Inspired by James Whitcomb Riley's 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie," the comic strip of the same name (minus the "t") that began in 1924—as Little Orphan Otto, then morphed back to Annie—in turn became an iconic figure of American chutzpah.
The hit musical, which debuted on Broadway in 1977, made a star of unknown child actress Andrea McArdle, and then of a young child actress named Sarah Jessica Parker.
The play went on to win 11 Tony Awards and has since enjoyed a Broadway revival, a national tour and a 1982 film version directed by John Houston. It starred, among others, Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking and Tim Curry.
St. Thomas Playhouse will reprise the beloved musical Thursday, March 8, through Sunday, March 11, at nexStage Theatre. If orphans turn you into a ball of mush you won't want to forego the pleasure of seeing two (count 'em, two) casts of orphans battle against nemesis Miss Hannigan (Cherie Kessler) and her cohorts Lily (Michelle Jefferson) and Rooster (Scott Creighton).
With her curly red hair, red dress and omnipresent dog, Sandy, Annie has been abandoned by the parents she hopes will "maybe" return for her. In the meantime, she lives with other incredibly adorable orphans under the mendacious hand of Miss Hannigan until she is taken in by Daddy Warbucks, an archetypal capitalist of seemingly unlimited wealth and influence. Ah, the good old days.
The Annies are played in successive shows by a couple of M&Ms, Megan Morell and Maddie Miller. Each comes with her own coterie of orphans.
Other lead players are Tim Eagan as Daddy Warbucks, Cheryl Morrell as Grace Ferrell, Warbuck's secretary, as well as appearances by Lenny Joseph, Page Klune and Mac Harbaugh.
Singer Cheryl Morrell has appeared in many shows in the valley, most recently with Laughing Stock Theatre Co.'s production of "Carousel." This time, however, the show has a different aspect. Her daughter, Megan, plays one of the two Annies.
"It's really why I chose to do it," she said. "It's not every day you get to be on stage with your kids. We're creating a memory. I was watching her sing, and I started to cry. She's my baby. They're both really talented little girls. It's really fun. The neat thing about it is they've developed a friendship. They're very supportive of each other. It's been a wonderful experience. And Tim is great with the kids, and he's got Warbucks' commanding side down. Yet, there's that soft side."
Directed by Anna Johnson, with costumes by Michelle Jefferson and scenic design by Joseph Lavigne, the show is, according to Johnson, a "PC version."
"There are 101 people in the cast total. For such a big cast it's probably the easiest of such a size I've worked with," Johnson said. "We're really lucky to have really strong principal cast and really strong singers. Even when they're not on they are all watching and enjoying. My daughter is coming. She's two and a half. We've edited out a lot of the violence.
"I was surprised when I read the script. So in this there's no spanking, no Punjab (an native of India who first appeared in the strip 1935) although we are raffling off a Punjab 1982 doll that we found on eBay. We have a raffle every show."
Among the special surprises are the appearances of Mayor John Thorsen as a politician and Bishop Craig Anderson as FDR.
"He is awesome," Johnson said. "His wife, Liz, is in it, too. There are two casts. I love them both equally. So talented.
"We have kindergartners Noelle Weaver, Hayley Allen, Abigail Widell, Cristine DuFur and Fallon Flaherty in Megan's cast, and in Maddie's cast our littlest are Amelia Browne and Kinley Miller."
Megan Morrell is a veteran herself, in 2002 she debuted in Laughing Stock's "A Sound of Music" at nexStage as Captain Von Trapp's youngest daughter.
"It's so much fun, I don't want opening night to come because I don't want it to end," she said. "Acting with mom is so much fun. It kind of feels like home."
Johnson is effusive about all her cast but she reserves her outright giggles for one bit in particular.
"The trio—Cherie Kessler, Scott Creighton and Michelle Jefferson—is worth seeing just for them. They have their own comedy act. Cheryl Morrell and Tim Eagan are wonderful together. He decided to shave his head on his own. His daughter, Gracie, plays one of the main orphans in Megan's cast, and his stepdaughter, Marie Hoopes, is in Maddie's cast. There are a lot of parents participating with their kids. It's a very positive thing.
"Every few years you have to do Annie again. There's always another group of girls who want to be in it. Now we're lucky enough to do it," Johnson said. "Sara Gorby just had a baby, but she helped a lot with pre-production. We keep telling our little girls that one-day it will be them."
Among the catchy tunes that are sung in "Annie" are "Maybe," "It's the Hard Knock Life," "Tomorrow," "Easy Street" and "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile."
The opening night fundraiser will benefit the H. Edward Bilkey Memorial Fund, which was established to underwrite scholarships for children attending St. Thomas Playhouse's Company B Summer camp and for future theatrical productions.
There will be catering by Planet Janet, refreshments and wine. Maddie Miller and her cast will take the stage on March 8, 10, at 6:30 p.m. and March 11 at 1 p.m. while Megan Morell and her cast are up March 9 and 11 at 6:30 p.m. and March 10 at 1 p.m.
"Annie" presented by St. Thomas Playhouse
· 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, opening night party. Tickets $100 adult, $25 child.
· 6:30 p.m. March 9, 10, 11 and additional matinee performances at 1 p.m. March 10 and 11. Tickets $19 adults, $12.
· Tickets are available at Iconoclast Books in Ketchum and Hailey or St. Thomas 726-5349 ext. 13.
Photo by Sharon Barto
It?s a hard knock life for Abby Chase (Molly), Cherie Kessler (Miss Hannigan), Megan Morrell (Annie) and Alberta Jefferson (Kate).
