Cast of 84 to present the beloved musical Annie Jr. Friday & Saturday at Lake Bluff Middle School

Over two-thirds of school population involved in the production of Annie Jr. at Lake Bluff Middle School

The students of Lake Bluff Middle School will present the beloved musical Annie Jr. on Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12. Show times are Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 2:00 pm at the school, 31 E. Sheridan Place in Lake Bluff. 

The rags-to-riches story opens in 1930s New York City, where Annie is living in an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Determined to find her real parents, Annie and her furry friend, Sandy, escape from the orphanage. After befriending billionaire Oliver Warbucks, she enlists his help to search for her parents, and eventually finds a permanent home – and a very happy.

General seats are $10 and are available in advance by using a form available on the Middle School website at http://ms.lb65.org. Tickets are also on sale in advance for $10 at Wisma, 24 E Scranton Ave, and will be available at the door for $10 at the time of the show.

The sixth, seventh and eighth graders have been working on the show since auditions in January. The cast includes 84 Lake Bluff Middle School students. Between cast members, production, tech crew, set construction, props, costumes and makeup, nearly two-thirds of the student population of the school is involved in the production. Many parents and teachers are volunteering their time designing and building sets, sewing costumes, assembling props and more.

Music, dramatic and choreography rehearsals have been being held daily, along with work on the set and costumes.

Annie Jr. is a musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre. It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical’s songs "Tomorrow" and "Hard-Knock Life" are among its most popular. Music is by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan.

Production Team members are: 
Direction:  Adrienne Olmstead
Assistant Direction & Choreography: Angela McNicholas
Vocal Direction: Ann Cvitkovic
Production: Allison Fink
Assistant Production: Carly Quick
Set Design: Janet Engel-Julian
Make-Up: Doreen BuksaHair: Heidi Bailey
Costume Design: Liz Schuetz
Light & Sound Design: Daryl Beese
Light & Sound Assistant: Nate Blackmer
Lighting Consultant: Dave Miller
Sound Consultant: John Hart
Running Crew: Dan Williams and Brian DeYoung