ANNIE
Book by Thomas Meehan
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Directed by Charles Abbott
Choreography by Mary Jane Houdina
Music direction by Ben Krauss
WHEN: June 19 through July 21, Tuesday-Thursday @ 2 PM & 8 PM; Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 PM; Sundays @ 2 PM
WHERE: Surflight Theatre, 201 Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven
TICKETS: $36-$54. Tickets are available online at www.surflight.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Surflight box office, by phone at 609.492.9477.
For groups (15 or more) call: 609.492.9477 x201
Visit www.surflight.org for more information.
Surflight Theatre, under the leadership of award-winning Broadway Producers Timothy Laczynski (The Pee-wee Herman Show, A Christmas Story), Executive Producer and Roy Miller (West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone, Ragtime, and the upcoming new musical Animal House) Artistic Director, continues its 63rd Season in historic Beach Haven with the family favorite ANNIE, on stage for five weeks.
The Tony Award-winning musical Annie is based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” The show features a, Annie was last presented at Surflight in 2001.
America's most beloved little red-head is back in a delightful musical for the entire family. Annie is a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage run by the comically conniving Miss Hannigan. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan's evil schemes, befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and finds a new family and home in billionaire Oliver Warbucks along with her lovable mutt named Sandy. Bet your bottom dollar, Annie will delight the child in us all.
Leading the cast as the spunky, adorable orphan is Amelia Rose Allen. Amelia, a resident of Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY, and Seaside, NJ in the summer, makes her Surflight Theatre debut. No stranger to the title role, Amelia recently played Annie at the Center for the Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, NY.
Starring as the lovable tycoon Oliver Warbucks is John-Charles Kelly, who makes his Surflight debut. He recently appeared the national tour of The Light in the Piazza. Kelly has performed in numerous productions at Walnut Street Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre and at regional theaters around the country.
The comically conniving Miss Hannigan will be performed by Marsha Waterbury. Her previous theatre experience include Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof (2004) and Mamma Mia! She appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse in Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers.
Grace Farrell, Warbucks’ personal assistant, will be portrayed by Surflight Education Director Jenn Drew. Jennifer has worked with such theatres as Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Lyric Theatre, Brown County Playhouse, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, and Michigan Shakespeare Festival. A multi-instrumentalist, Jennifer was Music Director for Surflight Children’s Theatre in 2011, and was last seen onstage at Surflight in The Surflight Holiday Spectacular.
Hannigan’s scheming brother Rooster will be played by Vince D’Elia, who South Jersey audiences will remember from the original Nights on Broadway at Caesar’s Palace. D’Elia’s Broadway credits include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Grease! and The Who’s Tommy. D’Elia appeared in Paper Mill Playhouse’s Children of Eden. Rooster’s girlfriend and accomplice Lily will be played by Kristen Marie, who makes her Surflight Theatre debut in this role. She joins the Surflight Theatre family directly from a run as ‘Smitty’ in How to Succeed…
Appearing as Franklin D. Roosevelt will be Kelly Briggs, whose previous Broadway credits include Les Miserables and Cats.
Making his fourth Surflight appearance is Board Member Larry Chalk, who previously appeared in the theatre’s The Music Man, Man of La Mancha (opposite John Davidson) and 1776.
Making an appearance as Sandy will be Oliver. Dog trainer Bill Berloni was brought into the fold to train Oliver for her role as Sandy. Berloni is widely recognized as an expert in animal behavior and for his dedication to rescue work. In addition to his work as a trainer, Bill is currently behavior consultant to the Humane Society of New York. He also holds a BFA in theatre, is a published author and actor, and is the 2011 recipient of the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre. In reflection of his 30 years of developing animals into trained actors, Berloni published his book, Broadway Tails, in 2008 as a collection of heartfelt stories of rescued dogs who became showbiz superstars.
Annie’s friends in the orphanage will be played by Emily Gulden (July) from Tuckerton, Lisa Diaz (Pepper) from Southampton, NJ, Julia Fumo (Kate) from Marmora, Rachel Khutorsky (Duffy) from Englewood, Jamieson O’Brien (Tessie) from Atco, and Nina Randazzo (Molly) from Cranford.
Other members of the cast include P.J. Adzima, Peter Alexander, Isabella Bartz, Jenavene Bazacas, Seth Bazacas, Dana Bernardi, Kelly Briggs, Alliy Drago, Melissa Rose Hirsch, Jessica Kelly, Mike Longo, Jennifer Margulis, Colton Pomella, Jillian Riley, Scott Shaefitz, and Hannah Simmons.
Celebrating its 63rd season of "Broadway at the Beach," Surflight Theatre, a not-for-profit professional arts organization, is one of the country's popular summer theaters. Founded by Joseph P. Hayes in 1950 in historic Beach Haven, NJ, and now under the leadership of award-winning Broadway Producers Timothy Laczynski (The Pee-wee Herman Show, A Christmas Story) and Roy Miller (West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone, Ragtime, and the upcoming new musical Animal House), Surflight Theatre is dedicated to providing live professional theatre with mainstage productions featuring celebrity performers, a headliner comedy and concert series under the famed "Catch A Rising Star" comedy club banner, children's theatre, and year-round arts-in-education programs and special events. Attracting audiences from all 21 NJ counties and 50 states, Surflight is the recipient of New Jersey Governor’s Tourism Arts Award and Excellence in Tourism Award. Surflight Theatre also serves as a training ground for young theatre artists through our apprentice program, the Surflight Theatre Arts Resource School (S.T.A.R.S.) and Surflight To-Go, a touring educational theatre troupe for student audiences (K-12). Surflight Theatre’s programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, Ocean County Freeholders and Ocean First Foundation. Additional major support is provided by generous contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. Surflight Theatre is a member of New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the South Jersey Cultural Alliance.
