Opening night for “Oliver!” was a hit with the audience, receiving a standing ovation and whistles and cheers.

Chris Tinkler, who directed the Tryon Little Theater show, said he was pleased too.

“I had a great group of talented people to work with,” he said, “not only the brilliant actors – both adults and kids – but all the people behind the scenes. Everything has come together so well, especially considering half the cast and crew have been sick. Everyone’s pulled together to make this show really special.

“There’s the backstage crew led by Rebecca Davis; the set and lighting designer Richard Sharkey; the construction and paint crew too many to mention; costumes by Carol Browning and her dedicated seamstresses; the musicians; choreographer Vivian Cuddihee; props; sound crew; make-up artists—it takes a small army to pull this off, and they did a great job,” said Tinkler.

There are three more chances to see TLT’s “Oliver!” The show runs again Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. at the Tryon Fine Arts Center. Box office hours are 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Tryon Little Theater Workshop, 516 South Trade St.

Call 828-859-2466 for more information, or visit the web site at www.tltinfo.org. Tickets will also be available at the door an hour before the show if the show has not sold out.

The cast and crew of “Oliver!” are also sponsoring a food drive to benefit the Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry and Landrum United Methodist Church Food Pantry. TLT is collecting non-perishable food items up until Saturday, Feb. 19 ending at 1 p.m.