Gwion, Sam and Harry

Have just re watched the Oliver introductory videos again on you tube.

Joseph is only 9 - could be 10 by now but is surely the youngest of the bunch. Jonny has had that disinterested look all the way through, he would make a good Dandy Dan in Bugsy Malone. I'm not so keen on Gwion - he's cute but doesn't seem to have much expression.

I still love Jordan, he's got a lovely voice and can move well. He is really putting his all into it and I really hope he get the final cap.

Right, well having idled away half an hour watching all the Oliver performances and with nothing better to do, I'll join in the over-analyses:

Definitely Oliver:

Chester - I agree this kid has star quality in spades: innocent yet charismatic. He also has great pitch, a lovely face (befitting Oliver with his upper class origins) and moves confidently. He is without doubt the strongest contender - as witnessed the week they did Pie Jesu, a tough song by anyone's standards and one I think few of those boys could have pulled off. You can count on Chester in any of the group numbers to deliver his line without faltering whereas some of the others have me wincing.

Maybe Oliver

Lawrence - I hadn't even noticed him until this week to be honest, but after a great turn in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which made me rewatch him more closely in the other numbers, he's really really good. He'd be a reliable choice. However, his low-visibility and the fact that many people have only just noticed him could be a problem in itself. Will he draw an audience like Chester? Will he draw lots of "awwwwws" like Gwionn? Or is he destined for 'always the understudy never the lead' status?

Kwayedza - gorgeous voice and again, lovely face, with a self-assuredness and nobility Oliver could have underneath the grime; a smoothness rather than a hard, 'street' courseness. But is his voice too rich and adult for this part? How many performances can he do before it breaks and he starts to sound like a little man on stage?

Gwionn - awwwwwwwww! Tiny ragamuffin and a confident little performer. He'd bring a cute yet cheeky quality to Oliver, but his archetypal urchin stature gives him the vulnerability Oliver needs. He does, however, have some tuning and diction problems, which is the main reason he's not in my definitely bracket. And although he looks the part, can he act it? Having said that, he's stood out since day one and would, I reckon, draw a crowd.

Harry - as others have suggested he'd actually suit Dodger a lot because he has a deeper voice and a more knowing style. But if Dodger isn't up for grabs and they're looking for a more street-wise Oliver, then Harry is too talented to pass up. That said, even though they're trying to move away from the saccarine Mark Lester performance, is Harry just too savvy and larger-than-life for what is essentially a fairly tragic role?

Johnny - I know he's popular on here and he definitely has the vulnerability and 'lost' quality we might expect in Oliver, but I have major reservations: he just isn't animated enough. And sometimes he looks like a bunny in the headlights. But, and this is a tentative but, that could work really well for Oliver; he could be the perfect foil to the far more cocky Dodger. It's a big risk though: that 'lost' quality could mean lost on stage, and the vulnerability could just translate as terror.

Not Oliver

I feel mean to the remaining boys but I guess it's the nature of the beast:

Arthur - I don't know why he's been chosen. He strains his already very low voice, to the point where it's almost a bellow at times, and he's often out-of-tune. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing him sing well. Plus in group numbers he's awkward and seems like he's self-conscious or finding it all a bit of a hoot. Still, maybe that 'naughty' vibe he's got going on is what they're looking for in Oliver?

Alexander - again, I don't think his voice is anywhere near strong enough for the role and I don't know why he's made it to the next round. The week he was picked and did his solo, it was very off-key.

Gareth - I thought about putting him in the 'maybe Oliver' but decided I just haven't seen enough and there are just too many boys stronger. He's better than Arther and Alexander though.

Jordan - my mum's favourite but for me he's too 'stage school'; over-eager with a precocious voice that others have perfectly described as "too strong". He just isn't Oliver for me.

Joseph - looks like he's having a great time, which is the main thing.

Sam - his hair does him no favours but it's the only thing distinguishing him in the line-up. More Little Lord Fauntleroy than Oliver. He does stand out though so maybe he'd be good in Dodger's gang.

Thanks for your views on the Olivers, I enjoyed reading your post.

I agree totally with what you're saying about Chester. The boy is absolutely flawless. I also love the fact that he's so "normal" and even kind of shy, but at the same time he has tons of charisma and he doesn't even realise it
I'm 100% sure he will make it!

Your remark about Laurence (always the understudy, never the leading man) really had me thinking. I agree, but still think Laurence could surprise us and he might just make it.

I agree with you on Kwayedza, Harry, Jordan, Joseph and Sam as well.

To me, Jonny is just the biggest "mystery". My opinion of him keeps changing, almost every hour

OMG, I'm over-analysing this thing so much!

That would be 40% proof, would it?

(Hic)

Jonny for me.......he has that star quality...........looks cutie too

Which one is Jonny?

The really cute one, who's pretty expressionless appart from his smile... kinda tall. I think he has freckles...

*fingers crossed for Gareth and Jordan this week*

Scarlet O'Hara, I agree with basically your whole post, especially that regarding Chester. I think Chester is by far the strongest boy there, I can't actually fault him. Amazing voice (Pie Jesu was beautiful) and fantastic dancer, I think he's a dead cert.

