Young talent flocks to 'Annie' auditions

Local News

September 3, 2010

Production opens Sept. 10 at Civic Theatre

Anonymous CNHI The Hendricks County Flyer Fri Sep 03, 2010, 03:46 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Civic Theatre auditioned 89 girls from Indianapolis and surrounding communities for its production of the hit Broadway musical "Annie," which opens the theatre's 2010-11 season, running Sept. 10-25 on the campus of Marian University, 3200 Cold Spring Road.

"We had many talented performers audition for this production," said the show's director, Ryan Koharchik. "Filing the roles of Annie and the six orphans was particularly difficult. It took us two weeks to decide on the final cast."

When it was all said and done, Nina Samaan of Indianapolis was cast in the lead role of Annie. Samaan is a seventh-grader at the International School of Indiana in the Spanish track and also started learning French last year.

Orphans include Anne Green of Indianapolis as Duffy, Megan Tiller of Zionsville as Pepper, Jade St. Pierre of Carmel as July, Eleanor Bennett of Indianapolis as Tessie, Sydney Miller as Kate, and Annie Cushman of Fortville as Molly.

Including principals and ensemble, Annie cast members hail from Indianapolis, Avon, Carmel, Fishers, Fortville, Greenfield, Noblesville, Speedway, and Zionsville.

"It's not uncommon for people to come from far distances to be a part of Civic Theatre productions," said Cheri Dick, executive director of Civic Theatre. "We're fortunate that there's such a wealth of talent here in Central Indiana, and we feel honored to be a resource for these people, serving as an outlet for creative expression and acting as an artistic guide for young actors."

Other principal cast members include: Dan Scharbrough of Indianapolis as Oliver Warbucks, Mikayla Reed of Zionsville as Grace Farrell, Carrie Neal of Indianapolis as Miss Hannigan, Paul Hansen of Avon as Rooster Hannigan, Susie Harloff of Avon as Lily St. Regis, and Tom Beeler of Indianapolis as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In addition to leading the cast of more than 25 in Civic's 2010-11 season opener, Samaan will host "A Party with Annie" for children from the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, which is a sponsor of the show. On Sept. 19 Samaan and the children will enjoy an afternoon of food, games, singing, and pictures with Samaan as Annie and her character's famously loyal dog, Sandy. Samaan will host the same party for Katie Kruze and friends, who won the interactive prize during an auction at Civic Theatre's annual fundraiser this June.

Tickets for "Annie" can be purchased by calling Civic's Box Office at 923-4597 or by visiting Civic's website at www.CivicTheatre.org.

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