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Show Annie Shines in Lincoln Academy's "Annie Jr." ml... ...i mm -whip. I i ii i ii H i L i 07M ' I , i V... - ' , to mi Mmitnm. ,M in.i.rti- i.iW.ii.m. . .. nU by Geri Taylor Once again Lincoln Academy Acad-emy has proven they can compete com-pete with any of the larger schools when it comes to talent. Through the tireless efforts of parents, teachers, and a cast of 65, Annie Jr. was a rousing success suc-cess that enthralled the audiences, young and old alike. The shortened short-ened version of the much-loved Broadway musical features most of the best-known songs, which provided the continuity through abbreviated scenes. Grace Grimmer, the 4th grader who played Annie, was a stand-out performer and could easily have acted on Broadway as on the Jr. High stage. Her strong and beautifully clear voice kept one waiting for the next song. Participation in "On Broadway Musical Academy" in American Fork has certainly prepared Grace to take the lead roll and execute it with style. One of the main orphans, tough girl Pepper, was believ-ably believ-ably played by 10-year-old Brynley Jones. I watched closely to see if she would stay in character, and was impressed that even in the final scene, Pepper Pep-per was trying (great acting) to keep the tough outer shell, but soften with her new-found life. If you've seen Carol Burnett Bur-nett play Miss Hannigan, it's hard not to compare whoever else dares take that roll, but Sa-sha Sa-sha Fazulyanov made me forget Burnett. She kept the action moving and was delightful to watch. Science and PE teacher Sean Kuepper, last acted in 6th grade, and when asked to try out for the only adult part in the play, found a new enthusiasm for the stage. He sacrificed his hair for the part, and after coming out of a very long retirement, did a fine job as the self-confident but pliable pli-able Daddy Warbucks. While Miss Hannigan and Annie in the rousing production of Annie Jr. that was recently produced by Lincoln Academy. he didn't have as much time to evolve into the caring, hopeful "Annie" continued on Page 9 "A inie " continued from Page 3 parent, Kuepper kept a steady grasp on his character. Space doesn't allow for all the compliments of other cast members, but those who appreciate good acting could enjoy the play and not get caught up in noticing errors. Even though the scene change ; were a bit long, it was impressive to see how smooth the transitions were, especially the panels that turned to create the different differ-ent backdrops. Kudos to the scene designer. By Friday night's sold out performance, the technician tech-nician had found a device to help with the cordless mikes, allowing the audience audi-ence to better hear the vocal range of the leads. The fad ing in and out wasn't overly obvious during the other performances, but a strong sound certainly makes a big difference. The organization of parent par-ent volunteers made it possible pos-sible for director Erin Smith to concentrate on working her magic with the cast rather rath-er than worrying about sets, props and other distractions. To have such an orderly flow with so many children was a definite accomplishment, and year after year Smith has proven herself a master organizer of talent. Lincoln Academy, and its many supporters, sup-porters, have proven they can hold their own when ti comes to putting on a production worthy of rave revues. |