What's Up With "Annie?"

On the notice last week that Huntington Outdoor Theatre was holding auditions for Annie, I added this note:

(I hear you saying, "Hey, Chuck, didn't you post a while back that First Stage Theatre Company would be doing Annie next year?" Yes, I did - but plans have changed. I'll have more on that in an upcoming post.)

So here's the deal. First Stage Theatre Company (on whose advisory board I serve) chooses its shows well in advance.

We do this for several reasons: it makes it easier to plan the year ahead; it allows us to find theatre space for our shows; and it notifies other theatre groups about our plans.

Apparently at the same time First Stage decided to do Annie, HOT decided to do the same show. It happens quite often in community theatre - great minds tend to think alike.

None of us on the board of First Stage were aware of this, although we heard some rumors to that effect a few weeks after we had announced our season.

The fact is, any group can decide to do any show - if your group has the funding to pay for the rights to the show, and if the show is available to be rented, then your group can do that show.

First Stage intended to do the show in the Spring of 2011, but since HOT is staging it in the Summer of 2010, First Stage has dropped Annie from its schedule for next season.

In its place we have a show that's going to be very exciting. In fact, the only show comparable to it is High School Musical, which was a huge event for First Stage two years ago.

I can't tell you what that show is yet - we still have a few details to work out - but the members of the board are excited about it, and we think it's going to be huge.

More importantly, the young actors are going to love it. More on that show... soon!