Elgin Summer Theatre’s ‘Annie’ still rings true today

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Updated: July 17, 2011 2:35AM

ELGIN — Millions of Americans are out of work, many have lost their homes, and average people don’t know whether to blame the previous president for the stock market crash or the current president for not solving the problem.

While the plot seems very similar to current economic and social problems, it is in fact the background for the musical “Annie” set for 3 p.m. today and next Sunday, July 24, and at 8 p.m. next Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, at the Hemmens Cultural Center of Elgin.

Elgin Summer Theatre chose to produce the 1977 musical, based on the classic comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” because it is a family-friendly show that everyone could feel comfortable seeing, director Charlie Brieger said.

But early on in rehearsals, he realized how appropriate the show is for the current economic hardships still facing many Americans.

“This is a story with a message for our times,” Brieger said during a break on the show’s technical rehearsal day. “There are a lot of people facing economic strife; and while they might not be homeless, they are down on their luck.”

The message in “Annie” — the story of a 11-year-old orphan taken in by a gruff billionaire but desperately believing that her parents will find her — is one of belief, Brieger added.

“The message is not hope. It is belief,” he said. “Annie believes that things will get better, and she is actively working towards that. Hope is passive — belief means doing something about it.”

Even 87 years after the first comic strip ran, he added, the story still rings true.

“Annie” also is part of a new trend for Elgin Summer Theatre. In the past, the troupe has not performed shows specifically for children or adults, although cast members of its production “Hair” were over 18, and cast members of “Grease” were at least 16 years old. And a number of area children were in the cast for last summer’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

“Last year with ‘Joseph,’ we got a lot of feedback that it was so good to have a family show where they can bring their kids and grandparents to come see it,” Brieger said. “This is an appropriate-for-all show.”

There are 50 people in the cast. While the show was written for just eight orphans, there were 149 girls who auditioned for the show.

“We had a lot of talented young ladies,” Brieger said.

So there are 18 other girls playing additional singing roles.

His talent pool was so large at auditions that two girls — Carley Pierce and Emma Soden — are playing the role of Annie, switching every other night.

And yes, there is a dog playing “Sandy.” Lucy the dog was a last-minute replacement for his sire, Mr. Hutchinson, who died shortly before rehearsals started.