Sing for Their Supper - 30

"When do we start rehearsing?" That came from Sam. "And, I guess what's more important, who will we be? I mean, what characters?"

"Let's go into the auditorium and I'll tell you."

When they were all seated, Tuck sat facing them on the edge of the stage. "This is all very tentative right now. I've told you the basic plot of Oliver!, so you know the characters. Sam, I think you'd be good as Fagin."

"But he's a man. I mean a grownup."

Tuck smiled. "Makeup can do wonders to turn you into him. Mace, how do you feel about playing Bill Sikes and Dr Grimwig?"

"Sikes is the bad guy, right?" When Tuck nodded, Mace thought for a long minute then nodded. "I can do him, I think. The doctor too, if he doesn't have many lines."

"He doesn't. I'm sure you can handle both of them," Tuck replied. "Ricky, I see you as Dodger." Tuck grinned. "He dances a lot."

Ricky clapped his hands together. "Yes!"

DJ took a deep breath as he obviously understood what that meant. "I'm going to be Oliver?"

"Yes."

"Because I'm the smallest guy here?"

"To be honest, that factored into it. Still, I wouldn't have chosen you for the part if I didn't think you could handle it."

"You don't even know if I can act."

"I don't know if any of you can. I'm going on my instincts." Tuck looked at each of them, one by one. "You're all singers. You convey the feelings of the songs you perform. That takes a form of acting, and so does making people feel sorry enough for you that they put change in your cups or cans."

"That's because we look homeless," Sam said.

Evie glanced at DJ. "It takes more than that. I taught DJ how to act it, too. How to be more pathetic. He picked it up real fast."

DJ nodded. "I guess I did. I've made a bit more since then. Of course, singing with you helps, too."

"I'm your muse," Evie told him, giving his arm a squeeze.

"Okay, now on to the female parts," Tuck said. "I want Roma as Nancy."

"And I want to play her," Roma said. "I think I have what it takes."

Tuck knew she did, after her revelations to him before lunch. "You do," he agreed. "Evie, how would you feel about playing Bet?"

"I can do it," she replied confidently.

"Jolie, you're going to play Charlotte Sowerberry, and Dena, you'll be Mrs. Sowerberry. Okay?" Both girls nodded. "You're also going to be part of Fagin's gang of kids. At first I was going to leave you as girls, but I've thought about it since then. People expect his gang of pickpockets to be boys. With the right makeup and clothes, and your hair up in caps, you'll pass with flying colors."

Dena ran her hand through her mop of curly red hair. "It better be a real big cap."

Tuck chuckled. "I'm sure Peg can come up with one. Ricky, you'll also double as Noah Claypole."

"Aren't there other characters you're missing?" Sam asked.

"The other adults, like Brownlow, Bumble, Mrs. Corney, etcetera, will be played by two people from the theater where I work—Andy and Fran Rogers." Tuck replied. "They'll be double and triple cast, but they've been acting forever, so they'll be able to handle that."