

Two adults, Brad Majors and his girlfriend, Janet Weiss, attend the wedding of friends Ralph Hapshatt and Betty Monroe. Afterwords, Brad musters the courage to confess to Janet that he loves her and proposes for them to get married. Suddenly, this Narrator appears and tells the audience that Brad and Janet were leaving town to find a mutual former science tutor, Dr. Everett Scott. Meanwhile, the two are driving through a rainstorm and later discover that their car has a flat tire. The two trek to an old castle they passed earlier to use a phone.

The narrator explains that Brad and Janet feel "apprehensive and uneasy," but have no choice and simply must accept the help they are given. The couple are greeted at the door by the handyman, Riff Raff, then his sister, Magenta, then a groupie named Columbia. The three tell Brad and Janet about an unlucky delivery boy who fell under their charm (his destiny is revealed later in the show.)

Just as Brad and Janet are about to leave, but then Dr. Frank N. Furter arrives to greet the guests. He introduces himself, explaining he's pansexual, cross-dresser mad scientist, then invites the two of them up to his lab. Brad and Janet are then stripped down to their underwear to dry their clothes.

The couple are given laboratory coats to wear in the lab. Dr. Furter announces he has discovered the secret to life itself. He reveals his creation, which is a tall, blond, tan, and muscular man named Rocky Horror, whom is brought to life. Rocky worries about where he is, who's there, and what might happen to him. Meanwhile, Furter is basically drooling over Rocky as he tries to run away. Furter talks about his admiration to muscle-builders (he considers them "quite pleasurable"). 

A Coca-Cola freezer opens in the laboratory, showing to be Furter's and Columbia's former lover and delivery boy, Eddie. He's a biker covered in multiple surgery scars (Part of Rocky's brain is Eddie's.) and is now considered a zombie. He's recalling his former life and embraces Columbia as they flash back to the good times the two of them had. Furter panics, so he shoves Eddie back into the freezer and cuts him to death. Furter explains to Rocky that he chose him over Eddie. Brad and Janet are then ushered into separate rooms for the night.

The narrator foreshadows that Brad and Janet are not becoming safe there. Janet is asleep, but then hears someone (she assumes is Brad) climb into bed with her and make sexual advances. She then realizes that it isn't Brad at all: it's Frank! He convinces Janet that their pleasure isn't a crime, and she makes him swear not to tell Brad, and they continue their lovemaking. The next scene is Brad's room. He is asleep, but then hears someone (which he assumes is Janet) climb into bed with him and make sexual advances. He then realizes that it's Frank in bed with him, and not Janet. He tries to get Furter to stop, but Furter convinces him that he enjoyed it, which he did. As the two resume, Riff Raff announces that Rocky has escaped.

Janet is searching for Brad in the laboratory and finds Rocky hiding there. Seeing the television monitor (their surveillance system), she finds Brad and Furter in bed together. Revenge on her mind, she seduces Rocky and the two are lovemaking. While Furter is searching for Rocky with Brad on the television monitor, they find that Janet has slept with Rocky and Brad is genuinely hurt. Riff Raff then notices another visitor approaching; it's the science tutor, Dr. Everett Scott, who is confined to a wheelchair, whom Brad and Janet had planned to visit.

Dr. Scott is rushed into the laboratory by Columbia, where Furter accuses him and Brad of investigating his castle, and he knows that Dr. Scott has connections with the FBI. Dr. Scott tries to assure Furter he is only looking for Eddie, who happens to be his nephew. Frank shows Eddie's corpse to the group and uses a device to trap Brad, Janet, Dr. Scott and a rebelling Columbia to restrain them to the floor, making it not possible for them to move their feet. It's revealed that the inhabitants of the castle are space aliens led by Furter, who abandoned their original mission for kinky lovemaking and a chance to work on Rocky. Magenta insists they return home due to the fact their secret has been blown, but Furter plans on putting on a "floor show."

