The Weston Ranch theater department has begun preparing their latest project. The production is creating plenty of buzz amongst the students who will trod the boards. This year’s Spring musical will incorporate all Visual and Performing Arts departments, which makes the upcoming production much more exciting. And after the successful production of “Monsters in the Closet,” Weston Ranch High School is set for a treat.
VAPA’s production of “Annie,” will raise the curtain on April 25 and continue for three more nights. “Annie” will be adapted from Thomas Meehan’s Broadway production. Meehan, is a well-known New York author famous for writing the books for past Broadway shows like the aforementioned “Annie,” as well as other smashes like “The Producers,” and “Hairspray.” In Weston Ranch’s version, Annie will tell about a young orphan girl’s adventures in finding a family that will take her. A brief synopsis: “In the depths of the 1930s, Annie is a fiery young orphan girl who must live in a miserable orphanage run by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Her seemingly hopeless situation changes dramatically when she is selected to spend a short time at the residence of the wealthy munitions industrialist, Oliver Warbucks. Quickly, she charms the hearts of the household staff and even the seemingly cold-hearted Warbucks cannot help but learn to love this wonderful girl. He decides to help Annie find her long lost parents by offering a reward if they would come to him and prove their identity. However, Miss Hannigan, her evil brother, Rooster, and a female accomplice plan to impersonate those people to get the reward for themselves which put Annie in great danger.” (IMBD, Chisholm)
Ms. Stogner (drama director), Ms. Checketts (choir director), and Mr. Barron (musical director) all decided this was the music they wanted to share with Weston Ranch and the perfect show for all students to perform and attend. Choosing the right play is not an easy task because there are many obstacles to overcome, mainly acquiring the rights to produce the play. High school theaters cannot simply choose a production, produce it, and perform. They have to pay to “rent” the rights and have a limited amount of time in which to perform it. Settling on “Annie” appears to be a perfect choice.
What VAPA has in mind is to have each department play their parts: Choir, becoming the characters, Orchestra will provide the music background instead of the usual taped music piped in through the speakers, and the drama will host the production and add set design and technical assistance. An estimated 75 students will be involved to make this show possible. A runtime of two hours makes this an enormous undertaking, one of all three departments look forward to accomplishing.
Ms. Stogner said, “I’m excited about the play, and I think it is going to be a fun family show which everyone will enjoy.”
The Prowl will continue to update the show’s progress until the curtain rises.