More like 70

(And although I'm not quite sure, I guess that was a case of bad bad spelling there? . Well, let me just use my most charming smile and hide behind the fact that English isn't my native language )

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/ga...rs_350x243.jpg

He's the front left

Awww....thanks Holly!!

I know all the boys by sight, but not by names!

Thanks for posting up your thoughts! It's always nice to know that I'm not the only one overanalysing

I basically agree with most of what you said. I'm repeating myself over and over again but I totally agree re Chester. His voice is so... pure (is that the word I'm looking for?), like running water. There's a kind of 'lost' feeling about him, something vulnerable, but at the same time you can totally believe that he has a strong centre, which is what Oliver needs. He's confident, but at the same time seems shy - it's as though he hasn't quite realised just how good he is. I'm firmly Team Chester.

I must say however that I am still quite partial to Alexander. I admit that his "Can you feel..." was probably the worst Sunday-night performances out of all the Olivers, and he did appear to be far more nervous than the others; yet I still feel that he has a good voice - from the time he sang "Where is love" in the auditions, to his one-second solo line in "Teamwork"/"It's a hard knock life", and particularly in "Electricity". There's a refined and careful quality to his singing that I like; quite similar to Laurence in fact. If he is able to hold his tune and nerves when under pressure, I think he'd make a good Oliver.

I also don't think Kwayedza could do Oliver in a million years - the boy's got a fantastic voice, but it's not a boy's voice anymore - it's so much lower than everyone else's. Even his speaking voice is, and unless they transpose it by an octave or something I doubt he can hack "Where is love". He is a natural though (particularly in numbers like "It's a hard knock life") and I hope he gets something good out of this.

I'm resisting the urge to write a mini essay on each of them.

Ashrell provided the picture

Great post - but probably because I agree with you!

I have been keeping my fingers crossed for Chester since the beginning as he is our "local" Oliver and went to same dance class as my niece. However, he has really shone in the Oliver routines and I think he deserves to be picked on merit. Go Chester!

I loved Alex in Electricty, he really stood out for me in that performance

I too want to write a piece on each of them, I've probably already done it if you put all my posts in this thread together though!

My point exactly! I hope he stays that way, it's just so charming

Anyone who wants to write more on each of the Olivers should just go right on and do it. I, for one, have enjoyed reading this thread. I love a good meaty post and it beats some of the conspiracy theorising on other threads.

And besides, Oliver is the titular role. Arguably, this is a much more important and infinitely more difficult thing to get right than choosing Nancy.

Totally agree with you again! Oliver is the star role of the musical!

I do have a question which some of you here might be able to answer: will the boys really take turns playing Oliver? For instance: Monday night boy A plays Oliver, Tuesday boy B, Wednesday afternoon boy C, Wednesday night boy A again and so on? Or is it more random than that? And if so, will we be able to find out which boy will play Oliver when? I don't know how this works in the UK.
I make schedules for performing kids here and it's really difficult, but the rules are very strict here. Kids can only perform three times a week and a total of 24 times a year, so we usually have six kids for one role and need "fresh kids" after 3 months.
The reason I ask is because when I'm coming all the way to London I do want to see every Oliver perform at least once

I'm going to write something on each of them, I can't help it!

Alexander
I like Alex, but he's not one of my favourites. He has a lovely voice, however his nerves caused him to go out of tune in Can You Feel The Love Tonight? and this make me wonder if he could cope with performing on a West End stage. I'm not sure if he could play Oliver.

Arthur
I feel that Arthur was a wasted spot. I feel bad, because he's a real cutie but his voice isn't nearly as good as boys who still haven't got through. He doesn't stand out for me at all, and I actually think he's one of the weakest Olivers.

Chester
I've just commented on Chester in an earlier post, but he really can do no wrong. I think he has the best voice for Oliver, and he's a great dancer. I think he has a real chance of becoming Oliver. He clearly doesn't know how good he is and that makes me like him even more!

Gareth
I like Gareth, he's sweet. He seems to be putting his all into the show and he is a good little singer. However he doesn't stand out to me. I haven't seen enough of him to really make a proper judgement of Gareth though.

Gwion
I think Gwion will be one of the Olivers. He's very cute but if you took away the Welsh accent would he still be so cute? He's has a lovely voice and he seems like a nice lad but I do feel the Welsh-ness is playing a huge part in his popularity.

Harry
I love Harry! He is by far, to me, the strongest actor and he's so charming. He doesn't have the best voice but I agree with most other people, he'd be a fantastic Dodger. He's one of my favourites.

Jonny
Now I think I've made it clear that Jonny is one of my hot favourites! I think he has a brilliant voice and he's starting to look less 'blank' as each performance goes on. I loved him in the Bugsy number and I want him to get the last hat; if he can just work on his facial expressions I think he has the potential to go far.

