ALPINE — Two of the leads in the "Annie Warbucks" production being sponsored by the Alpine Arts Council have never been in a community theater show before.
Paul Bingham plays Oliver Warbucks in the sequel to the show that made the spunky, little, red-headed orphan famous.
Ariana Atwood plays one of the two Annies, and the casts will appear on alternating nights.
"This is it," said the mother of the nine-year-old actress. "This is her first time. She just wanted to do this."
Ariana was surprised to get a lead part. She expected to be one of the orphans.
As one of the Annies, she has a lot of lines and songs to memorize, which has cut into her free time for her other passions like swim team. She gets to work closely with the dog Sandy which she enjoys. She'll also have to dye her blond hair red for the part.
"But it's the kind that just washes out," she said.
Her stage dad is impressed with her dedication and that of her counterpart, 11-year-old Taylor Valdez.
"I'm absolutely in awe of the talent I'm seeing in my fellow actors, especially the children. I'm on stage for all but one and a half scenes," said Bingham. "Annie's on all of the time, and she sings more songs than I do."
"I don't know how many songs I have," Atwood said. "Probably about 10."
She isn't worried about opening night. Her mother says she doesn't suffer from stage fright or nerves.
Bingham said he's feeling the challenge coming.
"The songs have presented my greatest opportunity for growth," he said. "They have a pretty wide range. They demand a tenor voice."
"Annie Warbucks" is a fun show and has the added dynamic of a live orchestra accompaniment, Bingham said.
More than 100 people are involved helping with ticket sales, technical and stage preparations and publicity. There are 90 in the cast.
If you go
What: Annie Warbucks
Where: Timberline Middle School, 500 W. Canyon Crest Drive, Alpine.
Produced by Alpine Community Theater, Aug. 1-6, 8, at 7:30 p.m. nightly, Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
Cost: Monday-Saturday: $10 adults, $8 children; Saturday matinee $7 adults, $5 children; special $6 price on Wednesday for groups. Available at 318-2495
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com