Annie

I've seen a couple of other stagings of Annie recently, and attending the second performance of the Roseville Theatre Arts Academy's production, I was wondering how it would compare. Sitting at a table in the lobby waiting for the house to open, I chanced to meet the star's 6th grade teacher. "So, is Baysia McCollam, spunky enough for this role?" I asked. "She certainly is. I can vouch for that," she answered. And indeed Baysia was, with a strong voice that fit the part beautifully and filled the house, especially on her high notes. But throughout the evening, I witnessed many inspired performers. Some were young children, easily the majority of the cast of 47, and it was fun to see them really get into character and pull off the numerous cute staging touches which, along with the dialog, yielded a show that was full of laughs.

But this was a mixed cast, with many older teen cast members who delivered excellent strong singing as individuals and who strengthened the many production numbers that filled the stage. Besides that, the exaggerated characterizations in so many of the older roles were played beautifully. But I have to single out Tristan Harness as Miss Hannigan -- deliciously evil, practically possessed, and over-the-top funny.

Not every community theater production can muster a live, 6-member orchestra, and their playing made the most of the show's strong musical score. Another impressive feature of the production was the frequent set changes, an ambitious touch that demonstrated director Colon Archey's commitment to make this a quality experience for the audience. And I think all of us present that night would agree that he succeeded.