Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Press Releases

CVLT's adopts "Annie" as family entertainment this season - 11/11/10

CHAGRIN FALLS, OH - "Leapin' Lizards!" Chagrin Valley Little Theatre will be mounting the beloved musical Annie for the holiday season. Based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip 'Little Orphan Annie', Annie is the timeless tale of an orphan girl who brings joy to the lonely mansion of wealthy businessman Oliver Warbucks. Did we mention that she also goes in search of her birth parents, foils a kidnapping and ransom plot, and warms the heart of president Franklin D. Roosevelt?

With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and book by Thomas Meehan, Annie originally ran for nearly six years on Broadway, setting a 2,377 performance record for the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) and winning 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It spawned film and TV adaptations, numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours. It returns to Broadway in 2012. The score includes some of Broadway's most memorable hits, including "It's the Hard-Knock Life," "Easy Street," "N.Y.C." and the ever-optimistic "Tomorrow." You can bet your bottom dollar that Annie will bring a smile to your face.

CVLT's production, under the direction of Brendan Sandham, with musical director by Diana Kullgren and choreographer Hannah Ziegler, features Eve Ruggelbrugge in the title role. David Malinowski appears as 'Oliver Warbucks', with Sandy Kosovich Peck as the cranky orphanage matron 'Miss Hannigan'. Also leading the cast are Katherine Johnson as Warbucks' assistant 'Grace', and Don Knepper and Katelyn Vogias as 'Rooster' and 'Lily St. Regis', Miss Hannigan's partners in crime. No production of Annie would be complete without adorable, singing orphans, and CVLT's production includes Emily McCulley, Olivia Meshanko, Molly Carroll, Sophie Longo, Lauren Hodkey and Emma Macesich. The company is rounded out by the ensemble of Matt Mortensen, Lincoln Sandham, Sam Portzer, Chad Duwe, Katie Gucik, Sydney Portzer, Alexandria Marzullo and Leah Jones-Thompson.

Annie will be on stage Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM, November 19 - December 18, with Sunday performances at 2 PM on November 28, December 5th** and December 19th. Tickets are $18 regular, $14 for students and seniors, and are available at www.CVLT.org, or by phone at 440-247-8955, Monday through Saturday from 1-6 PM. **Tickets for the December 5th matinee have been purchased by Junction Auto for resale as a benefit for Friends of WomenSafe, a 501(c)3 non-profit with the sole mission of generating unrestricted funds for WomenSafe. Since 1980, WomenSafe has served victims of domestic violence throughout NE Ohio by providing crisis shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, relocation and therapy services free of charge. Tickets for the December 5th matinee and are being sold exclusively through Friends of WomenSafe. If you wish to attend this performance, you are encouraged to call (440) 285-3741 for tickets. CVLT also thanks Merrill Lynch for financial support of this production.

Complete details on CVLT's 81st Season are available online at www.CVLT.org. The theater is located at 40 River Street in historic Chagrin Falls Village. Dinner packages are available with local restaurants.

Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and is supported by the Ohio Arts Council.

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