Applause Children’s Theater to perform ‘Annie Jr.’ in May
Left: Sofia Nino, Ben Hasch, right: Coral Manni Graves, Louis Wallace.
Eighty young actors bring the classic story of Annie to stage
– Applause Children’s Theater will perform Annie Jr., based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning best musical by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin.
The production, directed and choreographed by Vikky Mullin, celebrates Applause Children’s Theater’s 10th year bringing Broadway-level productions to the Central Coast. Eighty young performers will take the stage. Daddy Warbucks, played by Ben Hash and Louis Wallace, portray the character with a maturity beyond their years, while Annie, played by Sofia Nino and Coral Manni-Graves, performs the iconic song “Tomorrow.” Music director Joshua Tarcia has prepared the young cast to perform at a level comparable to adult theater, and Diane Morris designed the costumes.
Left: Lilly St. Regis, Rooster, Miss Hannigan (Wanda Kennard, Gabe Konopa, Kiara Barnes). Right: Lilly St. Regis, Rooster, Miss Hannigan ( Lilly Denton, Journey Minikin, Zoey Torres).
Applause Children’s Theater recently earned the Silver Title of Best Live Theater in the Best of the Central Coast awards, along with being named Best Summer Camp and Best Nonprofit.
Annie Jr. follows the story of an orphan named Annie, who lives a “hard-knock life” at the New York City Municipal Orphanage, run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie dreams of being reunited with her parents and takes action to find them. Along the way, she foils Miss Hannigan’s schemes, befriends President Franklin Roosevelt, and finds a new family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable dog named Sandy.
Orphans.
Performances are scheduled Thursday and Friday, May 7 and 8, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 9, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 for general admission and $15 for children. There is no dress code, but the cast reminds audiences that they are “never fully dressed without a smile.”
