As the days slowly lighten into spring, a spirited group of sixth- through eighth-graders are spending their weeknights singing about the sunrise and tomorrow and a cute little orphan named Annie. And you’ll get a chance to hear them when Windmill Productions and The Holland Theatre present Annie Jr. later this month.
This production features 38 young people representing eight school districts from three counties plus homeschool students. And director Laura Atwood couldn’t be happier with the turnout.
“We had so many people graduate out (last year), and we were worried about not having enough,” Atwood said, “but we had plenty show up for auditions.”
Of the 38 participants, only about nine are returning actors; the rest are new to Holland productions.
Tuesday night’s rehearsal included words of encouragement and guidance from two former Windmill stars who have now joined the stage crew—Maria Stolly and Tyler Barnes.
“Act like this is real life and you don’t know what’s coming next,” Stolly advised.
Barnes added, “Smile a lot. Be expressive or people won’t get your energy.”
Though they have a large cast and full crew, Atwood and her assistant director, Jessica Simmons, decided to take on an additional challenge. They brought in a cute little Goldendoodle named “Sally” to play Annie’s mutt, Sandy.
“We’ve never used a real dog before,” Atwood said.
Sally belongs to the family of West Liberty-Salem eighth-grader Jill Fullenkamp, who plays a servant in the musical.
“Jill brought Sally in and we were impressed. She handles commands well,” the director said.
For choreographer Suzanne Dennis, having a dog in the cast has been one of her favorite parts of the production. She added, “The cast is working hard. I think the audience will enjoy the show.”
You have three opportunities to see Annie Jr. at the Holland—Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18, at 2 or 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at thehollandtheatre.org or at the box office.
The show will open with two performances for local school students — Thursday, Feb. 16, at 9 a.m., which is already sold out, and again at noon.