On December 9 and 10, 75 Sanford Middle School 6th, 7th and 8th grade students wowed audiences with four incredible performances of Annie. Parents, teachers, students, and community members packed the house and were left inspired, entertained, and impressed by the talents and efforts put forth by each performer and crew member. Since 2009, Project SUCCESS has worked hand-in-hand with Sanford Middle School students to produce and perform their annual school musical. Students have worked in front of and behind the scenes, with professional quality sound, sets, lighting and costumes, in addition to acting and singing. To enhance the learning experience, Project SUCCESS brings in professional directors and musicians. The 2011 production of Annie was directed by Project SUCCESS Resident Artist Jeffry Lusiak, with musical direction by Anita Ruth and choreography by Trudy Monette. This one-on-one contact with local artists and students is a key way in which Project SUCCESS helps students build confidence, gain new experiences, and learn more about themselves and each other through the power of theater.
Congratulations and thank you to all the students, staff, parents and community members who helped out and attended the show.
The following are photo highlights of the production and performance. Enjoy!
Directed by Jeffry Lusiak
Choreographed by Trudy Monette
Musical Direction by Anita Ruth
Cast
Annie.............................. Tyra Ramsey
Miss Hannigan.................. Ellen Demgen
Grace Farrell.................... Eric Cerny
Oliver Warbucks............... Jade Vick
Rooster Hannigan............. Tommy Bate
Lilly St. Regis................... Eva Shellabarger
Drake............................. Mac Jones
Bert Healy....................... Patric Carlsen
The Boylen Sisters............. Marie Berlovitz, Rayven Hopkins, Addie Welch
FDR................................ Nathan Parshall
Molly................................ Heaven Siewert
Pepper.............................. Meagan Fortier
Henry................................ Jeffrey Alcenat
Kate................................. Brigitte Flannery
Tessie............................... Aliyana Davis
Wally................................ Aaron Vanek
Eddie................................ Walker Ferguson
Announcer......................... Odette James
Wacky............................... Cyrus Duvernois
Bundles.............................. Jack Galle
FDR's Assistant.................... Kate Anderson
Orphans:
Elliauna Bannerman, Maeve Bartell, Lizzie Botz, Julia Boucher, Jasper Carroll, George Christians, Ndolo Elate, Meghan Flora, Melissa Gubrud, Iona Hamren, Siri Hanson, Hazel Hennen, Juliana Hougen, Laschelle Jameson, Kaaha Kaahiye, Olivia Kipling-Brownlow, Lewis Martin, LeeAnn Rasinski, Brandon Wallace
Hooverville/Mansion Employees:
Citlali Bastian McClain, Margaret Demgen, Fardosa Esse, Eleanore Hunt, Brianna Huntington, Laura Ingberg, Olivia Katieb, Emma Krasky, Grace Larson, Rachel Lawrence, Cornelia Lutz, Marquisa McWright, Ethan Nelson, Jackie Rodewald-Jones, Lilah Schulz, Ivy Sewell, Namshaya Silva Fischer, Chase Smith, Clint Smith, Jack Verchota
Musicians
Conductor / Keyboard..............Anita Ruth
Drums..................................Brian Glenn
Bass....................................Geoff LeCrone
Trumpet...............................Jeremy Dureski
Production Manager: Paige Ware
Assistant Director: Jeffrey Wells
Costume Manager: Joellyn Jolstad
Sound Operator: Dan Schlueter
Set Builders: Andrew Townsend, Bob Duvernois, Ethan Nelson, Paul Nelson, James Thomas-Carroll, Nathan Parshall, Anne Parshall
Back Stage Supervisors: Marc Bromaghim-Oropeza, Haily Gostas, Tria Vang
A Special Thanks to:
The Michelson Family Foundation, Meredith Davis, Vicki Jones, Amy Raspberry, Teri Welch, Anne Parshall, Jack O'Leary, AsaleSol Young, Marc Bromaghim-Oropeza, Andrew Townsend, Sandra Ramsey, Stage Coach St. Paul, Bridgz Marketing Group, Tom Bothof & Big Event Productions, and the Project SUCCESS Board of Directors
We also wish to acknowledge the tremendous support of Sanford's teachers, administrators, engineers and staff!
Also, thank you to all the Sanford families who donated their time and financial support to help make this production possible.
Produced by Project SUCCESS
Adrienne Diercks, Executive Director
Jenny Batten, Liz Bedard Halberg, Alex Brooks, Jason Brown, Harleigh Gabrielson, Laura Garcia, Haily Gostas, Emily Heagle, Naheeda Hirji-Walji, Julia Hutchinson, Cassie Karan, Jeffry Lusiak, Liz McGonagle, Adam Napoli-Rangel, Leah Russell, C. Ryan Shipley, Ginny Snow, Jane Townsend, Tria Vang, Paige Ware, Dominic Xiong, AsaleSol Young
Partial funding of the musical comes from COMPAS' United Arts Fund, including contributions from hundreds of employees at companies throughout Minnesota
