Popcorn and Pen

Noblesville Intermediate School will present its inaugural musical production “Annie Jr.” 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday night to the public. The show will be performed by the 80 students in the NIS Drama Club.

“Annie Jr.” is based on Broadway musical “Annie,” except adapted for younger audiences and increased roles for actors. The show is directed by NIS teachers Gretchen Avila, Amy Boxberger and Bekke Shank and NIS parent Mary Weiss. It will be the first theater production in the new building.

“It is a challenge because of the new building – the sound system has never been used before,” said Boxberger.

The directors picked “Annie Jr.” because Avila has helped in the showing of it before and it allows parts for all the club’s students.

“We just liked it. It had the right parts,” Boxberger said.

As an inaugural club, Boxberger said the Noblesville School Board played an integral part in helping stage the production.

“We had no budget,” said Boxberger. “The school board bought the music rights and songbooks for us.”

The club began in December with improvisational lessons and vocal and acting classes. Boxberger said at one point the club had over 120 students involved, but not all students could commit to the play.

Two roles are double casted – Annie with Briana Huskin and Maya Ploss, and Grace with Abby Crump and Anna Rowe. Boxberger said both roles have two students because “there were a lot of amazing voices and it’s a lot of lines to learn.” The directors said over 80 students applied for the role of Annie, and some girls asked to audition for male roles.

Maya will play the role Friday night and Briana will perform Saturday evening. Both girls have a different favorite song they sing in the musical

“I like all the singing,” said Maya. “My favorite song is ‘Tomorrow’ because it really challenges my voice with high and low parts.”

“I like ‘Maybe.’ I like how my voice sounds,” added Briana.

This is the first major role either of the fifth grade girls has had. Maya said she last played an old hag in fourth grade.

“I wanted something bigger and better than an old hag,” she said.

Briana said she mainly gets to play the sidekick and when she saw the cast listing she “screamed in my friend’s ear.”

The leading male role of “Daddy” Warbucks belongs to sixth-grader Cole Hendricks, who will perform the role both nights. Cole said that with the leading role comes great responsibly.

“If I mess up my lines it’ll mess up their lines,” he said. “It all falls on me.”

In addition to the two public showings, the production will be done twice today for the student body.

“It’s nice, but it gives me more pressure at the same time,” said Cole. “I worry about what the sixth-graders will think.”

Other lead roles include Jessica Weiss, Mrs. Hannigan; Trevor Barnes, Rooster; and Ashley Owens, Lilly.