Theater company stages 'Annie'

FALLS VILLAGE — For the Falls Village Children’s Theater Company, it’s the year of the threes. The company is in its third year of existence and is mounting its third major musical next weekend, “Annie,� with a cast of 33 child actors. And members of the company are gearing up for three performances at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29, at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee also slated for Saturday.

A musical based on the Harold Gray comic strip, “Little Orphan Annie,� “Annie� tells the story of the title character, an 11-year-old in an orphanage presided over by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Annie is eventually adopted by the legendary character Daddy Warbucks. “Annie� ran for nearly six years on Broadway and won a Tony award for best musical in 1977. The show features such memorable songs as “Tomorrow,� “Maybe� and “Easy Street.�

In Falls Village, once again the production is co-directed by two professional theater veterans, Josh Stein and Lanny Mitchell. Shayne Dodge stars as Annie, Rebecca Rovezzi plays Miss Hannigan and Donyell Williams plays Daddy Warbucks. Admission to the show is free.

Meanwhile, the theater company is proceeding with its planned conversion of the old R&D Emerson books building into a community and cultural center. A new roof has been installed and new copper gutters are going up this week. Next on the agenda this spring is a new $30,000 septic system and additional drainage for the property, said Denise Cohn, the theater company’s executive director.

The theater company bought the Main Street building last year for $150,000. The 100-year-old former church and bookstore will need an estimated $450,000 in renovations. The theater company has launched a successful fundraising drive and is hoping to receive $200,000 later this year from a state grant the town is applying for. Cohn said her organization hopes to open the facility sometime next year.

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