Winamac Community HS to present hit musical ‘Annie’ March 17-19

The Winamac Community High School drama department will present the hit musical “Annie” as its 2023 spring production.

Show dates are the weekend of March 17-19, at the school auditorium.

The musical is based on the comic strip from 1924 composed by American cartoonist, Harold L. Gray. The musical opened in 1977 to worldwide acclaim and has been an extremely popular musical since, likely due to its signature songs such as Tomorrow and Hard Knock Life, as well as the indubitably positive spirit of the title character's outlook on life.

“Annie” will be presented at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, (March 17 and 18); and at 2 p.m., Sunday, (March 19), at the WCHS Auditorium.  Admission is $7. 

The WCHS show is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) with book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin. 

The musical is set in 1933, and centers on the title character Annie (played by Lauren Fredel) who resides at the New York City Municipal Orphanage Girls' Annex under the care of the cruel Ms. Hannigan (Jessica Hoffman).  After a failed attempt to escape, in which she meets citizens affected by The Great Depression, and also meets her faithful companion, Sandy the dog, Annie returns to the orphanage. Grace Farrell (Lily Bennett) enters and selects Annie to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of billionaire, Oliver Warbucks (Maddox Bucinski). Annie is delighted to leave the orphanage and is astonished at the city and people she encounters outside of the orphanage. Warbucks is won over by Annie's charm, and resolves to find Annie's parents to complete her dream.

Meanwhile, Ms. Hannigan is visited by her sly brother, "Rooster" Hannigan (Garron Knoth) and his frivolous wife, Lily St. Regis (Penelope Wegner). While commiserating on living a life of struggle, they realize that the answer to their financial problems could be cashing in on the $50,000 reward Warbucks is offering to find Annie's parents. They decide to disguise themselves as Annie's parents, along with the help of Ms. Hannigan to provide information from Annie's file that would convince Warbucks that they are her parents. 

Annie's whirlwind experiences continue, as she even meets President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jacob Sanders) and inspires him with her positivity to deliver "A New Deal" to Americans during The Great Depression. Warbucks becomes increasingly hopeful that the lack of proof from those who have claimed to be Annie's parents means that he may adopt her. However, just prior to a formal adoption, Rooster and Lily emerge under the alias of Ralph and Shirley Mudge. Their act, along with their accomplice, Hannigan, is quickly exposed by Warbucks, Farrell, and FDR just in time to celebrate the holiday with not only her new family, but the family Annie has built throughout her life. 

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