Choral department to present "Annie, Jr." in LCMS auditorium

The LCMS Choral Department is set to present the musical "Annie, Jr." on Friday, May 11, and Saturday, May 12, in the school auditorium.

On Friday, the Sixth-Grade Choir will take the stage, with the Seventh- Grade Choir performing the musical on Saturday. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Written by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, "Annie, Jr." is part of the Broadway Junior Collection from Music Theatre International. This version of the famed Broadway musical is designed specifically for middle school students.

The cast for the Seventh-Grade Choir's production of "Annie, Jr." features Casey Jo Cooper as the everoptimistic Annie, Clayton O'Donnell as Daddy Warbucks, D.J. Bentley as Rooster Hannigan, and Taylor Fernandes as Miss Hannigan.

In the sixth-grade rendition of the musical, Caitlin Broom will take on the role of Annie, and Ashley Asbell will play the irrepressibly grumpy Miss Hannigan. O'Donnell and Bentley are scheduled to appear as Daddy Warbucks and Rooster Hannigan in this production as well.

The musical opens with scenes from Annie's hard-scrabble life in an orphanage, run by Miss Hannigan, and closes with her adoption by Daddy Warbucks, a crusty codger with a heart of gold.

Some of the song titles from the show are "Tomorrow," "Maybe," and "Hard Knock Life."

The production is under the direction of Carolee Hobbins, choral music teacher at LCMS/LCHS.

Admission to "Annie, Jr." is $5. LCMS Gold Cards will be honored.