For the past two years, Neshaminy Valley Theatre company has held out hope that “the sun will come out tomorrow” regarding its production of Annie, which was indefinitely paused when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Now, that “tomorrow” is finally here.
In April, at Neshaminy High School’s Theodore Kloos Auditorium, 2001 Old Lincoln Hwy. in Langhorne, the nonprofit group is presenting the classic tale of the beloved New York orphan who, with the help of wealthy Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, attempts to locate her parents.
Proceeds from ticket sales benefit scholarships for Neshaminy High School seniors who intend to study the fine or performing arts in college. Since its inception in 1956, Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre has awarded over $155,000 in scholarships.
“This is money being raised by the community and being put right back into the community,” said Levittown’s Courtney Capriotti, who is playing villainous Miss Hannigan, head of the orphanage. “I was happy to be part of the production before, but seeing that the kids are benefitting, it just makes you realize how much work Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre is doing. It’s for the kids, the next set of musicians and performers.”
Capriotti, a general music teacher at Bensalem’s Valley Elementary and section leader at her church, was originally cast as a chorus member. However, when the original Miss Hannigan was unable to commit to the role two years later, Capriotti was offered the part for her NVMT debut.
On playing such a conniving, scheming character, Capriotti said, “It’s such fun. You just get to lose everything that you’ve had all day. She is so angry that by the time you’re done reading lines and acting like Miss Hannigan, everything just feels kind of fun and easy. She, her brother Rooster (Will Augustin, Levittown) and his girlfriend Lily St. Regis (Molly Moran, Philadelphia) are just these comical villains. I feel like I’m in a Disney film sometimes, the things that they say, all the cackling that goes on and just how mean they are.”
Also making his NVMT debut is Holland’s Mark Scher as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, a role he’s been excitedly waiting to play since 2020.
“Two weeks before opening was when everything got shut down. We didn’t know what was gonna happen and we just kept hanging onto hope,” he said.
Scher’s audition process was far from typical. In fact, he credits his furry best friend Lilly for everything. In 2018, he inquired with another theater group about having her portray Annie’s dog Sandy, just as another pet of his had done in the past. Though the theater felt Lilly was too shy to appear on stage, Scher knew she could do it. And he was right, with Lilly appearing in several productions of Annie.
When he learned of NVMT, Scher brought her to audition. To his surprise, he was asked to read some lines and sing. “The next day I got a call and they said, ‘We’d like to cast you as Daddy Warbucks.’ I was only here for my dog,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s exciting and my dog is cast again.”
Though Scher appeared in a few high school shows, he didn’t have any speaking parts. When asked by his wife if he’s nervous to take on such a massive role at the age of 56, he confidently shared that he’s stage fright-free.
“My inspiration is, I’m still on the right side of the grass and I’m just gonna keep doing what I wanna do and enjoying every minute of it,” he said. “Coming out of what we just came out of, this pandemic and everything else, this show should be very uplifting for not just the people that are involved, but also a lot of the audience.”
In Capriotti’s opinion, after the stresses of learning and working from home over the past two years, attendees might be able to relate to Miss Hannigan on some level.
“She’s just exhausted with everything. She’s not a nice person by any means, but I think she came to be that way because nothing ever worked out for her,” said Capriotti. “There’s a scene where all the kids are screaming and she yells, ‘Shutup!,’ at them and I’m thinking there’s probably a lot of people who feel this way when there’s chaos all around you and you can’t control it. I think that’s what makes her relatable and kind of fun, though her fuse is a little shorter than most people.”
Given the fact that Neshaminy Valley Theatre Company is an all-volunteer organization, including the actors, it’s evident that everyone involved boasts a true passion for the arts. Scher, who is hitting the stage following an open heart bypass surgery, is “most likely” going to shave his head to truly look the part of Warbucks. As for Capriotti, an avid theater-goer, she’s honored to be on the opposite side of the experience.
“It just feels so good to sit in a dark room and watch people entertain you,” she said. “And this is such a fun musical, just the idea of optimism and hope is so good to be sharing with people right now…even though Miss Hannigan is not very optimistic or hopeful.”
The show also stars Courtney Neiman, of Levittown, and Lydia O’Halloran, of Willow Grove, who are rotating in the role of Annie; Karen Knodel, of Willow Grove, as Grace Farrell; and Michael Powell, of Horsham, as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Stephen Casey serves as director and choreographer.
Neshaminy Valley Theatre Company’s 64th annual production of Annie takes place April 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10. Friday performances are at 8 p.m.; Saturdays are at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays are at 3 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance general admission; $20 seniors; $12 for youth 14 and under; additional $2 at the door; $18 for groups of 15 or more (arranged in advance). Tickets are available at nvmt.org (through PayPal), by emailing nvmt@verizon.net or calling 267-733-8876. Any ticket is good for any seat at any performance with Flex Tix.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