Under the influence of Furter, Columbia, Rocky, Brad and Janet perform a song whiled dressed scantily clad. Furter decides they should all lose their inhibitions and revert to their primal, carnal instincts. There, the four of them are about to go into orgasmic lovemaking when Frank interrupts them for a finale, which is the concluding dance number. 

The show comes to an abrupt end when Riff Raff and Magenta burst in, bring in ray guns and wearing space suits. Riff Raff announces that he is bringing everyone back to their home planet, Transylvannia. Furter pleads with Riff Raff that all he wanted to do was have physical contact with Earthlings. Riff Raff, unmoved, guns down Columbia, Furter and Rocky and lets Brad, Janet and Dr. Scott go free. 

The castle blasts off into outer space just as the trio are leaving it. At this point, both Janet and Brad know that they will never be the same again. The Usherette comes back to the front to recap what had happened.

I've watched the movie version of it so many times, I lost count! I absolutely love Tim Curry in it, as Furter! He was great! And I think Susan Sarandon did a great job as Janet too!

Here's my favorite song, "Over At The Frankenstein Place."

Day Eight: Spring Awakening

Today's post is a musical featuring your favorite male singer, and that singer today is Jonathan Groff! I fell in love listening to him sing as I heard the Spring Awakening soundtrack.

So Spring Awakening takes place in the late 19th century Germany. Wendla (who was played in the original Broadway show by Lea Michelle) is an adolescent and is approaching puberty and feels as though she should know what she needs to know (i.e. conception). When she asks her mom, she simply tells her that a woman must love her husband with all of her heart. The other girls in town are mad that they aren't being told about conception either.

At school, boys are reciting Virgil in Latin class. A boy, Moritz, sleepily recites the wrong line, the teacher gets ready to beat him. But his friend, Melchior, stands up for him, but he instead gets hit by the ruler. He can't stand how the narrow-mindness of their school and town interferes with his desire for knowledge.

Moritz describes erotic dreams that he's been having recently and believes he's on the verge of insanity. Melchior assures him that is was okay for guys to dream that way as they're getting older. This leads t all of the other guys venting about their thoughts and desires. Moritz is still unsure about the whole thing, so he asks Melchior to explain it to him in the form of an essay.

The girls are together and talk about marrying the boys in their town, the top of their list is attractive Melchior . It's shown that one guy masturbates to an erotic postcard and another daydreams about his piano teacher's breasts. Moritz now doesn't want to know what exactly he is dreaming about and what it means. The kids express their desire for physical intimacy.

Wendla and Melchior run into each other while Wendla is shopping for flowers for her mother. The two talk (being childhood friends but drifted away as they grew older), both trying to supress their physical attraction to the other. Moritz discovers he passed his midterm exams, but the school cannot pass everyone, so they fail him, explaining his grades didn't meet the passing standards. Later, one of the teenage girls, Martha, admits to her friends that her father abuses her physically and sexually and her mother doesn't even care. She makes them promise not to tell anyone or else the girl will end up like a previous girl, Ilse, who is how homeless and wanders the streets because her parents kicked her out.

Wendla finds Melchior again and tells him about the girl's abuse. She wants Melchior to beat her with a switch so she can experience what abuse her friend had gone through. Melchior is reluctant at first, but ends up unleashing his own frustrations on Wendla and throws her to the ground. Realizing what he had done, he flees, leaving Wendla to cry. She discovers Melchior left his journal on the ground and takes it with her.

Moritz is told he failed his examination. When he tells his father he won;t progress in school, his father thinks of the shame it will bring him as "the man with the son who failed." Moritz writes to the only adult he trusts, Melchior's mother, and asks for money so he can depart for America. She denies his request but tells him she'll write to his parents and tell them not to be so harsh on Moritz. Moritz later thinks about suicide.

