July 26, 27, August 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 2014
Leapin' Lizards!The popular comic strip heroine took center stage in one of the world's best-loved musicals.
With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie (Jasmine Harrick and Sophi Walters shared the role) charmed everyone's hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan (Cheryl Phillips).
With the help of the other girls (fourteen young women in all) in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous and magical world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations and befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Brian Lindvall). She finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Chris Shea), his personal secretary Grace Farrell (Marine Madesclaire), and a lovable mutt named Sandy (Panda Warden).
Stewart Shusterman (with help from his wife Julie) made innovative use of custom built cedar crates which transformed from beds in the orphanage, to a homeless camp, to furniture in the Warbucks mansion, to desks in the Roosevelt cabinet room. They even were stacked to become the Manhattan skyline.
The number of young female dancers as orphans gave Guy Caridi incredible flexibility in his choreography with the opening scene in the orphanage being an extremely strong dance and singing number.
The Players were fortunate enough to have our Cinderella from 1983 Dawn Brazel come back as the music director.
The production was also blessed with unbelievably great weather. Every performance except one was performed in sunshine and the one odd-ball was only partly cloudy.
Annie was the 100th production put on at the Kitsap Forest Theaters by the Mountaineer Players.
Annie is based on Harold Gray's "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip. Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin.
Director: Craig Schieber; Choreographer: Guy Caridi; Music Director: Dawn Brazel; Costumer: Barbara Klingberg; Set Designer: Stewart Shusterman; Props: Julie Shusterman: Accompanist: Greg Smith; Stage Manager: Renee Cyr; Producer: Gala Lindvall