'Annie' brings sunny days

The BAC Stage Kids bring the classic musical "Annie" " the full version " to the Brewery Arts Center beginning Friday.

"The last time 'Annie' was performed by our group we did the children's version, the truncated version," said BAC Stage Kids Artistic Director Andie Anderson. "This time we chose to do the full play. They've pulled it off really well."

The two casts and backstage crew consist of 95 local kids, ages 6 to 15.

"It's a treat for the kids to get to work with the live music," said Anderson, who is also directing "Annie."

Leading the talented casts are Emma Sperry and Olivia Swearingen, both 10, as Annie, a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents.

Annie lives in a New York City orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan, played by Kristen Rounds, Hannah Anthony and Heather Canfield. The adventurous Annie finds ways to foil Miss Hannigan's evil machinations, befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Dylan Shirey and Ben McCalla) and finds a new family and home with billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Taylor Barth and Braeden Garret), his personal secretary Grace Farrell (Shaylee Nystrom and Hayley Pederson) and a lovable mutt named Sandy (Jacob Nichols and Jacob Trejo).

The 1930s, with its backdrop of the Great Depression, also has ties to our current recession and lessons to learn, she said.

"It's a timely choice. We did a lot of talking about the struggles the characters were facing verses what we're facing now in America."

As "Annie" reminds us in it's theme song, "The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow."

"Annie" will run at 7 p.m. March 20- 21 and 27-28, with matinee shows at 2 p.m. on March 21-22 and 28-29. The shows are in the Performance Hall Theatre at the Brewery Arts Center at 511 W. King St. in Carson City. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $5 for students, seniors and BAC members, and can be purchased from the BAC Main Office or the Web site. For information, contact the Brewery Arts Center at 775-883-1976 or visit www.breweryarts.org.