On May 7-9, 2026, New Way is bringing back Annie the Musical! New Way hasn’t done Annie since the original theater program shut down! The original theater program shut down because Mr. Campanili left, and he was the heart and soul of the theater program! But luckily, the program is now coming back because teachers Mrs. Smith, Ms. Huston, and Mrs. Johnson have decided to take it over, and have decided to do Annie for its first musical back!
The Musical Annie takes place during the 1930s in New York, focusing on a happy, red-haired orphaned girl named Annie, who lives in a bleak orphanage that is owned by a mean lady named Miss Hannigan, and even though she has a sad life living there, she is still able to maintain an unwavering optimism for tomorrow. She soon finds a home with a billionaire named Oliver Warbucks and learns the true meaning of family while trying to stop Miss Hannigan and her brother, Rooster’s, evil plans.
The Musical Annie helps teach kids about hope, optimism, resilience, and finding family in unexpected places, skills that lots of kids are probably going to need as they get older, and if they don’t have families either. This can be useful for kids without families because it can provide hope, resilience, and the chance of kids finding family, demonstrating feelings of loss while also demonstrating that love and stability are possible for kids without families, and showcasing talking points for hard emotions about real parents and adoptive parents.
The cast list includes 35 kids, and some kids are playing two parts in the musical! The lead roles include Addy Chiari as Annie, Taylee Adams as Grace Farrell, Lundin Brown as Miss Hannigan, Hayden Hanks as Oliver Warbucks, and Luke Mello as Rooster! These lead roles help drive the story of the musical to the plot, give prominence, and act as the heroes or villains.
The Musical Annie is such a great story, and it’s such a big deal for Mrs. Smith, Ms. Huston, and Mrs. Johnson to bring back the theater program and direct the musical! If not for them, we wouldn’t be able to put on any more plays or musicals here at New Way! I hope the musical goes well, and I hope everyone likes it!
Full Cast List:
Addy Chiari as Annie, Lundin Brown as Miss Hannigan, Hayden Hank as Oliver Warbucks, Taylee Adams as Grace Farrell, Luke Mello as Rooster Hannigan, Anna Lise Hoglund as Lily St. Regis, Lola Sowunmi as Molly and Clara, Mahalia Smith as Kate and Hazel, Vivi Hamden as Tessie and Dolly, Marie Irwin as Pepper and Daisy, Claire Jensen as July and Goldie, Suri Bell as Duffy and Mildred, Caleb Fraker as Drake and Sal, Cooper LeBorgne as Bundles and Joey, Maddy Green as Lt. Henrietta Ward, Skye Buckey as Berta Healy, Micah Moriarity as President F.D.R and Tony, Francie Kendall as Lois Howe and Evelyn, Summer Goodrich as Stars-to-be and Flo, Amy Davis as Stars-to-be and Hattie, Paulina Montgomery as Usherette and Mable, Isley Hinchey as Apple Seller and Millie, Gabriella Smart as Ruthie and Minnie, Abigail Pennell as Ethel and Nellie, Henry Rodriguez as Alfie and Jimmy, Maya Rhoden as Pearl and Georgie, Eden Chiaramonte as Betty and Louise, Theo Christensen as Monte and Richie, Mia Miekly as May and Sofia, Abbey Burke as Dot and Mitzi, Liam McLean as Petey and Gus, Bailey Blakeslee as Loretta and Velma, Archie Weber as Tommy and Oscar, Grant Bruening as Benny and Vinny, and Adar Rosenberg as Louie and Robby.