Jordan
Jordan certainly puts a lot into his performances, unfortunately for me it's a little too much! I find him slightly annoying at times. He seems to be very hard working and just for that I wouldn't mind if he got the last hat, but he isn't too my taste at all.

Joseph
Ah, Joseph. Bless him, he tries so hard. I think it's basically a certainty he won't get through, I feel bad but he does seem to be the weakest there. It's strange because his original audition isn't too bad.

Kwayedza
Absolutely wonderful voice for a boy his age. I remember watching his audition and just thinking 'wow'. However his voice seems to be on the verge of breaking and that's a problem, again he'll be a great Dodger though.

Laurence
Laurence has a great voice, I only really noticed it in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He isn't a great mover though, and I'm finding it hard to warm to him; maybe because I already have my favourites. But his voice really is lovely!

Sam
In 'Electricity' I remember thinking about Sam; 'this kid has a really great voice!' However he hasn't impressed me in any of the following performances. He's adorable, but he seems to blend into the background. He often looks even more blank than Jonny does (did?)!

So that's my take on it, I want Chester, Harry and Jonny as the last three Olivers, however I know I said Harry will be a better Dodger and I don't think Jonny will get it.

I think the final 3 Olivers may well contain Chester, Gwion and then I'm sure about the last one! They're all great!

I'm glad you did! Loved your post and agree with most of it wholeheartedly!

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Jonny.............

Im so glad someone else sees this in him......he has this star quality about him. He's cracking in the group songs and I just cant take my eyes off him. If he is not picked, they will miss out on an up and coming star

Great post Holly Oaks. And I'm glad you decided to put fingers to keyboard! Needless to say, I agree with most of what you say. Except for Jonny, who you know I'm still absolutely undecided about. There's something almost 'troubled' about his facial expression. He looks worried and on a personal level that makes me feel worried for him. And whilst I don't mind feeling sympathy for Oliver, I don't want to feel sympathy for the boy playing him. I want to feel that the boy is having the time of his little life.

I've posted my thoughts on each boy about 20 times already in this thread, so I think I'll refrain until this Saturday. Nice post though Holly Oaks, I can see that all of us posters on this thread (mostly) agree about everything.

OK, to introduce a new topic: which ones are your favourite performances by the Olivers? Here are mine, in order:

1) Electricity - the lyrics were so simple and seem to come straight from the heart; it showed off their vocals well (most of them anyway!). I wish they'd do more of these "straight-singing" performances!

2) Give a Little Love - LOVED the choreography (especially the "la la la" bits!), and the costumes were chic. Again, Bugsy was a great number for young boys without being too childish.

3) I'll Be There - Kwayedza just sounds like a young Michael Jackson, and I really love the lyrics ("I'll be there to comfort you..." "if you should ever find someone new..."). There's something so sweet about these kids singing a love song

4) Teamwork - I really like this. I felt it was a little too young and child-like for some of them though.

5) I Whistle a Happy Tune - song suited them really well. I constantly have this in my head nowadays! Only thing is that I wish they hadn't sung in pairs.

6) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - I thought Laurence was excellent, but I'm afraid Niamh let the boys down and I wish they'd done it with Sarah or maybe Jodie. Choreography great though! (really, I think ALL their choreographed numbers are ace. Well, excepting number 14 which I'll come to shortly...)

7) Together - delightful - they all seem so happy to be with her. Harry's not got the best voice but he can sure act - such a natural. However, I wasn't overly fond of the song.

8) Food Glorious Food - although they never sung individually, it's surprisingly refreshing to look back on this performance and see how much they've come on. The song is very suited to them as well - probably because it comes from Oliver lol.

9) A Whole New World - I don't really care about Arthur much but I thought Chester & Gwion were wonderfully angelic here! All sound so innocent.

10) Bright Eyes - I love this song by Garfunkel and Gwion did well for being the first through singing *entirely* on his own. His tuning was a bit dodgy sometimes though.

11) Pie Jesu - I was worried before he sung because it goes so high but if anyone could have pulled it off, it was Chester. Outstanding. But it's not a song to listen to over and over again and some of the harmonies from the backing boys were a little .

12) It's a Hard Knock Life - some of them did really well here acting-wise (Harry, Jordan, Kwayedza, Chester) but I felt their solo performances were way below par. Plus I hate Annie! Choreography great though.

13) Can You Feel the Love Tonight - ahhh, I feel bad because I like Alex, but this was not great - he was visibly nervous. I don't think the arrangement of the song did him any favours however; it was way too fast for a start. Most of the Olivers in fact looked exhausted here.

14) Breaking Free - well. I'm sorry, they were just so unbearably camp! There was also far too much flesh on show for my comfort lol. The vocals were not great either and as for the choreography/ending pose? Ahhhhh! Still, good effort lads, it was HSM after all...

I think with kids in shows they usually have a provisional schedule drawn up every week so it changes week by week and isn't always reliable. Also it isn't as simple as the boys rotating in order so it will be hard to predict who you will see.
I don't think we have such strict rules over here anymore on how many times a year they can perform as there have been some kids in Billy Elliot who lasted over 2 years in the show!