Following the amazing Lower Dauphin High School presentation of the musical “Annie,” this article will break down each of the leading actors and actresses’ performances in one of the best local theater shows of the year.

(*NOTE* the only performances included were ones submitted for the Hershey Theater’s Apollo Awards.)

Annie – Abigail Foran

Kicking things off is the star of the musical, Annie herself, Abigail Foran. The obvious, yet right, choice for the role, Foran displayed her great voice coupled with very good acting that made distinguishing between the junior thespian and Aileen Quinn (the actress that played Annie in the 1982 movie) extremely difficult. As a cherry on top, it was great to see Sandy, Annie’s canine companion, with her on stage.

Oliver Warbucks – Aden Weigle

Though the bald cap on Weigle’s head was slightly distracting at times, overall the senior played the role very well. Warbucks’ emotions were perfectly acted and the crowd gets a good sense of the growing love that the billionaire has for Annie. In the end, when the orphan and Warbucks hug, the audience legitimately believes in the connection that the two share and it makes the musical have a very heartwarming and happy ending. 

Miss Hannigan- Amber Abela

Abela’s performance as Miss Hannigan, what could be a tough role to play, was outstanding. It is not easy to be convincingly rude at all times, but the fellow junior encapsulated that attitude perfectly. As said herself, this was Abela’s “best performance ever,” as she absolutely nailed this role. Credit also should go out to the directors for making the great choice to cast her as Miss Hannigan, a role she crushed. 

Grace Farrell – Audrey Meyers

A past Apollo Award winner, Meyers once again hit a homerun with her character and made Grace Farrell a very memorable character from “Annie.” Meyers gave off the perfect traits that fit exactly how one would imagine Warbucks’ assistant. Viewers could easily get the vibe that Farrell truly did care about Annie, which really took the performance to new heights. 

Rooster Hannigan – TJ Fausnight

Despite not having a role nearly as big as he played in past Falcon presentations, Fausnight still scored with Rooster. Donning a pink bow tie and shoes to give the character a different look, Fausnight added a great bit of his own touch and also impressed with his voice alongside Abela and Hoffman. The role was played to perfection as the senior thespian made his character’s attitudes and actions very believable and entertaining. 

Lily St. Regis – Kaitlyn Hoffman

Playing Lily St. Regis, Hoffman’s excellent voice and dancing were on display. She, along with Fausnight and Abela, performed the astounding “Easy Street,” song and crushed it. The lead dancer impressed as a good fit alongside Fausnight and had a clever accent that added a lot to her role. Overall, as a singer and dancer Hoffman had one of the best complete performances in the show.

Drake – Nikolai Wagner

The co-host of the Falcon Broadcast Channel (FBC)’s show “Heated Interviews” was easily one of the most underrated performances in this entire production. Wagner had a unique twist on his role, giving Drake a sophisticated yet humorous accent that made him stand out from others, even given his more minor role in comparison to others. The phenomenal performance from Wagner is worth talking about as one of the best from supporting actors in high school theater. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) – Hunter Meyers

While Meyers may not have played as big of a role as others, he still made sure to make an impact with his lines acting as the 32nd President of the United States. Playing the role in a wheelchair, a significant symbol following the President’s diagnosis with polio, was surely not easy, but Meyers made good use of it and continued to be a rising star even as a sophomore.