Broadway favorite gets retold in ‘junior’ production

Sunday, 21 March 2010 23:00

The more than 90 cast, crew and orchestra members in the Saxe Middle School seventh and eighth grade production of “Annie Jr.” are preparing for opening night, holding dress rehearsals featuring all the different elements of production.

Based on the Broadway favorite, “Annie Jr.” recounts the adventures of a spunky Depression-era orphan (Annie) determined to find her parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage. Among the many familiar musical numbers are “Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” and “Tomorrow.”

Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25, and Friday, March 26; and 2 p.m. Saturday, March 27. Tickets are $10.

The box office at Saxe Middle School will be open one hour before each show and on March 22-24 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 7 to 6 p.m. E-mail Lee Ann Mistretta, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , for ticket information.

Megan Mistretta will take the title role in performances on March 26 and 27. Nancy Leville plays Annie on March 25.

Other leads include Emily Chalon as Miss Hannigan; Deven Appel as billionaire Oliver Warbucks; Rachel Guth as Grace Farrell, and George Herde as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Jazmine, a Wheaton terrier, joins the cast as Annie’s dog Sandy.

The production team includes director Lauren Sherwood, choreographer Ted Thomas and stage manager Matt Blank. Saxe faculty members Janet Rosen and Maggie Pennoyer are serving as orchestra director and production designer, respectively. New Canaan High School faculty member David Gomez is musical director.

“The most fun part of doing the show is seeing how it all comes together in the end,” said eighth grader Rachel Guth. “Seeing how all the rehearsals and all the hard work you put in become something amazing.”

The No. 1 objective of the musical, according to Alan Sneath, director of Visual and Performing Arts for New Canaan Public Schools, “is for everyone to have a great experience with the theatre.”

“The reason we have the pros come in is to give the kids the fundamentals, the foundation,” Sneath said. “They’re learning stagecraft, stage direction, how to project their voices, how to take on a character and develop it, how to stay in character. They’re learning the discipline of being in a show. No matter what your part is, you’re an integral part of the show. It’s a team concept.”

The “junior” version of “Annie” was selected, a press release said, because the vocal range is well suited to middle school performers. Past Saxe performances included “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Footloose” and “Oklahoma!”

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