The sun is coming out Saturday, March 4, when Imagine Youth Theater Junior presents the musical “Annie Jr.” at the O’Neal School’s Hannah Center Theater. In a show to delight all ages, IYT Junior’s young actors (ages 8-14) bring you this adaptation from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical “Annie” with a beloved book and score by Tony winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Carnin. Featuring such timeless songs as “Hard Knock Life,” “Little Girls,” “Easy Street” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” this show will leave you dancing.
With pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie, played by West Pine Middle School student Eliana Valencia, charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan, a role deliciously delivered by West Pine Middle’s Kayden Holt. Thomas Garret (a ninth-grader at The O’Neal School) and Kate Greaves (West Pine Middle) join Miss Hannigan as her ex-con brother Rooster and his moll Lily. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan and her henchmen’s evil machinations, finding a new home and family with billionaire Oliver Warbucks (O’Neal School ninth-grader Nik Epstein) and his personal secretary, Grace Farrell (West Pine Middle’s Mary Holmes).
A four-show veteran of Imagine Youth Theater, Holt credits seeing the movie “Annie” as a little girl with her love of musical theater and now relishes playing the villainess Miss Hannigan.
Eliana Valencia as Annie
Gary Taylor Photography
“It’s different from a lot of roles that I’ve played; she’s so much! I get to be so much on the stage.” With Broadway aspirations, Holt has always enjoyed acting and letting her voice soar, but this production has helped her find her inner dancer. She says, “I get to dance a lot, especially with ‘Easy Street.’”
Imagine Youth Theater’s managing director and show director, Jules Latham, was delighted to welcome award-winning choreographer Gary Taylor of Gary Taylor Dance to set the dance numbers for the show. “Gary is expert at creating work for both trained and beginning dancers,” says Latham. “Our actors at all levels of experience gain so much in working with him, and our audience gets the benefit of layered and truly entertaining dance numbers.”
Jordan Cranford, who has previously worked on Imagine Youth Theater Junior’s “The Lion King Jr.,” “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” “The Little Mermaid Jr.” and “Into the Woods Jr.,” returns as music director. Pinecrest High School’s Judy Goetzl and Sandhills Community College’s Brook Dunlap round out the creative team as assistant music director and stage manager, respectively.
“While Kayden is one of the more seasoned actors on stage, a show like ‘Annie’ really allows us to welcome and feature actors with a wide range of experience,” explains Latham. Among the younger actors is Zoë Manning as Molly, who is a third-grader at Connect! Virtual Academy and enjoying her second show with IYT. “I love Molly; she’s so much fun,” laughs Manning.
Smiling at Holt, Manning shares, “It’s great when Molly imitates Miss Hannigan; I get to be the boss for a second.” Exemplifying the camaraderie and teamwork of the show, she beams, “I like Kayden very much.” Like Holt, young Manning eyes a future on the stage, “When you’re on the stage live, anything can happen, and you just have to keep going. It’s so exciting!”
IYT is delighted to announce that the Sandhills Jewish Congregation has underwritten a number of student/child tickets for all performances, reducing the cost to $12 from $18.
Adalie Valencia as Tessie, Eliana Valencia as Annie, and Zoë Manning as Molly
Gary Taylor Photography
“Having community partners who are willing to help us make live, quality children’s theater more affordable for all families is invaluable,”says IYT Executive Director Rita Taylor.
Imagine Youth Theater performs “Annie Jr.” Saturday, March 4, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., at the Hannah Center Theater on the campus of The O’Neal School. Tickets are at www.taylordance.org and www.ticketmesandhills.com.
IYT will be holding auditions (grades 3-12) on March 5 and 7 for its “all-ages” spring show, “Shrek the Musical Jr.,” directed by Kim Fielder-Jones and music directed by Elizabeth Shaver.
For the summer, IYT’s 3-week programs will run July 10 through July 30 between its Pinehurst studio and Owens Auditorium at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center on the campus of Sandhills Community College. Students in rising grade 3 through rising grade 8 can enjoy “The Lion King Jr.” camp from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. IYT’s upper-level students (rising grade 8 through recent high school graduates) will be producing the Broadway hit “Mamma Mia;” their intensive program meets from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Auditions will be June 6 and 7. Both productions will be directed by Kim Fielder-Jones and music directed by Elizabeth Shaver.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Comments that violate any of the rules above are subject to
removal by staff.
Get unlimited digital access and support award-winning local journalism, for just 9.50 +tax a month. This includes access to the electronic replica edition of The Pilot.
Already a Print Subscriber? Get Digital Access Free.
As a print subscriber, you also have unlimited digital access. Connect your account now. Or, call customer service at 910-693-2487 for help.
Our system has been updated, if you are a current print subscriber and cannot obtain your unlimited access, please contact customer support 910-693-2490. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Our best deal: Get all the news of Moore County delivered to your home each Wednesday and Sunday — and receive unlimited digital access to thepilot.com.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Comments that violate any of the rules above are subject to removal by staff.