The show will be held March 24-26 and March 31 and April 1 at Owens Auditorium at Sandhills Community College.
“Annie” celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2007 with a Broadway revival. However, when the pre-Broadway national tour schedule landed the show at Raleigh’s BTI Center for the Performing Arts on March 14–19, the tour pulled STC’s rights to produce the popular musical the following week. Acting with its usual aplomb, the local community theater elected to encourage all its patrons to head for Raleigh in mid-March, and then come back to Owens Auditorium a week later to see “the rest of the story.”
The world’s favorite orphan returns in the sequel with all the ingredients that made “Annie” so successful 30 years ago — with an old-fashioned romance thrown in for good measure. The action picks up right where “Annie” leaves off, when Child Welfare Commissioner Harriet Doyle arrives on the scene to inform Daddy Warbucks he must marry in 60 days so the newly adopted Annie can have a proper mother. Doyle does not, however, approve of the youthful Grace Farrell to fill the role, so the search is on.
“Annie Warbucks” delivers all of the fun, warmth and adventure that made the original an instant classic. A lively, upbeat Charles Strouse score and fast-paced Thomas Meehan and Martin Charnin story make this a fun show for the whole family. If you loved “Annie” you’ll find yourself entranced anew by songs like “Annie Ain’t Just Annie Anymore,” “All Dolled Up,” “Somebody’s Got to Do Something” and Annie’s heartfelt “I Always Knew.”
Cast in the leads are Sandhills Theatre Company veteran David Frump as Daddy Warbucks and Suzanne Soboeiro as Annie. Harriet Doyle is portrayed by Sarah Edwards, with Connie Young as her conniving daughter.
Other principal roles are filled by Melissa Smith as Grace Farrell and Kala Flittner, Zac Landolt and Jasmine Henderson as the Paterson family. Whit Gibson plays Franklin Roosevelt and Randy Rime is Warbucks’ lawyer, Simon Whitehead. Ova Jean Siemans is Warbucks’ housekeeper, Mrs. Pugh, and Marvin Hanson is the butler, Drake.
Michael Richard is Annie’s dog, Sandy. The orphans are Danielle Cormier, Katie Devore, Mackenzie Melton, Sarah Price, Jessica Richard, Katelyn Richard, and Nneka Taylor. Chorus members are Brittney Davis, Cindy Devore, Gordon Dozier, Lucy DiGioachino-Price, Tammie Gibson, Rick Jacobs, Barbara Mark, Marty Rasmus, and Michael Soboeiro.
Sandra Epperson directs the talented cast, with choreography by Carmen Wiggins Jones, vocal direction and musical direction by Yvonne Haskins. “Annie Warbucks” is sponsored by H & H Constructors, Wachovia Securities — Menendez and Ritter, LLC, and Sandhills Community College.
The show will run for five performances with evening performances on Friday and Saturday and a matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $18 for adults and $9 for students, except at the Sunday matinee on March 26, with tickets priced at $15 and $7.
Dates and times are March 24, 25 at 8 p.m., March 26 at 2:30 p.m., March 31 and April 1, at 8 pm at Owens Auditorium at the Sandhills Community College. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Theatre Company box office at 910-690-9069.
