“Annie” Debuts at RHS

Annie is sad that she cannot stay with “Daddy Warbucks.” From left is Terell Wright, Bonnie Gasdia, Mikayla Andre and Jordan Cunningham. Veritas photos

Megan Diver, Veritas Staff

April 10, 2019

The Rockland High School Music Department’s production of the musical “Annie” debuted to a full house on Friday, April 5, in the RHS/RMS auditorium at 7 p.m. The play concluded with another large and enthusiastic audience on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The cast, made up of high school and middle school students (and one canine), lit up the stage with a wide arrangement of musical and dance numbers including favorites, “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” “Maybe,” “N.Y.C,” and “Easy Street.”

The director of the play, high school and middle school chorus director, Victoria McComb, and asst. director, RPS elementary music teacher, Michelle Booth, who choreographed the dance numbers and coached the singers, got the most out of their diverse and talented cast.

The cast included: Mikayla Andre (Annie); Jordan Cunningham (Warbucks); Emily Gaboriault (Miss Hannigan); Bonnie Gasdia (Grace Farrell); Olivia Janis (Lily, Lt. Ward)); Neleh Dunn (Rooster).

Also in the cast were Terell Wright (Bundles, Drake, Announcer), Leah Drago (Perkins, Apple Seller, Mrs. Pugh), Kerin Dalton (Dog Catcher, Morganthau, Boylan Sister), Julia Yeadon (Ickes, Asst. Dog Catcher, Boylan Sister, Star to Be), Leah Leonard (Annette, Kaltenborn, Boylan Sister), Jonah Pishkin (Roosevelt), Hannah Ivil (Homeless Person), Callie Gillan (Cecile, Orphan), Phil Pattison (Bert Healy), Morgan Wahlstrom (Judge), McKenna Maher (Pepper), Liliana Berquist/Kelly Hamilton (Tessie), Emily Gillooly (Molly), Anabelle MacDonald (July), Kyara Williams (Duffy), Emily Holbrook (Kate), Kelly Hamilton (Orphan) and the lovable, Sadie (Sandy).

The N.Y.C Ensemble included: Shylyn Boulter, Saige Clauss, Victoria Foley, Lindsay Gillan, Mary Kippenhan, Kaitlyn Kulikowski, Aleah Meade, Corinne Medford, Matthew Medford, Ngan Nguyen, Hailey O’Brien, Helana Plouffe, Rose Ripley, Ana Clara-Santos, Cailin Sullivan, Anya Voci and Morgan Wahlstrom.

Before the show, Rockland Music Department Head John Piazza thanked everyone for their part in pulling the show together, including parents, teachers and students who contributed behind the scenes, and including those who played in the orchestra.

Seniors involved in the musical, Bonnie Gasdia, Morgan Wahlstrom and Leah Drago, had two highly emotional nights as their last play concluded. They can all surely agree they ended their dramatic careers at RHS on a high note. Gasdia, who played Warbucks’ secretary, Grace Farrell, said that this was her favorite role.

Director Ms. McComb said, “The musical was a huge success- very well attended and extremely well performed. We are very grateful for and proud of everyone who was involved in putting this production together.”

The full cast of the musical Annie

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