n Staff Report
The feisty orphan who audiences still love today – more than 80 years after she first debuted as a New York Daily News comic strip – will take center stage at South Valley Civic Theatre’s production of “Annie.” The show opens tomorrow and runs through June 10.
The 60-member cast ranges widely in age, the youngest being about 7 and the oldest about 70, said Larry Tom, who produced the show along with Stephen Porter.
“It’s a really diverse group. There’s a mixture of experienced theatrical types with people who are relatively new,” Tom said. “Both bring an enticing energy to the show.”
The story follows Annie, an orphan determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. In a series of fun-filled adventures, Annie and her fellow orphans foil Miss Hannigan’s spiteful plots.
In the meantime, the redheaded fireball befriends President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and finds a new family and home with billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.
With its upbeat ending and well-known musical score, “Annie” has won several Tony Awards and has been performed internationally. Rehearsals for South Valley Civic Theatre’s production began near the end of March, Tom said. Cast members are mostly from Gilroy and Morgan Hill, with some from Hollister and San Jose.
The show is directed by Colleen Chipman, with music director James Chipman and choreographer Kat Hepner. Macy Hanson plays Annie, JoAnna Evans is Miss Hannigan, Tami Piper is Grace, Alan Chipman is Warbucks, Tom Hepner is Rooster and Joy Reynolds is Lily. The show is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International in New York.
