Staff
Meaford Hall Arts & Culture Centre has announced a partnership with Sandcastle Theatre for an upcoming production of Annie Jr. There are plenty of roles for young people ages 8 – 19, including featured characters and ensemble roles as orphans, tourists and servants.
The bright, tuneful score is easy to sing and filled with familiar numbers like “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow.” An $80 registration fee will apply for participants. Auditions will take place Monday, December 15 and Tuesday, December 16 at Meaford Hall. To book an audition time please contact Nadia at 519.377.0540 or theatrekidscanada@gmail.com.
The cast will study with Stephanie Fowler, founder of Sandcastle Theatre. She created the organization in 2002 to provide opportunities for young people to participate in high quality theatre programs and productions. An OCT qualified secondary school drama teacher and graduate of Second City in Toronto, Stephanie performs regularly with Grey Bruce Improv in Owen Sound.
“We believe that theatre has the ability to do so much more than entertain. Although our programs are structured to be fun and our plays are entertaining, we know that our classes and performances, while building practical theatrical skills, also help young people develop a great deal of self-esteem and build communication and problem solving skills that serve them beyond the stage,” says Stephanie.
This new programming at Meaford Hall will provide the talented youth of our community with a new opportunity to take part in a production and appear on the historic Opera House stage. Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie, the world-wide phenomenon, was the winner of seven TONY Awards including Best Musical and is now adapted for young performers in Annie JR. The beloved book and score by TONY Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written.
With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms 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. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.
The production will run from March 12 – 14 at Meaford Hall and tickets will soon be on sale through the Box Office at 1.877.538.0463 or online at meafordhall.ca.
