[NEohioPAL] Canal Fulton Players- Kristina Currans triumphs as Annie

[DVangaasbe at aol.com]

Matt King successfully completed his first directorial when Annie  ended on 
Sunday, June 27.  The story of Little Orphan Annie was greatly  received by 
the Greater Summit, Wayne and Stark County areas.  Four nights,  four 
sellouts. 
There is a great deal of Matt stamped on this show and his chemistry with a 
 four foot seven inch moppet named Kristina Currans made this an 
exceptional  play. Of course, what can I say about an eleven year old girl who is 
actually a  thirty one year old woman trapped in an eleven year old body. 
Kristina Currans  is an exceptional actress and singer.  Her rendition of Maybe 
and Tomorrow  were show stoppers. In fact, I told Matt one night that I had 
never come across  an actress like her. 
I knew early in rehearsals when the twelve girls  started to rehearse that 
we had something special. Kaitlyn Zeitz as Molly was  perfect. She is a 
thirty one year old woman in a ten year old body. She may  be a little girl in 
so many ways but when it comes to rehearsing she is  unbelievable. No one 
crossed her and when I said again she was the first one to  respond. Kennidy 
Zentiska who played Pepper was also perfect. Where did she come  from? Tough 
and sensitive, Kennidy made things work and she never complained.  And how 
about Gracyn Loper as Duffy. Gracyn had charmed all of us last year when  she 
sang Tomorrow and Maybe at our annual fundraiser. Gracyn however told me in  
February that it was going to be difficult to be Annie because she grew 
five  inches. So she became Duffy, the tall one. Hunter Rapp was an excellent 
July.  Debbie Liknes was great as Kate and she has learned her craft sitting 
hours at  rehearsals of our other plays watching not only her older sister 
rehearse but  the adults. She has been intense and we call her Siskel for her 
reviews of the  previous plays. She has learned a great deal looking and 
watching. And then  there is "Oh My Goodness" Adde Bair, who played Tessie. 
She smiles and the place  lights up. In "Fully Dressed" we almost did not have 
to turn the lights on. And  then the rest of the Orphans. Quiet Emma 
Canfield who really came out of her  shell in this production. She was a major 
energetic force in the dance numbers.  Also, Lauren Stover who will be playing 
Grace Ferrell in about fifteen years.  She was our cool head. When things 
were getting out of hand at rehearsal, guess  who was soothing things. Lauren. 
And Xavy Baker who played Wacky in the  radio scene. No one could do it 
better. She is an upcoming Tina Fey who will be  doing Saturday Night Live when 
she gets older. Lisa Gabel, our dancer, was the  one who constantly asked 
questions. Now, there are those movies where there is  the annoying kid who 
is constantly asking nonesensical questions. However, Lisa  asked intelligent 
questions some times so intelligent that I referred them to  Matt, who 
stood equally befuddled. And our little one, Lily Bair, who came to  the 
auditions with a huge cap on. When asked how many of those does she have,  she said 
thirty. I told her that she was to wear it at all times. She did and  boy 
did the audiences love it.
On the adult side, what can be said about  Jackie Piatt who played Miss 
Hannigan. She was mean, she was a slime ball, she  was obnoxious, she was Miss 
Hannigan. She brought a menacing comic touch to the  part. She was also our 
music director and that cast was ready when we started  putting it all 
together. Olivia Durell was great as Grace and her voice led the  scenes at the 
mansion of Oliver Warbucks. No doubt she was the leader and the  others 
followed. Then there was Ben Currans as Drake and a host of other parts.  Ben is 
a rookie but you would never realize that. He gave it his all and it  
worked. Maggie Leatherman as Sophie in the Hooverville scene, Perkins in the  
Cabinet scene, and Mrs. Greer in the Mansion scenes, had you convinced that  
there were three women out there playing. Yes, folks that was one actress. 
Duane  Acker was excellent as Bert Healy and the announcers. He had you 
believing that  he was the radio host similar to the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. Ray 
Olivera was our  Sandy the Dog. Instead of the real thing, we went with Ray 
because there is no  better improvisational actor that Ray. He had the whole 
audience rooting for  him. 
Amiee Jarzenski tied the record for most parts in a play- five. She was  in 
the Hooverville scene, The Star to Be in NYC, Tully, Roosevelt's Secretary 
in  the Cabinet, the Boylan Sister in the Radio and the French maid at the 
Mansion.  It was amazing that she could figure out which part was coming.
Bryan Steffee  was perfect as Rooster, Hannigan's brother. Bryan had to 
play a slime ball and  he did it well. He was also very endearing to the 
audience as was his partner in  crime Stacey Pasternak who played Lily St. Regis. 
Stacey worked exceptionally  hard to play totally amoral Lily who saw 
nothing wrong with what she was doing.  
John Steiner was great as FDR and he did some great gestures similar to the 
 32nd President of the United States. He showed comic flair throughout. 
Rachel  Farley and Heidi Knight were also very dexterious when doing parts. 
Rachel was  Mrs. Pugh, a member of the Hooverville Gang, and a Boylan sister. 
She was also  the movie theatre attendant voice. Heidi was in Hooverville and 
a French maid  who did not like maids who flirted with the groomsmen. That 
maid was played by  Jena Bair, mother to Adde and Lily, who believe it or 
not auditioned on a lark.  She also was part of the Hooverville gang. Rounding 
out the cast was Tyler  Brewer, Josh Rowe, Jarod Hare, and Mike Groom. 
Tyler, Jarod and Josh also were  part of the stage crew which was led by Ray 
Olivera. Mike was our Lieutenant  Ward who was menacing throughout.
And Matt as Daddy Warbucks, well he was  great and the girls loved him. 
They also loved it when he had his head shaved.  In other words, this was a 
great play with a great cast. No wonder we sold out  all four nights.
We also had a great pianist in Margie Metcalf and drummer in  Brad Palmer. 
Brad was also our sound person. Margie was a tireless pianist  and would 
work long hours. Anita Artzner did a tremendous job as our  choreographer. Her 
dedication to the dance was quite evident in the various  numbers. Many in 
the audience said "Wow".  Lights were done by Gary Nelson  and George Dorer 
who made things work. As for programs and playbills, there were  Dianne 
Dillon and Jack Dillon. They made a great program. Also, there were two  mothers 
who worked the room which housed the orphans. What can be said about  
Heather Loper and Shelly Stover who managed to keep the girls quiet, in the room  
and in sync with the play. They were the unsung heroines in this play. Also  
Belind Currans who somehow always had the dress change ready for Kristina 
who  would sprint everywhere. So were the numerous people who worked box 
office, the  dinner theatre, the parking lot, publicity, and concessions. 
I have been  criticized for being long winded. I plead guilty but when you 
have a cast, crew  and backstage staff as good as these you take your time 
and talk. If I missed  someone let me know. 
I once kidded a fine director by the name of Frank Motz  at an awards 
banquet. He had done an exceptional job directing Woody Allen's God  but we did 
not want him to get a swelled head. I said to my partner in crime,  Bob 
Parenti, from the lectern, "it's amazing what good acting does for bad  
directing." In this particular case, the acting was exceptional and people will  come 
back because of the tireless efforts of thirty people who worked hard to  
make it work. Kristina, you are our Annie and do not let anyone tell you  
otherwise. 
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