The Morris Hills spring musical “Annie” was very well presented and received. People do not realize how much work and dedication putting on a show requires. From the beautiful sets to the countless props, the show was amazing to watch!
I was in the pit band, so I got to see the cast and crew go through the final stages in putting the play together. Though there were times during the practices when a cast member forgot what to do, (like when Roxie the dog, who played Sandy, kept running away from Emily Nieman, who played Annie) the three shows for the students, staff, and family were phenomenal. Every show ended with a standing ovation from the audience!
The songs were well coordinated and choreographed, and the live music from the pit band provided a “Broadway-like” atmosphere. From the enthusiastic applause of the audience after every song, it was easy to tell that people really enjoyed the music and the singing. Moreover, not only did the audience enjoy the show, but the people who were a part of it also had a great time making the show the best it could be.
Though it was inconvenient that the pit band had to stay in school until 9 in the night for three consecutive days to prepare for the play, I still look forward to joining the pit band again next year. Many of my friends in the pit band felt the same way. Mr. Sopko, who directed the pit band, said that this play was the best that he had ever seen, exclaiming “… and I’ve done 34 [productions]!” and saying that “every element was professional.”
The cast and crew also were very satisfied with their effort. After the third and final show of “Annie”, many of the members of the play was very sad that this was their last year at Morris Hills and that this would be the last production that they would take part in. Mary Sudol, a senior at Morris Hills, played Grace in the play. She also portrayed the part of Hermia in the fall play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. I asked Mary how “Annie” was different from the fall play. She said, “[Annie] was more difficult to put together as there were a bunch of people. It forced us to work together more as an ensemble and a team. It brought us together. In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, we each had individual parts.”
It was clear that the cast, crew and pit band had a great time staging “Annie”, and that the audience had a great time watching. I hope to be in the pit band again next year so I can keep watching the great plays that the Morris Hills Drama Club presents!