Lucas Cusick, 10, the boy soprano who has the title role in Army Community Theatre's "Oliver!" opening Thursday, is accustomed to being part of the audience.

"When I was little, my mom was a director, and I always saw some of her plays back home," said Lucas, a fifth-grader at Le Jardin Academy in Kailua. "I loved watching the shows; I don't think any of this (acting) would have happened to me in England ... so I'm happy to be here."

In the spotlight.

"It's really fun being up there on stage," he said. "I used to get nervous ... until about four months ago."

His mother, director Annie Wood Cusick, is amazed at her son's evolution as an actor. "Theater has made Lucas come out of his shell," she said. "I can't believe the transformation. It's the first time for me, as a parent, to see what theater is doing for kids."

Then again, it's in Lucas' genes. Dad is Henry Ian Cusick, an Emmy nominee who plays Desmond Hume on ABC's Hawai'i-based "Lost" series; he takes turns with his wife shuttling Lucas to and from rehearsals and performances.

Chances are Dad's colleagues from "Lost" will be in the audience some nights at Richardson Theatre to check out how the Cusick family show-biz pedigree is evolving.

Turns out Lucas also is focusing on singing.

"I'm in the Honolulu Boy Choir, too, but I'm on leave now because of 'Oliver!' " he said in a British accent suitable for the part.

His enthusiasm for the stage is supreme — he gets to sing, act and be somebody he's not.

"I get to sing songs like 'Where Is Love' — my favorite," he said.

He also loves "Bleeding Love" — that's the hit by Brit singer Leona Lewis — a revelation he's made in a blog on the Internet.

At Le Jardin, Lucas said he's just like any other kid. "The kids treat me the same; some think it's cool that my dad is on 'Lost,' and it would be cool to act on the show, too," he said. "I don't know, I haven't been asked. But the show's running for two more years."

He is the middle brother of a musical threesome. Eli, the eldest at 14, plays drums and will attend Punahou School this fall; Esau, the youngest at 8, plays drums and also attends Le Jardin.

So is a Jonas Brothers-like musical combo a possibility?

"I don't know. We'll see," said Lucas, who claims "my voice is my instrument." (He doesn't play a musical instrument.)

He loves living in the Islands, with easy access to the beach in Kailua. It's a marked contrast to the cooler climes of Britain, where the family lived.

"Life here is great; the air is more fresh," Lucas said. "There are palm trees; and the beaches are nice. I like art, I like painting; I love painting the blue skies."

He said he saw the film version of "Oliver!" and while rehearsing and fleshing out the character, he's discovered some similarities in traits.

"He's a bit like me. Quiet. Shy. But brave," Lucas said. "If he were here now, he would be a friend."

Lucas was in the chorus of a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical. There's no comparison with "Oliver!," he allowed, "since this is a lead (role)."

He pretty much had his lines and songs under control last week and was looking forward to choreographed fight scenes, which had not yet been rehearsed.

But he's a tad bitten by celebrity. "My classmates saw me (his photo) in the paper and three of them said they'll come to see me," said Lucas, a note of glee in his voice.