Arts Coverage Music

Simply Annie

Before I sat down to write my thoughts on the play Annie, I tried coming up with a good title. I thought of “Annie, the Adopted Girl”, “Spectacular Annie”, “Annie the play”, but none of them seemed right, so I’m going to go with “Simply Annie”. Why “Simply Annie”, because the version Ptarmigan Ptheatrics is putting on is Simply Amazing.

Going into the show I had an open mind, because I thought it must be tough for all those kids to memorize so many lines and songs. Boy! Was I ever wrong. It seemed like second nature for those kids to get up on stage in front of a full audience and perform. Other than being genuinely cute and talented, these kids were hilarious. You can tell when a performer is just spouting out lines and when they actually mean them, these kids and all the actors and actresses, for that matter, truly were in the zone and were spectacular.

We all know the story of Annie, I’m sure most of us have seen the movie as well. Little orphan girl is optimistic that she will one day find her real parents and live happily ever after, one Christmas is brought into the home of a wealthy millionaire billionaire, who takes a liking to her. He wants to adopt her, but she wants to find her parents, so they search and find some unfortunate news. Then finally both Mr. Warbucks and Annie have a happy ever after. Simple enough, but ever to captivating.

Words can not describe the talent this town possesses, probably because I’ve written them already, but I digress. Something that I still can’t get over is how well, young, Jessica Blake does as Annie. It is unbelievable to think of all the lines she has had to memorize and then have the ability to recreate a character with such joy and dazzle. Watching her sing reminded me of Miley Cyrus, I know weird but stick with me for a second. When you hear Jessica’s voice and associate it with a slower Miley Cyrus song, you will start to hear the similarities. Then when you see Jessica you will notice that this up and coming star also has big bright eyes and wide grinning smile, very similar to Miley. Please take this as a compliment, Miley is a very talented person, regardless of what anyone else thinks. I have a feeling this is only the begin for Jessica.

Part of what makes a local play, like this one, all that more wonderful, is the fact you are guaranteed to know some of the cast. Whether it is a past Middle School teacher who is acting like a swindler, a high school student who was prancing in short shorts on the same stage only a month earlier to the Choral Societies rendition of It’s Rainin Men, or a City Councilor who is being told to sing, you’re always bound to see someone you know and that is what makes it that much more enjoyable.

I could go one about how great it was to feel as though you were right in the story with Annie, and how Roy Williams does it again and directs a great play, and how by the end of the play all I wanted to do was get up and sing with them, but I am far to tired and need to get up early.

Everyone from the performers to the backstage crew to the tech crew to the ticket takers did a magnificent show. If you did not have plans to see the play already, I’m telling you need to make them. There might still be time to catch a show.

Did you go? What’d ya think?

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About the author

Kyle Thomas

Kyle grew up in Yellowknife and is a local entrepreneur, writer, baker, and Yellowknife Advocate who is addicted to learning as much as he can about the community and sharing it with anyone who'll listen. In 2009 he developed YkOnline.ca. A website all about living, working and thriving in Yellowknife for residents, newcomers, and visitors.

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