‘Annie’ to lift your Depression

Children’s troupe to stage musical at Corbett High School

By Rob Cullivan

The Gresham Outlook, Apr 7, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Contributed photo

Stacey Pulliam as Pepper, Clair Hocking as Tessie, Emily Rogers as Molly, Miranda Winters as Duffy, Sascha Fruehauf as July and Madison Dody as Kate, perform a dance routine in “Annie.”

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Corbett Children’s Theater’s production of “Annie” is only a day away.

That’s right, you can see the famed musical about the comic strip orphan with the heart of gold at Corbett High School starting tomorrow, tomorrow, there’s always tomorrow, at 7 p.m.

The musical, first staged on Broadway in 1977, details the story of Annie – whose character is drawn from “Little Orphan Annie” – as she escapes an orphanage and seeks her parents, eventually meeting her adoptive father Daddy Warbucks.

Jennifer Boom, the show’s producer, notes the play comes “at a good time” because it’s set in a bad time – the Great Depression, which echoes in today’s increasingly tough economic climate.

“It’s a great lesson for the kids,” she says. “They can relate what’s going on in the production of ‘Annie’ to real life, with neighbors and family members losing jobs and houses – and having to change spending habits as a family.”

Jenny Layton, who plays Miss Hannigan, the orphanage director, agrees with the producer’s assessment.

“This has really helped with my American history class,” she says. “Right now we’re studying the Depression, and this gives me something to relate the class to. With everything that is happening today the play has a much greater significance.”

Lessons learned

The children and teenagers performing in “Annie,” directed by Katherine Zieman, have found it both fun and challenging, and shared these insights with the Outlook.

Daddy Warbucks

Tim Chase, 17, a junior at Barlow High School, plays Daddy Warbucks, whom he describes as “a nice man at heart who is tough because of having no parents. But Annie brings out the happier and better man inside of him.”

Chase says it’s a little difficult taking on Warbucks’ persona.

“I’m a pretty nice person who really hates being angry and gruff with people,” he says.

However, he says he loves to sing and dance in front of people, although he issues a warning to his audience.

“I’m not very good at it, but I enjoy it.”

Annie

Leila Rose Gorman, 10, a fifth-grader at Corbett Grade School, plays the title character, who she says is “cheerful and optimistic.”

“Even when things are bad she keeps her spirits up,” Leila says.

Miss Hannigan

Jenny Layton, 16, a junior at Corbett High, play Miss Hannigan, the “very frustrated woman” who runs the orphanage in which Annie resides. Jenny – who’s also helping to choreograph the show – says Hannigan is a new type of character for her to play.

“I’m not used to being a drunken mess,” Jenny says. “It has been a challenge, but the experience was amazing.”