Three young girls have been handed the theatrical experience of lifetime. They have each been chosen to perform the lead role in the forthcoming season of the musical Annie, in Sydney.
The three girls cast as Annie in the Sydney production are Marley Aspinall (12), from Glebe, who learns dance at the Village Performing Arts Centre; Siena Elchaar (11) from Peakhurst, who began at Theatrix Performing Arts of Wollongong and is now at Brent St; and Ella Nicol (9), from Turramurra, who learns at McCarthy Studios.
The girls will head three different casts of seven orphans each, making a total of 24 children altogether. They are Skye Azzopardi, Gemma Bell, Keira Bellifemine, Ayanda Dlada, Jade Gillis, Zoe Ioannou, Alessandra Kitinas, Isabel Kratz, Jordan Lazarus, Lucille Le Meledo, Savannah Lind, Emily McKay, Antonia Marinovic, Natasha Mills, Imogen Ovijach, Jessica Percy, Emily Roach, Maddison Smith-Catlin, Morgan Townsend, Kirsten Tsoltoudis and Ella Williams.
Annie opens at the Lyric Theatre from 29 December in an new production starring Anthony Warlow, Nancye Hayes, Todd McKenney, Chloe Dallimore, Julie Goodwin and Alan Jones as President Roosevelt.
Read the complete story on the audition process (with comments by choreographer Kelly Aykers) in the Oct/Nov issue of Dance Australia.