Opening night jitters and “break a leg” well wishes are beginning to stir as the Needham Community Theatre’s production of “Annie” prepares to open Friday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.
Cast members say the classic tale of a pure-hearted, redheaded orphan who seeks her parents and ends up finding family in unexpected places, carries a deeper meaning than the experience of memorizing lines and frenetic costume changes.
“It’s a community theater because really everyone’s such a community,” said Deahna Spada, the 13-year-old actress who plays Annie. “I get to go in after a long day of school or work and (be a member of) a community where everyone loves each other, and we all get to work on something really magical in the end.”
Spada, who began performing at age 5 and appeared professionally in “The Little Mermaid” and “SpongeBob” by age 11, said the theater provides a refuge from life’s daily pressures. Unlike her other passion, competitive ski-racing, she says she enjoys the helpful, communal ethic of working with other actors.
Meg Dussault, who plays the villainous Miss Hannigan, typically directs shows for the Needham Community Theater, but chose to act in “Annie.”
“When you’re a director, you have to take care of all the details and it’s your job to worry about everything,” Dussault said. “When you’re a performer, you really just have to worry about, ‘Can I do my best and can I deliver?’”
She described the 40-plus people involved in the production as talented and supportive, so much so, the cast was unaffected by shortened days of sunlight and seasonal mood challenges. “As soon as we get daylight savings everyone’s cranky,” Dussault said, “and that hasn’t been here.”
The actors involved in the show include Michael Bailit, who plays Franklin D. Roosevelt and is on the theater board. His dog Harpo is cast as Sandy. The cast has put in two to three hours per rehearsal, three times a week, since September.
“The theme of the show and its uplifting message means a lot to our community right now because we live in fraught times, where there’s not a tremendous amount of optimism that people are feeling about our country at this moment,” Bailit said when asked what the show means to the Needham community. “Having a show where the theme song is, ‘The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow’ is, I think, a balm for sad souls.”
With opening night approaching, actors are antsy to begin.
“I’m really excited, I can’t wait for all my friends to come,” Spada said when asked how she feels about opening night, her hair cut and dyed, ready to play the part.
“We’re ready,” was Bailit’s response to the same question. “We have a wonderful director, Marianne Lonati, who has directed for us previously and she runs a tight ship, and she makes sure that her cast is ready to go by the time it’s opening night.”
Performance dates for the show along with tickets and other details can be found on the Needham Community Theatre website.