Monday, March 18, 2024

Middle and elementary students to present the musical, Annie Juni

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Students from Icicle River Middle School and Osborn Elementary School have come together to present the musical, Annie Junior. Cascade School Drama Director Mandi Wickline, said this is an hour-long version of the musical, Annie. 

“The movie Annie, which came out in 1982, is very different from the Broadway production. The music is mostly the same, but a lot of the staging is quite different,” Wickline said. “This is designed for younger actors. It still has a lot of the musical numbers. It focuses on telling the basics of the story. There’s a lot of tunes and music that was cut. Whatever is in there is just meant to drive the story forward.”

It’s a fairy tale, rags-to-riches story, which people identify with, Wickline said. 

“There is something really universal about Annie. Her positivity really appeals to people. I think it’s telling the story with sincerity that’s really going to be a neat thing about the production,” Wickline said. 

Certainly, the casting of Annie was very important, but more difficult, was the casting of the adult characters, which all very instrumental to the story. Daddy Warbucks is challenge to cast, she said, because he needs to be very mature, fatherly. 

“How do you bring that out of a seventh or eighth grader? Fortunately, we had enough interest in the show that we found the right people for the right parts,” she said. “Casting the adult roles was more of a challenge. I knew we would find our Annie. You go into these without any preconceived notions of who would be the perfect person for this role. A lot of times in auditions we’re surprised by the talent and the energy of the kids.”

When auditioning, Wickline said having a great singing voice and acting chops is not always the most important. She looks for spirit. 

“If, in my gut, the actor has the right energy and spirit for the role...it always helps if they have a nice voice or are a natural actor. Enthusiasm is a huge part. Commitment is a big part. If I know I can count on a kid to be there, that’s huge,” Wickline said. 

There are 37 kids in the cast. Wickline said she has worked with some before, but many are new to the theater program, which is exciting. She’s seen a lot of dedication, which is important, because they had only 4 and a half weeks to put the show together, which is about a month less than for high school shows. 

That means everything is hyper-speed. 

“Really nice audition turnout. Pretty good follow through. Harper Robbins is our Annie. She’s a fourth grader. We’re not going traditional Annie with the red curly hair. Sandy is played by Dylan Munly, who is a fifth grader. They are just sweet kids. Originally, I wasn’t thrilled with a human playing the dog, but Lindsay Camp convinced me,” Wickline said. 

As always, Ted Fredericks is the co-director. Lindsay and Gracie Camp are assistant-directors. Musical Direction is by Jennifer Sidebottom. Costumes by Barbara Roberts. Stage Management by Tagen Mathews and Kelsea Turner. Seventh Grader Carly Ostrem is the assistant choreographer. 

“Carly Ostrem has been in shows with us before. She’s been in dance for year with Briar (Hoper.) She’s been involved with Stage Kids in Wenatchee. She is Lily in the show as well as being a dance captain and choreographer,” Wickline said. 

Daddy Warbucks is being played by Isaac Tveten. His two little sisters are also in the show. Landon Davies is playing Rooster. The show is set in 1933, so they’ve been pulling stuff from antique stores and thrift shops. 

Putting on a period show takes an extra level of dedication on the part of the production teams to create the mansion, orphanage, even a radio station, she said.  

“You have to keep the atmosphere and time period in mind all the time. It’s a lot of fun music that people will recognize. The kids are just darling. These kids have memorized their lines and music so well,” she said. Wickline believes the opening number is show stopper. 

“If the audience isn’t crying by the end of the first song, there is something wrong,” Wickline said. “The big chorus numbers with a lot of middle school kids, they’re just so engaged in every musical number and every line. How could you not get sucked into the performance? I’m excited to show that to the public.”

Annie Junior opens at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Cascade High School. It runs at the same time and location on Friday and Saturday. Tickets at the door $10 for adults, $5 for students with ASB and senior citizens, and $3 for children under 12.

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

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