It’s Thanksgiving week!!! When searching for an appropriate Sunday Showstopper Snippet, I first explored the turkey-day specific references (“Turkey-Lurkey Time,” “Plenty to be Thankful For”), then jumped over the the cooking and food category (“What Baking Can Do,” “Be Our Guest,” even “A Little Priest”), but then landed on something even MORE appropriate for this upcoming day of “Thanks” and “Giving.”
The beloved musical, Oliver!, is based on Dickens’ classic novel, Oliver Twist, which takes us into the dark and desperate lives of orphan children. With a brilliant Tony-winning score by Lionel Bart, Oliver! has produced a string of classic theatre songs – “Food, Glorious Food,” “As Long As He Needs Me,” “Oom-Pah-Pah,” “Who Will Buy,” and, today’s selection, “Where Is Love.”
This snippet come from the Academy Award winning (6, to be exact, including “Best Picture” of 1968) film, and features Mark Lester, as Oliver (singing dubbed by Kathe Green).
Let this song move you, as it always does me, and remind us of all of the simple things that so many of us should be thankful for, that so many others only dream of – a roof over our heads, three hot meals a day, clean clothing, safety, love … Consider volunteering your time or donating food and funds to a local organization that helps the homeless; prepare a basket of food and deliver it to a neighbor in need. Write to your members of Congress and encourage them to not only protect, but expand the school meal programs to feed the 1 in 5, yes, 1 in 5 American children who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. And don’t just do it this week – children are in need 52 weeks out of the year.
There are many local and state-wide organizations that can guide your service and donations. A reputable national organization is The Salvation Army.
