Part of the family

OLIVER! This production of the Lionel Bart musical finds Dickens’s sense of hope and love in the midst of degradation and despair, and energizes the story with a terrific vocal ensemble of children and adults. Pictured: Charlie Clinton as Oliver Twist, Jeffrey Sewell as Dodger, and Caroline Workman as Bet. Through Feb. 24. Wheelock Family Theatre. 617-879-2300, www.wheelockfamilytheatre.org Terry Byrne