Children, adults, veterans, newcomers and dogs together will perform one of the longest running shows in Broadway history this weekend in Omaha.
The Orpheum Theater will feature five shows of the 1977 musical "Annie" tonight through Sunday.
Amanda Balon, the 10-year-old playing the role of Annie, will lead the musical as one of the veterans of the cast. Balon began performing when she was only 2 years old and has since won the Broadway trophy for "Best Child Star in a Musical."
"I like working with the kids," said Abby Stevens, who plays Grace Farrell in the show. "They bring a sort of liveliness and excitement to the show that you don't always get when the kids aren't around."
On the other hand, David Barton, who plays Daddy Warbucks, is one of the newcomers on the "Annie" cast. Barton is now living his theater dreams after spending 25 years working as a theater arts teacher.
Cast members Mikey and Lola, Mikey's understudy, also have unique, rags-to-riches stories. The two, who play Annie's pet dog Sandy, are mutts who were rescued by the dog trainer and eventually brought to show business.
"("Annie") really resonates with people about optimism," said Trisha Hoffman-Ahrens, the vice president for marketing and communications for Omaha Performing Arts. "Even the dog Sandy was rescued by his trainer, so that's a story of optimism right there."
The cast - dogs and all - has been on tour for nearly nine months and will finish their long run in about two and a half weeks.
Despite a pretty consistent string of colds and sicknesses among the cast, the same cast has been on the tour throughout the entire run.
"We're all pretty used to, at this point, doing the show with one or two people sick," Stevens said. "We're all on the bus together ... (so) if one person gets sick (it spreads)."
Ticket sales for tonight's show have been high and had already exceeded the Omaha Performing Art's goal about two weeks ago.
"For someone in Omaha to be able to see a Broadway show without having to buy a plane ticket to New York ... I think it serves the whole area," Hoffman-Ahrens said. "(It) brings such interest and diversity to Omaha and to the citizenship."
One of the most valuable things about "Annie" is the familiarity of its songs and its appeal to families. Adults may remember "Annie" as one of their first theater experiences and can take their children to see their first Broadway musical as well.
"I think people find it refreshing and inspiring," Hoffman-Ahrens said. "And what's not to love about the little red-headed girl that captures everyone's hearts?"
andreavasquez@dailynebraskan.com
