‘Annie’ always welcome for the holidays

PORT ORCHARD — Jeff Richards knew it had been long enough since the last time his Paradise Theatre company had done "Annie."

He was starting to miss it.

"I never get tired of it. It never gets old," said Richards, who's directing Paradise's third version of the current decade of the relentlessly optimistic musical about the little orphan girl who plays a part in America's transition from the Great Depression into the New Deal. "You go a certain amount of time and then you start thinking it was time you did it again."

Paradise produced "Annie" in 2010 and again in 2014, both times at its old Burnham Drive location. This time out will be at their latest encampment at Southpark Village off Mile Hill Drive. And Richards said most of the cast for this "Annie" will be new, too — including the two youngsters double-cast in the title role, Lilly Nichols and Zoe Cook.

"We had a lot of the orphans bring their parents along," Richards said of filling the show's adult ensemble roles. "Some of the adults are doing their first show ever. They've got less experience than the kids."

Offsetting that is the veteran presence the production gets from Jeffrey Bassett (Oliver Warbucks) and Diane Daniels (Grace Farrell), who both are veterans of both the 2010 and 2014 runs. Another Paradise veteran, Eli Ghorley, will reprise the role of Rooster he played in 2010.

"It's a huge boost, with as many kids as we have and as little experience overall, to have some people who really know their way around," Richards said. "Besides being great in their roles, they make a huge difference just by being the anchors we need."

Richards pointed out that Bassett, a Kitsap County Superior Court judge in his non-theater life, is also serving as musical director.

Kim Myers, a Paradise regular of late (most recently in last summer's "Mamma Mia!") takes the role of Miss Hannigan, the wicked, woozy orphanage matron who's looking for a way — legal or otherwise — to get away from all those little girls. Amanda Gardner, who returned to the Paradise fold after a long absence to appear in "Mamma Mia!," will play Rooster's companion, Lily St. Regis.

In both of "Annie's" two most recent Paradise runs, it's been a 1-2 punch with "The Addams Family." And like this year's season opener — which christened the Southpark Village venue in September — "Annie" will use a pre-recorded soundtrack.

There are easier musicals to do. "Annie" is a big show, filled with kids and dogs (well, one dog, anyway), technical challenges and period sets and costumes.

Exactly none of which deterred Richards from wanting to bring it back after a five-year hiatus.

"I never have any qualms about doing this show," he said. "It's so well-written, so funny, and it has so many great character parts. I always look forward to it."

PREVIEW

‘Annie’

Who: Paradise Theatre

What: Musical by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan, based on the "Little Orphan Annie" comics by Harold Gray

Where: 1731 Village Ln. SE (Southpark Village), Port Orchard

When: Nov. 15-Dec. 7; 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturday matinees

Tickets: $25-$10

Information: 253-851-7529, Paradise Theatre