Story by Taylor Onski, Photos by Dan Lloyd

With 41 local actors ages 7–18, plus dancers from International Dance Academy, All the Daze Productions is performing everyone’s favourite non-official classic Christmas musical, Annie Jr., this December.

Based on the Broadway musical, Annie Jr. follows the story, through song and dance, of the iconic red-headed orphan who spends Christmas with billionaire Mr. Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, navigates the hard-knock life of being under Miss Hannigan’s supervision, and learns her own meaning of family.

Director Marcia Arpin had no hesitation revisiting the show as a director, and bringing it to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium feels even more special this time. “It’s a classic musical theatre experience. Who doesn’t love Annie? If someone hasn’t seen Annie, well, now they definitely should,” says Arpin. “There’s something beautiful about the Auditorium stage, and letting it come back to life after being dormant during COVID. For us, it’s magic. There’s going to be something really magical, finally, about this Christmas.”

Arpin is not the only one revisiting Annie Jr. Seventeen-year old Callie Kok, who played the orphan Pepper at age nine under Arpin’s direction, now plays Grace Farrell. “When I was Pepper, I had a smaller role, less responsibility, and in numbers where I got to have a bit more fun. Now that I’m playing Grace, it feels like I’m at the adult table,” Kok says.

For 11-year-old actress Madie Boyd, who plays orphan Tessie, what makes her look forward to Sunday rehearsals (and hardly sleeping the night before), is getting to see all the magic of theatre. “My favourite part is not even the lines, it’s being in the numbers like ‘NYC,’ where I’m just walking around in character,” Boyd says.

For 10-year-old Chloe Rowe, who is playing Annie, rehearsals are not only a space to learn to make theatrical magic, but to have fun with friends. “My favourite part of being a part of Annie is definitely making friends, because you get to meet and sing with a bunch of people from all different ages and it’s fun. I can’t wait to show audiences all the music, singing, dancing, and acting. We’re practising a lot and we’re going to make sure it’s a good show.”

Annie Jr. runs December 10 and 12 at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit tbca.com or ticketmaster.ca.