Leapin’ Lizards!
America’s favorite redheaded orphan is coming to Bethlehem, and audiences have rarely seen such dedication from a cast.
This year’s annual Bethlehem Central Middle School musical is “Annie Jr.” and the production has leads Emily Furlong and Lucas Martinez making drastic changes to their appearances. Instead of wearing a wig, Furlong, who plays Annie, is dying her hair red and curling it herself. Martinez, who plays Daddy Warbucks, is shaving his head.
“They are doing this completely of their own volition,” said high school Choir Director Jason Dashew, who is co-directing the production with wife, Lindsay Packard-Dashew. “They’ve really taken the musical to heart and said they wanted to make the changes, but we do have a wig available.”
This is the first year the couple have directed the musical. Lynda Conway directed middle school productions for seven years with the help of Assistant Director Katie Daly. After they decided to step down, the Dashews took the reins.
Jason Dashew has worked at the district for 11 years, while Lindsay Packard-Dashew owns Broadway Bound, a Delmar acting camp for children. Jason said they decided to take on the job because they’ve been involved in the high school for so many years, it seemed natural for them to continue their work with the younger grades.
“It works as a good transition for the kids,” said Lindsay. “It gives them a little bit of continuity between the middle school and the high school.”
“Annie Jr.” was picked because it’s
a classic tale celebrating its 35th anniversary on Broadway. The “Jr.” version is a bit shorter than the full-fledged theatrical version. But audiences shouldn’t fret, because it still contains all of their favorite show tunes, from “Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow,” to “Maybe” and “I Don’t Need Anything but You.”
“It’s a little bit more appropriate for a younger audience,” said Lindsay. “And our Sandy (the dog) sings.”
The musical is set in 1933 and tells the story of Annie, an orphan living in a children’s home in New York City. Annie is picked to live with millionaire Oliver Warbucks for a short time as part of a public relations effort. He soon learns to care for the girl and offers to help her locate her parents.
Furlong, who was also in last year’s production of “Guys and Dolls,” said her favorite scenes are those in which she gets to play along with the orphans.
“The whole cast is very good,” she said. “Everybody puts a lot of work and effort into it, but I like those songs the most.”
Furlong also said she could identify with Annie’s spunk.
“I wouldn’t really call myself shy,” she said.
Martinez said he thinks it’s interesting to see how his character, Daddy Warbuck, develops.
“He’s really fun to play,” he said. “He goes from this cold and heartless rich guy, who doesn’t know what to do with a kid, to a warm, loving father type.”
In total, the production has a cast of more than 60 students, with an additional 50 students on the show’s running crew. The set and costumes were also made with the help of students and parents. Megan Carhart, an eighth-grader, drew the artwork of Annie and Sandy that is being used on all of the promotional material.
“One of the most important things is audiences are going to see really talented kids, a beautiful set, wonderful lighting, and we want people to know this is being done 100 percent by students and volunteers,” said Jason Dashew.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at the middle school box office starting 90 minutes before the show. The show will be performed Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 2, at 2 and 7 p.m.