OREM — Summertime is in full swing at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre with the Broadway staple Annie. With book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin—based on Harold Gray’s classic comic strip—this beloved musical comes to life under the direction of Chase Ramsey, with music direction by Kathryn Laycock Little and choreography by Janessa Ramsey. The warm breeze that blows across the lawn makes it hard not to swell with optimism for “Tomorrow”, and the production was full of life and energy.
Right out of the gate, I was impressed by two things. The first is that — even in an outdoor theatre space, the sound was clear as a bell. Chase Elison could teach a masterclass on effective sound because doing a show like that in outdoor spaces is immensely impressive. The ensemble was heard so clearly I thought that sweetening tracks were being used to amplify their sound, but I have difficult time believing that many children lip sync that well simultaneously. An outdoor community space is likely to be met with skepticism in this area, but for the second year in a row, I’ve been impressed by this. Nice work.
The other truly impressive feature was the work that Chase and Janessa Ramsey did in getting youth ensemble to have meaningful stage business in the play’s opening sequences. From the beginning, Annie was highly engaged with each of the orphans who moved with intentionality and purpose. I loved the sequence after Maybe when each of the orphans find a different way to sleep, listen or engage with Annie in their spaces. I’m certain if those orphans had parents watching in the audience the would be proud.
Adaline Strong played Annie and she had all the “you-betcha” energy of Shirly Temple. Her voice was well suited to the role and she sang with gusto and a robust tone. Strong was a good mover as she slipped discretely into the laundry to escape Miss Hannigan, and she found other moments to connect well with the actors around her — both adults and children. Annie is a child thrust into an adult world and she played the part with understanding and confidence. Strong was nurturing to the other girls as well, though it would have been nice to see moments where the child in her comes through a little more unbridled. Her handling of Sandy (played by good dog Maui Southwick) was even mature and controlled.
Chad Taylor was a strong and engaging Oliver Warbucks. He had a smooth resonant sound to his voice, and he delivered particularly punchy jokes related to wealth and politics. Taylor had strong stage presence and kept that up even as he softens to Annie through the production. I was touched by his internal struggle with seeking to find Annie’s biological parents. Their relationship allowed that crucial plot point to play out the way it needed to.
Annie Plays through July 19, 2025. | Photos: Rachael Gibson
I was genuinely tickled by some of the ensemble members as well. Doug Kaufman had the most consistent accent of the bunch and played the sliminess of the character exceptionally well. I loved seeing him continually refocus his tactics on his barely concealed lust for money. Karen Milne’s straightness as Grace against some of the more eclectic characters and she had just a dash of romantic flare with Taylor’s Warbucks to allow the audience to envision Annie’s future. I was also impressed by Nathanael Sackett in the role of Bundles. He came in like he was the children’s best friend, loved his job, and had miles of charisma.
Janessa Ramsey succeeded in doing one of the most essential jobs for a community theatre production — matching the difficulty of the choreography to the skill level of the performers. The youth performers had big clear gestures that seemed well timed to words and phrases, while the adults largely had more complicated choreography that they were still able to perform well. It was just the right blend of creativity and challenging which helped the cast succeed.
Likewise, Chase Ramsey played up the happy-go-lucky nature of the piece. Jokes landed to great effect, the play had solid pacing and tempo, the story would get down, but never depressing. It was directing straight out of a bygone era. The characters still were endowed with complexity, thoughtfulness and feelings, but were further from the grounded realism of a modern piece. I imagine nostalgia was stirred for adults in the audience while children I observed walked away engaged and entertained.
I’m not sure Annie always sounds like a good time for a contemporary audience. In an age of Anti-heroes like Deadpool, and the people of Duloc in Shrek painting an image of Stepford roboticism for anyone who is too cheerful, Annie’s indefatigable optimism can feel trite. However, Annie plays to themes still relevant today. Economic uncertainty, the posturing of billionaires and the need for better social supports for children in unpleasant circumstances are, unfortunately, timeless. Ramsey found a way to tell a story set 90 years ago, and make it feel like a hopeful story for the whole family. SCERA’s outdoor summer shows are a tradition worth starting and perhaps Tomorrow is the perfect time to do so.
This review was supported by a generous grant from the Orem CARE program.
