Paul, an eighth-grader at St. Lucy's, was cast in his first show at age 9.

"I like to sing, and my voice teacher recommended the theater," he says. "I liked it."

Playing the Artful Dodger requires a triple-threat performer who can act and dance as well as sing.

"Singing is my strong suit," Paul says. "I've been acting for awhile, and it's not the hardest thing to do. I'm not the best dancer, but I started taking dance lessons a year ago, and they've helped a lot."

The young performer enjoys "Consider Yourself," his solo number in the show.

"I already knew the song before I auditioned, so I already knew how to sing it," he says.

Nor did he have any trouble mastering his character's Cockney speech.

"It's really easy for me to mimic accents," he says.

Paul has been in Oliver! before, playing an orphan in a production by Children's Musical Theater San Jose. He says the biggest differences between production companies are the size of the stage and the size of the cast.

At CMT, he adds, "the stage is bigger, and there are 200 people in the show. At WVLO, the stage is about three-fourths the size, and there are only about 30 people in the cast."

Paul has played the title roles in the light opera's productions of The Who's Tommy and Pinocchio. While he plans to continue performing in community theater into adulthood, he says he doesn't plan to make a career in the theater.

He is, however, trying to branch out into voiceover work. Car shoppers may soon hear his recorded voice over a dealership's phone.

"I just auditioned for a Capitol Honda on-hold commercial," Paul says.

"Oliver!" runs through Dec. 3 at the Saratoga Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga. Tickets are $22-$24. For more information, call 408.268.3777 or visit www.wvlo.org.