Lynden Christian High School Drama is pleased to present their winter musical, Annie, directed by Laura Williams-French.
Remaining performances are January 25th, 26th, and 27th at 7:00 pm with a matinee January 27th at 10:00 am in the Worship and Fine Arts Center (WFAC) at LCHS. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students/seniors (62+). Tickets are available exclusively through GoFan.co. Lobby doors open 45 minutes prior to showtime and auditorium doors open 30 minutes prior to the performance – reserved seating only.
Annie tells the story of the little orphan Annie who charms everyone’s hearts despite a next to nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago at a New York City Orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC.
While trying to find her folks, she happens to be in the right place at the right, me and is asked to spend Christmas at the home of billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. On the outset, the man might be a bit stiff-necked but Annie’s optimism warms his heart and makes a huge impact on the successful businessman. Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s machinations and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She finds a new home and family in Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and loveable mutt named Sandy.
This musical was one of the first that director Laura Williams-French saw as a child. It has been a lot of fun bringing this story to life on stage. Many of the students involved remember watching Annie growing up as well. The role of Annie is double cast with Elise Ball (senior) and Megan Englesma (senior) alternating performances playing Annie and one of the featured orphans, Duffy. Oliver Warbucks is played by senior Rushton VanderLeest. Grace Farrell, Oliver’s secretary is played by Kate Krieg (sophomore). Playing the villainous role of Miss Hannigan is Mercedes Young (senior). Miss Hannigan’s scheming brother, Rooster, is played by Fischer Blok (junior) and Rooster’s girlfriend, Lily, is played by Madelyn Lucas. There is a large ensemble of the orphans, servants, and New York City folks who round out the cast. The students have been doing an amazing job diving into these iconic characters.
The show could not have happened without the rest of the production team: Rachel Hutchins, who is the Assistant Director and Choreographer and Heidi Slagle, who is Music Director. Building the world of Annie was also made possible by help from the Technical Director, Mark French and his projection crew of Brandon Korthuis, Andrew Sebens, and Kade Urban who have created all of the background/projections that will be seen in the show. Lights were designed by Mikah Hernes, Gwendolyn Lohrer, and Keira Mutchler.
Annie is all about optimism, hope, and joy even in the darkest of time. We hope you will come away from the show feeling the joy that it has brought to us. We cannot wait for you to come and see Annie at Lynden Christian High School.
