In the stage production of the musical Oliver!, The Artful Dodger is a pickpocket who leads a gang of child criminals. In real life, Alberta Robinet, who plays The Artful Dodger in the upcoming Huntsville Festival of the Arts and Rotary Club of Huntsville joint production of Oliver! at the Algonquin Theatre, is a wonderful woman who decided to give back as she transforms herself into her character.
The musical opens on April 13 and Robinet’s long locks didn’t fit with The Artful Dodger’s look. So off they came at The Hudson Hair Salon on April 3.
Robinet decided to donate her hair to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Pantene Beautiful Lengths program which uses donated hair to create wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments.
“I’m feeling good,” said Robinet after having her hair cut, adding, “It’s a lot. It’s kind of like (losing) a security blanket. But I think it will be fun.”
She said she wanted to donate her hair because she has had many people in her life affected by cancer and has volunteered at Camp Oochigeas, a summer camp that serves kids with cancer. “I was excited to donate, to give back in some small way,” said Robinet.
She’s excited, too, for her upcoming role. “I’m excited to have an audience, I’m excited to be in costume this week on stage (for rehearsals). It’s been really fun so far and I can’t wait for the next steps. It will be really good.”
Oliver! director Mallary Duncan was there for Robinet’s transformation and said that the Oliver! rehearsals are going “amazingly well. It’s really starting to take shape… (The cast) looks incredible. They are so together. I feel almost unnervingly relaxed about it all. It really feels smooth.”
The band, headed up by Neil Barlow, is wonderful, too, said Duncan. “They just waltzed in and changed all our lives. And the cast took to it, which is a rarity to see a seamless transition from tracks or rehearsal piano into a full orchestration. It makes my job easy.”
If you’re not familiar with the story, here’s what you can expect: “It’s a really polarizing show. You feel elated and happy because the songs are written that way but at the same time it’s quite a sad and dark story,” said Duncan. “I think it pulls at your heart in all the right ways.”
And she’s delighted that the cast and production crew have embraced her vision for the show. “It is what I was thinking except so much more and it’s all to the credit of the team.”
Oliver! plays at the Algonquin Theatre with evening performances on April 13, 14, 20 and 21, and matinees on April 15 and April 22. Tickets are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office or online here.
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