Melchior is in this hayloft during a storm, upset about the fact he's in the awkward phase of teenagehood. Wendla finds him, wanting to return his journal. They both apologize to the other for what happened after the last time the two had met. The two begin to kiss. Wendla resists at first, not knowing what is happening, but feels as though what they are doing is powerful and unlike anything she has done before. As Melchior becomes more insistent, he overpowers her objections with affection and force and they begin to have sex in the hayloft.

After they finish, they reflect on what had just happened. Moritz has been thrown out of his home and wanders the town at dusk, carrying a pistol. He comes across Ilse, the girl previously mentioned by Martha. Ilse, who is secretly in love with Moritz tells him of a place to sleep at an artists' colony. The two reconcile on past times in their childhood. Ilse tries to make Moritz come with him, even almost with the two of them kissing, but he refuses. Upset, Ilse leaves. Believing he has no other turn, Moritz shoots himself.

At Moritz's funeral, each of the children (including Ilse) drop a flower on his grave. Back at the school, the schoolmaster and teacher feel as though they need someone else to take the blame for Moritz's death, which was linked to the two of them failing Moritz. They find the essay on sex that Melchior wrote for Moritz. They blame Moritz's death on Melchior, even though he isn't to blame, and is expelled. Meanwhile, two of the male classmates, Hanschen, who is the seducer, and Ernst, fall for each other and realize they are both gay.

Wendla becomes sick, and her mother takes her to a doctor. He gives Wendla medicine and tells her she has anemia. The doctor pulls her mother to the side and tells her that Wendla is pregnant. When confronted, Wendla is shocked. She then realizes that her mother lied to her about conception. Wendla blames her mother for her ignorance, but her mother doesn't blame herself and demands to know who the father is. Wendla hands to her mother a passionate note that Melchior wrote to her after they consummated. Wendla reflects on what she wasn't told for pregnancy, but stays optimistic about her future child.

Melchior's parents discuss his fate; his mother doesn't believe the essay he wrote to Moritz is enough reason to send him away to reform school, but when his father tells her that Wendla is pregnant by him, she agrees to send Melchior away. Meanwhile, Melchior and Wendla keep contact by letters, which are delivered by Ilse. At the reform school, one of the boys there steals Melchior's latest letter from Wendla and uses it as a masturbation game, which results in a fight. When the classmate reads the letter aloud, Melchior discovers that Wendla is pregnant with his child. Melchior escapes the institution to find her, not knowing that her mother had taken her to an underground practioner to have an abortion.

Melchior tells Ilse to send a letter to Wendla, telling her to meet him at the cemetery at midnight, which Ilse cannot send. He finds Moritz's grave and swears that he and Wendla will raise their child in a compassionate and open environment. When Wendla is late to the meeting, Melchior feels nervous. He then finds a grave he hasn't noticed before and reads the name etched in stone---Wendla. It turns out Wendla died from the messy abortion. Feeling grief and shock, he takes out a razor and is ready to kill himself when the spirits of Moritz and Wendla come from their graves and try to give him strength. They persuade him not to kill himself, but to carry their memories.

So, Jonathan Groff? Yes?.......... If only he wasn't gay. But gay or not, I absolutely adore his voice (I know I said it earlier, but I really do love it!) And I would definitely show my kids this musical if they ever wanted to learn about how children are made, then helps them understand what they don't.

I chose a song that specified his voice only, "All That's Known," which plays while the boys are reciting Latin in class (which is the language the boys in the recording are saying, fair warning.)

Day Seven: Wicked

Today's post is a musical featuring your favorite female singer, and the singer has to be none other than Idina Menzel!

So, let me explain Wicked first. It's similar to The Wizard of Oz, but it's told in the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Idina Menzel in the first Broadway debut). The show shows a side of the witch that is good, not evil, as The Wizard of Oz once demonstrated.

The show starts off at the end of The Wizard of Oz, with the Wicked Witch being melted and everyone rejoicing about it. Glinda recalls that Elphaba was conceived between the Munchkin Governor's Wife, wh and a mysterious stranger with a bottle of green elixir (who is discovered to be the great wizard Oz, whom everyone knows is human). 

