Sun Shines on Forrestdale’s Production of ‘Annie jr.’

The following is an edited press release from the Rumson School District:

The sun will come out tomorrow, but it was the stars that shone brightly in the musical Annie jr. presented by the Forrestdale Drama Club in March.

The production, with a cast of more than 30, was directed by Vinny Sabatino, with musical direction by Forrestdale music teacher Barbara Leutz.

The show starred and featured: Gina Teschke as Annie; Sophia Bocklage as Miss Hannigan;  Kate Gagliardi as Ms. Warbucks; Mara Campolattaro as Grace Farrell; Rory McGill and Annabel Morris as the “shady characters” Rooster and Lily St. Regis; and Rachel Bailey as Annie’s dog, Sandy.

Fifteen students were on Student Crew taking care of backstage tech assistance under the direction of Forrestdale Music teacher John Lebitsch, with set construction spearheaded by Tom Casale.

Also behind the scenes of the March 12, 13 and 14 production were Forrestdale Drama Club alums Jessica Eckhoff and Jack Newsome as the production’s acting coach and choreographer respectively.

Forrestdale’s Annie jr. was performed as an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Annie.

It told the story of a Depression-era girl who arrives at an orphanage with a locket containing a note from her parents who promised to one day retrieve her.

Years later, the teenaged orphan Annie is offered a forever home with a New York millionaire named Ms. Warbucks and her personal secretary Grace Farrell.

Before claiming her happy ending, Annie must first tangle with a web of deceit woven by the evil orphanage headmistress Miss Hannigan and two shady characters claiming to be her long-lost parents.

As with the original Broadway show, Annie jr. featured the popular songs, such as  The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow, It’s a Hard Knock Life, Little Girls, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile, I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here, NYC, and Easy Street.

The Forrestdale Drama Club was established in 1998 through a grant dedicated to start-up funding from the Rumson Education Foundation. The club is self-sustaining with proceeds from ticket ad sales and concession stand profits providing funding for the next season’s production.

Annie jr. was presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and all authorized performance materials were presented by MTI.

— Photos/courtesy of Rumson School District

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