It’s only a day away. At 6:30 p.m., the cast of “Annie” will come out for the opening performance of the much-loved musical. It’s the first of four shows, and the first musical for the Telluride school.

They’ve done Shakespeare in the fall, and spring plays ranging from mystery to comedy to fairy tales. The annual spring play has become a custom ever since the completion of the Michael D. Palm Theatre in 2004. There’s been three plays so far, and this year’s fourth spring theatre event, “Annie,” is all about song and dance.

“The story is told through the songs and the emotions through the dancing and choreography,” says Angela Watkins, director of the production and associate producing director for the Telluride Repertory Theater. “The way the script is written is about 50 percent song, 50 percent dialogue, but the main part is the music.”

There’s songs like “Tomorrow,” “It’s the hard Knock Life,” “Maybe” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.” Many are familiar tunes from the first 1977 Broadway performance based on the Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse.

“They’re hummable and memorable songs, and when you walk out of the theater you’ll still have them in your head,” David Lingle, music director, says. “I think it will be a tremendously successful show.”

Moat people also remember the character of Annie, a spunky 11-year old redhead with a red smock, heart necklace and a dog named Sandy.

The performance features numerable solos by Annie, played by third-grader Annika Westman, Miss Hannigan, played by sixth grader Chambri Swartz and Daddy Warbucks, played by sixth grader Jackson Blanks.

“Chambri has two fun songs, ‘Little Girls,’ about how much she hates them and ‘Easy Street,’ Lingle says. “There’s probably only one slow song in the whole show and the rest is upbeat and peppy and people will really respond.”

Several numbers are performed by the 30-person cast of third through 11th graders. The multi-aged cast makes it a real all-school play, one of the production’s main goals.
“That’s what we were shooting for — that one-room school play idea where the kids really learn a lot from each other,” Watkins says. “It’s unique having a range of kids, and they’ve done a really good job working together, mentoring and learning from one another.”

Whether it’s the songs or the camaraderie, the cast members already consider “Annie” a hit.

“It’s all fun songs and there’s something about the music and dancing that the kids really like,” Watkins says. “I can tell they’re getting really excited, and can already feel the energy.”

Watkins, however, admits that a musical was a little daunting at first. Although she touts an extensive resume of school plays, “Princess and the Pea,” and “the Beatles Slept here,” along with the 10 years of Shakespeare performances in the fall, directing a musical was new.

“It’s been a whole different ball game requiring more people to make it work,” she says. “In the directing realm, it’s been new to me, but it’s been a blissful collaboration.”

It’s been a group effort, dependent on the skills of Lingle, Amy VanDerbosch, choreographer, Luci Reeve, costume designer, Buff Hooper, set designer, Mark Worth, lighting designer and the student participants.

Rehearsals began in January with Lingle laying down a musical base for the show. Lingle, director of the Telluride Choral Society, was integral in getting the kids on track music-wise.

“He’s really keen at what he does,” Watkins says. “He got it across to the kids that they had to  learn the music first, and he really drilled them so that the songs are really good.”

For Lingle, it was it was a challenging process, but the hard work paid off.

“Some of the kids had a vocal background and others didn’t,” he says. “They’ve come along wonderfully, and many have found a new part of their voice.”

Next, they moved on to choreography with VanDerbosch, a math teacher with a background in dance. Then, they went on to acting and blocking with Watkins, which was done on set in the theatre.

The set was erected over spring vacation, a bittersweet break in the rehearsal schedule.

“I was a bit nervous that the kids would come back and forget everything,” Watkins describes. “It was a great work time, and off season proved very good to us.”
Hooper and Reeve were the main reason. Hooper created the colorful and dynamic set. Reeve rounded up the necessary costumes.

“Luci is so resourceful, and thank god for the Freebox,” says Watkins.

Now, the curtain is ready to come up and reveal the three-months of hard work that students and adults devoted to the production. It’s also time to tell the tale of “Annie.”
Living in an orphanage during the Great Depression, Annie dreams of reuniting with her parents. Instead, she and fellow orphans, played by Camilla Gardner, Amber Metz, Angie Skelton, Katy Gumble, Taylor Gumble, Meghan White, Rhya Bush, Ceci Taylor, Briana Santa Ana, Annika Valerio, endure the daily tirades of Miss Hannigan, a mean-spirited orphanage patron who prefers a bottle of booze to children.

For the Christmas holidays, Grace Farrell, secretary to the great Oliver Warbucks and played by Brittany Altman, picks Annie to stay at Warbucks’ palatial home. Gradually, Annie and her host build a loving bond, and he becomes Daddy Warbucks. However, Annie maintains a lifelong dream of finding her mom and dad.

Daddy Warbucks commits himself to finding Annie’s parents — on a nationally televised radio show — but only provokes Miss Hannigan, her loser of a brother Rooster and his gold-digging girlfriend Lily St. Regis to scheme for the cash reward.
Of course, like any musical, the sun shines at the end. The evil plot is exploited. Annie accepts the truth of her parents death, and she makes Daddy Warbucks her real dad once and for all.

It’s a tumultuous tale of love and deception, and the music keeps things moving along. Although the play contains adult and kid roles, Watkins did her best to cast the students accordingly.

 “A lot of adult roles are played by older kids, and physically they all look good together,” she says. “Annika [playing Annie] is in third grade and just stood out with her good singing voice and strong reading.”

At tryouts, 60 kids auditioned. Only 30 received parts, typically the most musically skilled students. Other actors include Dale Kondracki, Kira Hamblin, Kody Shugars, Charlotte Delpit, Emma Anderson, Keenan Zeller, Amos Hodges, Emily Billings, Alyssa Antista, Sara Moles, Ayelen Florentin, Genevieve Mananoros, Kole Shugars, Tristan Hodges, John Broadhead.

Behind the scenes, sixth grader Brian Ensor runs the soundboard, cuing the CD of orchestra music that accompanies the songs. As a safeguard, Lingle will be in the pit, making sure that the music and singing are on par.

“We’re doing it with the track, but [the singers] need someone to keep them on track,” he says. “It helps to have that extra bit of assurance, and I think they’ll pull it off.”
Both Lingle and Watkins are optimistic about “Annie” as well as more musicals to come.

“It’s a really strong show and I’ll do this again for sure because it brings in a lot of new kids that haven’t been in my plays before who are singers,” Watkins says. “I’m not worried about next year and not having a big enough turnout for the audition.”

You’ve probably seen “Annie,” but how about Telluride’s version. Don’t miss tonight’s opening performance at 6:30 p.m. If you can’t make it, there’s always tomorrow. And the two days after that. “Annie” runs through May 11 with a matinee performance at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. All of the other performances are at 6:30 p.m. The musical is about an hour and 20 minutes.

“It’s not too long, not too late, and we kept it family-friendly,” Watkins says. “[Sunday’s matinee] is a nice Mother’s Day thing for people to do, and with four shows, it’s more than we’ve ever done in the past.”

Tickets cost $10 for students, $15 for adults, and will be available at the Intermediate School front office, located at the Palm lobby, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., or at the door.