The next scene shows that Glinda (whose actual name is Galinda) and Elphaba met at Shiz University and were roommates. Elphaba goes to college only to take care of her disabled younger sister (confined to a wheelchair after being born without arms.) Nessarose. Elphaba was excluded from Madame Morrible's Sorcery Seminar, but after discovering Elphaba has magical powers, she lets her in and thinks she can be useful for the wizard. 

Part of the show discusses how Animals (notice how I capitalized the word) can be considered people too and shouldn't be considered as just animals. (Animals are animals that can talk and feel and think and act as human beings.) 

Fiyero, a Winkie Prince, is introduced to the story, as well as a Munchkin named Boq, an old childhood friend of Elphaba. Boq tries to ask Glinda to this fancy party, but turns him down and tells him to ask Nessarose instead, her feeling as though her and Fiyero would be a better match. Glinda gives Elphaba a black-pointed hat, and when she wears it, she's at first ridiculed. Glinda ends up feeling remorse for what she did and the two start a strange friendship.

Back at the dorm room, Elphaba explains that her sister was born disabled because her mother, wanting her second child to not be born with green skin, was fed milk-flowers, which resulted in Nessarose to be born prematurely.  Glinda decides to give Elphaba a makeover to make her more admirable and appealing to the other students.

A Shiz professor, Doctor Dillamond (who is an Animal) is taken away by Ozian officials. The new history teacher brings in an Animal cub in a cage and suggests that if Animals were born into cages, they would lose their speech. Elphaba and Fiyero are outraged by this, so they let the cub go free after class. Elphaba thinks she might have feelings for Fiyero but is unsure.

The Wizard requested a presence with Elphaba. Boq doesn't show much interest in Nessarose, so when Glinda questions that, Nessarose answered that maybe it is herself that's not right. Glinda tries to impress Fiyero, which fails miserably, so Elphaba invited Glinda along with her to see the Wizard.

Elphaba is taken personally to the side to have her  powers tested, which she did by having monkeys grow wings, but then discovers that both Madame Morrible and Oz has been behind the troubles in Oz with the Animals and creating cages for them. The Wizard tries to convince her to join his side, as her powers would be very useful for him and his army. 

Elphaba runs out with the spell book (written in this strange language that only certain people can read) and her and Glinda run to the attic of the palace. Morrible turns the townsfolk against Elphaba and she decides to do what is right and not join the Wizard. Glinda, however, decides to follow behind him and become a public figure. She leaves the attic on a broomstick she encharmed, earning her nickname created by Morrible, "The Wicked Witch of the West."

Time has passed (20 years, maybe?). Elphaba has hidden from Oz and is no where to be found.  Yet Glinda, now the Wizard's assisstant, has announced she's engaged to Fiyero. Elphaba returns to Munchkinland, where Nessarose became the new Governor after their father died due to shame from Elphaba defying the Wizard. Elphaba turns the silver slippers Nessarose had gotten when they were younger into ruby red slippers, giving her complete mobility of her legs and being able to walk. Nessarose has restricted the Munchkinlanders from leaving the area, including her crush Boq. Nessarose tries to read from the spell book that Elphaba stole, which results in Boq literally losing his heart and Elphaba turns him into the Tin Man, so he can live.

She returns to the Palace and tries to free the winged monkeys. The Wizard tries to convince her to join him,  but after seeing the speechless Doctor Dillamond among the monkeys, she refuses. She runs into Fiyero and the two proclaim their love to each other. Glinda discovers this and tells Madame Morrible that Elphaba will come to Nessarose's aid, should she need it. Morrible conjures up a tornado with Dorothy's house landing in it and landing right on top of Nessarose, killing her instantly. 

Elphaba arrives just as Glinda send Dorothy and Toto down the Yellow Brick Road. The guards capture her, but Fiyero gives himself in to give time for Elphaba to escape. He gets dragged into the woods and was threatened to be killed if he didn't give up her whereabouts. Elphaba tries casting spells to save Fiyero, but fears it was no use.

Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man (Boq) and the Cowardly Lion are sent by the Wizard to kill Elphaba. The Cowardly Lion is the cub that Fiyero and Elphaba had released at Shiz. She captures Dorothy, refusing to let her go until she takes off the ruby slippers that belonged to Nessarose. Glinda tries to convince Elphaba to let Dorothy go, but she won't do it. The two forgave what the other had done and realized that their lives would be different if they hadn't met. Elphaba gives her the spell book, providing she takes control of Oz. Dorothy throws a bucket of water at Elphaba, who then starts to be mysteriously melting away. Glinda sees that all that is left of Elphaba is her hat and a vial of green elixir, which the Wizard has an identical. (Here it's officially revealed that Oz is Elphaba's father and she is part Oz and part human).

Fiyero, it's discovered, was turned into the Scarecrow when Elphaba was casting spells to save him. It is revealed that Elphaba didn't die but descended down a trap door, convincing everyone that she was dead. The two leave Oz as the city is celebrating Elphaba's death. Glinda and Elphaba look up at the night sky, appreciating their friendship and that both "have changed for the better."

(I swear, these describings are getting longer and longer.)

I love Idina Menzel. She is my absolute idol. She debuted in Broadway as none other than Maureen Johnson in Rent, Sheila in Hair, Amneris in Aida, Elphaba in Wicked (duh), and recently, Florence in Chess (in Concert.) I love listening to her voice. I think it's great no matter what singing technique she uses! (If those shows aren't familiar to you, she was Nancy in the Disney movie Enchanted.)

I'm choosing the song she sings when she first realizes that she has feelings for Fiyero after they free the cub, I'm Not That Girl.

Day 6: Les Miserables

Today's post is a musical that makes you sad/teary, and for any person that knows this show, they would agree that Les Miserables is the saddest. (Yes, I know I'm missing an accent over the first 'e', I don't know how to add it onto this.)

So Les Miserables takes place in 19th century France and starts with Jean Valjean, an ex-convict imprisoned for 19 years for stealing bread for his starving sister and his family. He gets released by policeman Javert and the Bishop of Digne offers Valjean food and shelter. Valjean steals silver from him and gets caught, but the Bishop lies and helps Valjean create a better life. Valjean follows the advice of the Bishop and breaks his parole.

Eight years later, he lives under a name that is Monsieur Madeline, a wealthy factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer (it's this town located in Northern France). One of his factory workers, Fantine, is discovered by her other workers that she sends money to her secret illegitimate daughter, Cosette, who lives with this cruel innkeeper and his wife. The Foreman of the factory, having been rejected by Fantine, fires her.  Cosette was conceived by Fantine and this mystery man (whose name is never said in the musical) and had her dreams shattered by him. Fantine has to become a prostitute to pay for Cosette's care. Fantine is arrested after fighting off an abusive customer, but ends up being taken to a hospital.

Valjean gives himself up after discovering that another man was arrested as him. He wishes to see dying Fantine before he's put in prison again but Javert wouldn't let him, so he knocks Javert unconscious and goes to find Cosette.

Cosette is still with the Thenardiers, the innkeeper and his wife, and they work and abuse little Cosette, while spoiling their own daughter, Eponine. Valjean comes and buys Cosette away from the couple and run away.

Ten years later, Paris is in turmoil because the only man in government to show compassion to the poor is ill and is dying soon. Some students were planning to create a rebellion while Valjean and Cosette are almost robbed by the street gang created by the Thenardiers. Javert is hot on Valjean' trail, vows to keep looking for him. Eponine has always loved her friend Marius, and hoped one day he'd return those affections. However, he bumps into Cosette and the two fall in love. 

Eponine sets Marius and Cosette up, against her wishing, but they part when Valjean confides to Cosette that they have to leave the country. Meanwhile, the revolution is rising rapidly in the streets of Paris, being led by the students.

