When the curtains part for the North Texas Performing Arts (NTPA) Dallas production of Annie Jr. in March, Lake Highlands residents will see several familiar faces on stage. The title role will be played by Merriman Park 4th grader Megan Murphy, and Taylor Brooks, a Lake Highlands Elementary 4th grader, will double as Lily St. Regis and Star-to-Be. Caroline White, a St. Patrick’s 3rd grader, will play Molly, with St. James Episcopal pre-schooler Annabelle Greenberg in dual roles – Mrs. Pugh and Sandy the dog.
Annie Jr. is an adaptation of the original Annie musical, based on the fictional character Little Orphan Annie. The cast – students ranging in age from 6-16 – are all from the Dallas area. The production includes much-loved songs including “Tomorrow” and “Hard-Knock Life.”
Annie Jr. will be the first Dallas-based musical for NTPA, which was founded in 1991 as Plano Children’s Theatre. The NTPA family of theatres now includes Plano Children’s Theatre, McKinney Youth Theatre, Frisco Youth Theatre, NTPA-Dallas, NTPA Repertory Theatre and Fairview Youth Theatre.
Annie Jr. runs March 9-12 at the Addison Theater and Conference Center, 15650 Addison Road near Arapaho and the Tollway. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased here.