If you are young or young at heart, this holiday season look no further than St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse to get your theatre fix.
One of the best professional productions you will see this winter is there: Drayton Entertainment’s Annie.
It has everything the beloved musical requires: a full cast of outstanding performers, live orchestral music backing up a rags-to-riches score, character-driven choreography, and the charm and simplicity of a tale that has survived both the silver screen and Broadway stage, all tucked into a neat production in the intimate and comfortable setting of the St. Jacob’s theatre.
The production even has a dog to keep things unpredictable and entertaining.
At first sight, audiences were smitten with the casting of local girls – 41 children in total – alternating in the roles of orphans. The students’ genuine affection for the characters they portrayed was not overrun by their enthusiasm to present a polished effort. It was baffling to believe these little girls were not experienced theatre mavens.
The young orphans shone through the words of every song they sang and every line they delivered, with laugh-out-loud humour and adorable mischievous intent.
It could not have been easy, as they were standing in the glow of 13-year-old Nova Scotian import Dominique Le Blanc, as Annie.
Audiences were spellbound by Le Blanc’s humorous and innocent portrayal of the famed fictional character of Annie. From her first note to her very last, audience members could not help but feel they were witnessing the start of something special; a natural talent that will surely blossom into a professional stage career.
Her professional stage presence and candor were matched by strong vocals and a confidence that didn’t overshadow the character’s vulnerability, even when upstaged by her four-legged companion Sandy, (a Nova Scotian duck tolling retriever). Le Blanc handled the iconic role with grace.
The minute Jackie Mustakas stumbled on to the stage, literally, in the outrageous role of the often-inebriated Miss Hannigan, the audience was in fits of laughter.
Bringing the character of the miserable Miss Hannigan to life, Mustakas was a comic jewel, over the top and witty in her sarcasm.
When joined in the plot by Keith Savage, as her scheming brother Rooster, and his girlfriend Lily St. Regis, played by Melissa Thomson-Hicks, the havoc ensues into a coordinated effort of scheming for Warbucks’ fortune.
One of the best moments for these characters was the choreographed dance scene taking audiences on a walk down “Easy Street.”
Victor A. Young was a masterful Daddy Warbucks, flanked by the elegant Jayne Lewis as his assistant Grace Farrell.
These two were beautiful characters, true to the original script but they still crafted a place in the memory of audiences that stands out as unique to this production.
Young gave Warbucks a humility and warmth, and while his fondness for Miss Farrell is only slightly alluded to, their chemistry was on par.
The ensemble cast, taking on multiple roles, was every bit as impressive in both song and dance.
Of special note was the music, directed by Michael Lerner, and the choreography of Gino Berti, set before a stage designed by Jean Claude Oliver and lit by designer Kevin Fraser.
For a small stage production, the show had all the feeling and style of any big city showcase. The balance of talent made it feel like a complete production from the front of the stage to the back of the house.
Annie is a family-friendly delight, with song and dance moments of hilarity and others of empathy. While audiences feel the characters and enjoy the emotions, it was refreshing to see an adaptation that didn’t make viewers wipe their eyes from tears, but instead from laughter.
All the sentimental warmth is in this production, but with a genuine good feeling all the way through.
Annie will be at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse until Dec. 23. It is a must-see.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com in person at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse box office or by calling 519-747-7788 or toll free 1-855-372-9866.
