“The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow
So You Gotta Hang On ‘Til Tomorrow, Come What May
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love You, Tomorrow
You’re Always A Day Away.” – Annie Jr. The Musical
As the audience left the Robert B. Gaw Theater after watching the much-anticipated Middle School (MS) performance, the prevailing thought on everyone’s mind was the deep and resonant feeling of hope.
With three sold-out performances held on the 16 and 17 November, the ISKL community witnessed MS’s rendition of ‘Annie Jr.,’ a classic tale of courage and resilience. With a superb massive collaborative cast and crew of over 100 MS students, the musical celebrates the story of orphan Annie and how she overcame obstacles by staying strong and hopeful.
For those unfamiliar with the story of ‘Annie Jr.,’ the musical follows the exciting adventure that orphan Annie undertakes in 1933, searching for her biological parents in New York City. Through Annie, we meet the wicked Mrs. Hannigan, who runs the orphanage, wealthy businessman Oliver Warbucks who eventually adopts her, her supportive friends, and her lovable dog, Sandy.
There was a unique twist to this year’s musical as anecdotes of hope shared by community members were interwoven into the story. Weeks before the performances, members of the ISKL community were asked to anonymously submit their personal stories of how they overcame obstacles in their lives. Like the character of Annie, these communal stories show how resilience and hope for tomorrow helped them overcome these hardships and rise above them.
While waiting for the musical to begin, the audience heard these heartfelt stories of hope played on the theater’s speakers and read by the cast. Stories from ISKL students, faculty, parents, or staff were shared, telling how they had encountered loss or had a loved one contract a long-term illness and how each overcame this obstacle through hope.
Our talented MS performers sang their hearts out, entertaining the crowd with many familiar and popular songs, singing and clapping along to fan favorites such as ‘It’s the Hard-Knock Life,’ ‘Tomorrow,’ and ‘You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.’
Bravo to our outstanding MS students and production team, who displayed passion and willingness to take on new challenges and embrace learning beyond the classroom. These opportunities are crucial in helping our students discover their innate interests while developing lifelong skills.
As MS Drama Teacher Philip J. Oosthuizen shared in the ‘Annie Jr.’ program, “In this day and age, so many demands need to be met. Thus, having a group of people sacrificing their time united in a common cause does not go unnoticed. Through this, we have proven, as theater often does, that the human spirit is relentless in its pursuit of self-expression.”
QUOTES FROM THE CAST OF ANNIE JR.
