Sing Hosanna! is celebrating 36 years and will present the musical “Oliver!” later this month at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College.

For Don Hixon of Forward Township, the show is a family affair as he and his four oldest children are in the cast.

Hixon plays the menacing Bill Sykes.

“It has been a little tough to be scary and mean as I generally like to have fun,” said Hixon, who last appeared as Kerchek in “Tarzan” with Sing Hosanna! this past fall.

“I have really enjoyed working with my children in the show. I am very proud of my kids and their hard work and focus,” Hixon said.

His son, Trey, will be playing the title role of Oliver.

The 10-year-old Evans City Middle School fifth-grader is no stranger to the stage. He’s been in several Sing Hosanna! productions.

He said the similarities between him and his character are his strengths.

“I am a young boy, and so is my character. I have a lot of energy and I enjoy getting to run all around in many of the scenes when I am on stage,” Trey said.

He last took the stage as Legs Ruby in “Give My Regards to Broadway” in the summer of 2014, also with the Sing Hosanna! group.

The experience has been a lot of fun because of working with family, he said.

“It is neat seeing my dad in the rehearsals, and I think it is quite funny that he is the villain and I am the hero,” Trey said.

The role of Fagin, the charming old man who teaches the kids to steal for him, will be played by Matt Nocera of Butler.

A chemistry teacher by trade, Nocera thinks that will be the strength he lends to this role.

“I’d like to think it is my interactions with children in real life. Then, it comes natural to me when I’m on stage acting with the children through the show,” Nocera said.

The challenge of the role is most likely the age of the character.

“This is my first role as an older man. I really had to learn how to perfect some of the mannerisms,” he said.

He also noted the accent is a new thing he is trying to master for this show.

Because of the nature of Fagin’s role and the length of his songs, Nocera has spent a lot of time concentrating on the CD of the musical, he said. He last appeared as Terk in “Tarzan.”

Another father/son duo and former “Tarzan” castmates taking the stage are Nathan and Camden Rockcastle of Butler Township.

Nathan will play Mr. Bumble and his son Camden will portray the Artful Dodger.

“He is a thief and a liar and a good pickpocket,” Camden said.

Camden is 11 and in sixth grade at Butler Catholic School. He played Oliver in his school production of the show.

The role of Nancy will be played by Alisha Stephenson of Butler. “She is one of Fagin’s older apprentice pickpockets. She is also a sort of mother figure to all of the kid pickpockets as well,” said Stephenson.

She loves belting out vocals, she said, and that is what this role calls for.

“I am learning that I am capable of a lot more than I thought I could do with choreography. I am also learning how to hone my emotions through my acting,” she said of how this experience is stretching her acting ability.

Dale Riemer of Jefferson Township will reprise the role of Mrs. Sowerberry, the overbearing wife of the funeral parlor director she portrayed for Sing Hosanna! in 2010.

She said she brings humor to character.

“The ability to laugh at myself has allowed me to play these comic relief parts with some success,” Riemer said.

The show is being directed by Ralph Christy Jr. and will feature a sizable cast of veteran and novice actors.