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PITTSBURG —
An orphan girl with curly red hair brightens the dismal days of the Depression and brings joy to the heart of a lonely old billionaire in the hit musical “Annie.”
St. Mary’s Colgan Drama Department tackles the show with impressive results at 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the SMC auditorium.
Zoey Battaglia, as Annie, does a fine job with the vocals and acting. The girl, who clings to the hope that her parents will come back for her, keeps trying to escape the orphanage.
She’s got every reason to want out, because the place is pretty much like the house of horrors where Oliver Twist hung out before he escaped. Ciara Sanchez shines as Miss Hannigan, the drunken, child-hating manager of the orphanage.
Annie finally gets a break when Grace Farrell, secretary of billionaire Oliver Warbucks, shows up. She wants to find an orphan to spend the Christmas holiday at the Warbucks mansion, and selects Annie.
When the red-head meets the billionaire, played by Ben Cortes, it’s a match made in heaven. He learns that there’s something more important than his wealth, and Annie finds a loving father figure. But there’s just one complication — Annie still hopes that her real parents will come for her.
Warbucks puts the FBI on the case, and, a diehard Republican, even makes friends with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an effort to solve the problems of the Depression and find Annie’s folks. David Krall plays both FDR and radio announcer Bert Healy.
Warbucks puts up a $50,000 reward to anyone who can prove they are Annie’s parents, which brings an army of frauds knocking at his door. One couple almost pulls it off — Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan’s larcenous brother played by A.J. Dellasega, and his floozy girlfriend played by Kelly Smith. Their scene “Easy Street” is a show-stopper.
The cast also includes Mia Battaglia, Lily Graham, Ainsley Balthazar, Jayden Allen, Libby Vogel, Annie Snow, Ryan Higginbotham, Victoria Yartz, Cassandra Ngo, Mary Farmer, Rachel Krall, Hannah Gouvion, Josh Adamson, Abigail Spachek, Jake Drenick, Tanner Cronister, Jesse Green Liz Hayes, Kourtney Endicott, Alyssa Patterson, Emily Sanders in a brief but striking scene as a show biz hopeful arriving in New York, Abby Normand, Asher Lauderdale, Devin Kuhel and Thomas Spachek.
Other chorus members include Megan Spiers, Marlea Tierney, Violet Norman, Meg Norman, Mary Gouvion, Gracee Dunlavy, Lesly Bocanegra, Rebekah Gouvion, Cathy Farmer, Brittany Parrish, Shelby Normand and Victoria Yartz.
Alice Hilt is director, with Tanner Cronister as stage manager. It’s a family friendly show rated G. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens and free to SMC junior high and high school students. However, SMC students must obtain a ticket because seating is limited.
An orphan girl with curly red hair brightens the dismal days of the Depression and brings joy to the heart of a lonely old billionaire in the hit musical “Annie.”
St. Mary’s Colgan Drama Department tackles the show with impressive results at 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the SMC auditorium.
Zoey Battaglia, as Annie, does a fine job with the vocals and acting. The girl, who clings to the hope that her parents will come back for her, keeps trying to escape the orphanage.
She’s got every reason to want out, because the place is pretty much like the house of horrors where Oliver Twist hung out before he escaped. Ciara Sanchez shines as Miss Hannigan, the drunken, child-hating manager of the orphanage.
Annie finally gets a break when Grace Farrell, secretary of billionaire Oliver Warbucks, shows up. She wants to find an orphan to spend the Christmas holiday at the Warbucks mansion, and selects Annie.
When the red-head meets the billionaire, played by Ben Cortes, it’s a match made in heaven. He learns that there’s something more important than his wealth, and Annie finds a loving father figure. But there’s just one complication — Annie still hopes that her real parents will come for her.
Warbucks puts the FBI on the case, and, a diehard Republican, even makes friends with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an effort to solve the problems of the Depression and find Annie’s folks. David Krall plays both FDR and radio announcer Bert Healy.
Warbucks puts up a $50,000 reward to anyone who can prove they are Annie’s parents, which brings an army of frauds knocking at his door. One couple almost pulls it off — Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan’s larcenous brother played by A.J. Dellasega, and his floozy girlfriend played by Kelly Smith. Their scene “Easy Street” is a show-stopper.
The cast also includes Mia Battaglia, Lily Graham, Ainsley Balthazar, Jayden Allen, Libby Vogel, Annie Snow, Ryan Higginbotham, Victoria Yartz, Cassandra Ngo, Mary Farmer, Rachel Krall, Hannah Gouvion, Josh Adamson, Abigail Spachek, Jake Drenick, Tanner Cronister, Jesse Green Liz Hayes, Kourtney Endicott, Alyssa Patterson, Emily Sanders in a brief but striking scene as a show biz hopeful arriving in New York, Abby Normand, Asher Lauderdale, Devin Kuhel and Thomas Spachek.
Other chorus members include Megan Spiers, Marlea Tierney, Violet Norman, Meg Norman, Mary Gouvion, Gracee Dunlavy, Lesly Bocanegra, Rebekah Gouvion, Cathy Farmer, Brittany Parrish, Shelby Normand and Victoria Yartz.
Alice Hilt is director, with Tanner Cronister as stage manager. It’s a family friendly show rated G. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens and free to SMC junior high and high school students. However, SMC students must obtain a ticket because seating is limited.