Javert goes undercover to "spy" on the rebelling group. Eponine has disguised herself as a boy and joined the rebelling group as well. She reflects on the fact that Marius will never love her the way she loves him. Javert's cover is blown and is kicked out of the rebelling group.

The next day, the students realizes that the Paris citizens have fled from the rebels and they will all probably die. Eponine dies in Marius' arms. All of the other rebels are killed except for Valjean and Marius, who is wounded. Valjean carries Marius on his back and runs into Javert. He begs him to let him bring Marius to a doctor, which he agrees. Javert cannot bring himself to arrest Valjean, so he commits suicide by throwing himself into the Seine.

Marius discovers Valjean is an ex-convict, and Valjean has to depart because his presence endangers Cosette. Cosette and Marius marry, but the Thenardiers (in disguise) try to tell Marius that Valjean is a murderer (which he isn't). Marius realizes that Valjean was the one who saved him and punches the male Thenardier and they leave.

As Valjean prepares to die, Marius and Cosette come to bid him away. The spirits of  Eponine and Fantine come to take Valjean's spirit with them. The end.
(Sorry it took so long to explain.)

The show's theme, the constant struggle of people, is just very sad, depressing, powerful, and understood. I think the majority of teen girls can relate to the Eponine/Marius/Cosette love triangle. If I could put this for another category, it would be Best Lyrics, but I have another musical for that! Plus, the story line is just very sad and gloomy. I mean almost all of the main characters die except for Cosette, Marius and the Thenardiers. Ironic, right?

I absolutely love the song I Dreamed A Dream. It's about Fantine and how she was enamored with a man who left rather quickly and left her pregnant and her dreams shattered. I'm at the point of crying every time I hear this song and I cannot wait to hear Anne Hathaway sing it next month!

Day Five: The Lion King

So I just heard some very depressing news about a death of one of my family's close relatives earlier today, and just now, when I'm posting today's post, I smile because it fits into what I want to feel today, which is happy. Today's post is a musical that makes you happy.

I really hope I don't need to explain The Lion King too much. It's about a cub who "can't wait to be king" and rules with his dad. Meanwhile, his dad's brother has been planning to kill him, which he succeeds by making his death look like an accident (i.e. Simba gets stuck and his dad saves him but his brother refuses to pull him out, resulting in the dad being killed by a stampede.)

Simba feels guilty and runs away. After, the dad's brother (Scar) rules the kingdom and makes it a living hell (this happens over a span of 10? years). Simba's living a great life in the wild, until he runs into a childhood friend, who tells him what happened to the kingdom. 

So Simba comes back, turns the hyenasm that ruled under Scar, against Scar and killed him (for the greater good.) Simba regains his crown and marries the said childhood friend and lives happily ever after.

I think there are a couple of reasons why I like this movie. One is that I used to watch the cartoon movie version of it all of the time, and I loved it! Another reason is, there's nothing very gory about the show at all. It's true Simba's father dies in a stampede but it's not like murder is the main theme (cough cough *Sweeney Todd*) Plus, the songs are very catchy and the full musical version is very G rated, which means it's appropriate for all to see!

This clip is one of my favorite songs, the Circle Of .

Day Four: Annie

(Just to warn you, if you're thinking about reading a cheerful post about Annie, you thought wrong.)

So today is highlighting a musical that I think is overrated, which I think is Annie. I used to think it was the greatest musical ever, until I realized that it was everywhere, and that wasn't okay.

Annie is about this orphan who hopes that her parents will come find her and get her from the orphanage again. She ends up finding a male dog and names it Sandy, then is adopted for a week by this really mean billionaire named Mr. Warbucks, who originally wanted a boy. In just a week, the Warbucks mansion grows accustomed to her and Warbucks is considering adopting her for real.

Meanwhile, the orphanage owner, Miss Hannigan, who absolutely hates children, and her life, has a surprise visit from her brother, who is only known by the name Rooster, who brings his girlfriend, Lily St. Regis, who was named after a hotel. Hannigan has known all along that Annie's parents won't come for her, because they died when Annie was only a baby. Rooster and Lily develop this scheme to tricking Annie and Warbucks that those two are Annie's parents, especially after discovering that there's a $50,000 reward for the parents.

They come and try to convince Warbucks that they are Annie's parents. While Annie spends one final night, the President of the U.S., who she somehow befriends, discover that her real parents had died, so as soon as Rooster and Lily come to bring Annie with them, Rooster, Lily and Hannigan get arrested and Annie is officially adopted by Warbucks.

God, how I despise this musical. It's been overdone so many times, I've gotten sick of it. Plus, the story line isn't that great in general. I mean, think about it. The show starts off at the girl already in the orphanage. Her parents didn't want her, so why did she have this delusion that they would come get her? It's sad.

What billionaire adopts a child for only a week? That is just selfish and you can tell he only did it to improve his image. 

HER VOICE. It bothers me so much. It doesn't matter who is singing it, I always think the song "Tomorrow" sounds very whiny and it absolutely aggravates me. And then everyone starts singing along with her, trying to stay cheerful during the Great Depression. No, life doesn't happen that way, especially during that time period! You grin it and bear it and don't sing what good can happen because karma happens! (I don't mean to sound very cynical here.)

The only good part about the show is Miss Hannigan. I find her funny and original and I love the song "Little Girls." In a way, I feel sorry for her and I can connect to her because her grumpy attitude is what I see all of the time. Carol Bunnett and Kathy Bates are my absolute favorites for singing that song.

Day Three: Oliver!

So today's post is a musical that I personally feel is underrated, one that is called Oliver! 

So Oliver! is about an orphan who starts out the show eating lunch in a workhouse owned by these really cruel owners, Mr. Bumble and the Widow Corney. He ends up getting sold to another undertaker, named Sowerberry. He is treated even worse with the Sowerberry, who keep Oliver in a basement.

After one of Sowerberry's workers insult Oliver's dead mother, Oliver starts attacking the worker and Mr. Sowerberry has no choice but to put in him in a coffin, but while arguing with his daughter, Charlotte, Oliver escapes.

A week later, he runs into the Artful Dodger, who convinces him to join Mr. Fagin and his team of boy pickpocketers and Oliver decides to join, at first not realizing that they pickpocket. Oliver meets Nancy, who is the live-in girlfriend of abusive burglar Bill Sikes and she doesn't mind the abuse he gives her all the time. Oliver, Dodger and another boy try to pickpocket from a wealthy man named Mr. Brownlow, but Oliver gets arrested and confined to the Brownlow household while the other two sneak away.

Bill comes up with a plan to get Oliver. At first, Nancy refuses, but he beats her to the point where she must obey, but she believes that he beats her because he loves her and convinces herself that. Oliver is re-kidnapped by Bill and Nancy and is saved by Nancy when Bill tries to beat Oliver for trying to flee from them. 

Meanwhile, this long lost locket of Oliver's mother is recovered and is later discovered that Mr. Brownlow is Oliver's grandfather. Nancy sneaks Oliver out and Bill has some suspicion on what Nancy was about to do. He knocks Oliver unconscious and kidnaps him after Bill clubs Nancy to death. He holds Oliver hostage on a bridge, threatening to kill him when the police apprehend him and save Oliver. They return the boy to Brownlow and Fagin, who has been thinking about what he really wanted to do with his life, has vowed to try and change his life around.

So Oliver! sounds like your basic orphan show, but it's so much better than Annie. I'm sorry if you like the show, but it's been done for a while now. No one knows about Oliver! and its potential greatness, yet everyone knows the "Tomorrow" tune (it has been sung to death.)

This song is sung by Nancy and it's how she still thinks that Bill beats her because he loves her. The song is called "As Long As He Needs Me." I love this version of the song, it sounds so pure!