It is not a hard knock-life for our theater stars! Our latest production Annie Jr. followed little orphan Annie, her fellow orphans, and caretakers singing their way through the night, captivating our audience. With over 165 attendees in one night, the theater department surpassed all expectations, despite it being their second production in four months. “It is easy to get overwhelmed and feel rushed, but with our cast’s commitment and our director’s strong leadership, we felt at ease and were ready to give everyone an unforgettable show!” Ms. Olivia Wilson, Assistant Play Director, raved.
Set in 1933, our winter production brought to life the heartwarming tale of Annie. Moving our cast and crew, everyone put their heart into the performances after months of rehearsing. The decision to make this play into the shortened junior version was to make it more appealing towards children attendees, as well as help new theater students try out a Becton production while only committing to a shorter musical.
Cast members shared their roller-coasters of emotions during the rehearsal and ultimate show nights. Having been in three shows beforehand, senior Julie Estrada who played spunky orphan, Duffy, earnestly stated, “The camaraderie of the cast was very unique and the bonds I have with some of the cast members is lovely.” Estrada confided that she found it slightly difficult to portray her character, who is the oldest of all the orphans, but that “once I started pretending like there was no one watching me, I performed much better and let loose. This made my movements bigger and I embraced the shamelessness!”
Senior Abigail Large played her dream role of the assertive Miss. Hannigan. Seamlessly channeling the character’s cruel yet comedic personality, Large describes this experience to be “like no other.” She has been in over 30 productions prior to Annie Jr., and the seasoned actress has learned a thing or two about how to put on a show, “The audience influenced my performance because I would appear more animated when they would laugh or interact.” Large had the opportunity to choreograph a majority of the show and recalls that she “enjoyed every second of it!”
The esteemed Grace Farrell was played by junior Savannah Sarden, who loved playing her role for her character’s “stoic, yet silly” personality. Annie Jr. was Sarden’s fifth show in Becton Theater, and after performing so many times, she is used to the nerves it brings. “Performing is always nerve-wracking, but it’s gotten easier as time goes on. Eventually, you run the show so many times that muscle memory just kicks in and you do the show as is, despite the nerves from the audience,” Sarden continues enthusiastically, “I usually get more excited to be in it than anything else!” She shares that her experience on set was great, crediting the enjoyable and easy to work with cast, crew and tech.
Playing the mother-figure of the orphans was senior Julia Bubendorf in the role of July. She was thrilled to express her emotions through the character and to sing for the audience! July is someone who defends the little orphans who are teased by the bigger kids, and Bubendorf felt the character’s values reflected her own as well. With this being her first production, she explains that, “To have the opportunity to star in a play means so much to me, and I have found something that I love beyond words. I’ve spent the last few months making friends and performing, albeit nervously, but it all truly paid off when I got to see how much my family and friends enjoyed the show.” Bubendorf shares that she is very excited for the next Becton production and looks forward to participating in it!
Junior Matthew Perez played Mr. Oliver Warbucks, the billionaire father-figure to Annie. The role was important to Perez, who shared that Mr. Warbucks’ feeling of uncertainty was on-par with Perez’s own emotions. “People tend to look tough on the outside but on the inside, they’re just as capable of being kind,” he further explained. Perez, a dedicated member of Becton Theater who performed in his second production with Annie Jr., passionately encourages others to join, emphasizing how theater can enrich the school community by fostering creativity, teamwork, and a stronger sense of unity, while also inspiring broader participation from students and staff alike.
Sophomore Simon Colorado Pulgarin played the mischievous Rooster Hannigan, brother to Miss Hannigan and just as cunning! Pulgarin empathized with Rooster and his mischievousness, also admiring the character’s high-fashion and creativity. As for his time on set, the first word that came into his mind was “fun!” He continues, “It was incredibly fun interacting with my friends, and each day brought something new and exciting. We spent our time choreographing dances together, which brought us closer.”
This having been Pulgarin’s third theater production, and his second Becton show, he claims, “I was more excited than nervous because I’m already used to it.” Sharing some tips to this mindset, when Pulgarin feels anxiety about performing, he likes to stretch, practice vocals and talk himself through the nervousness. When performing, the jitters exit the stage as the crowd cheers, “It feels warm and makes me feel energized. All of my nervousness and anxiety fades away!” Pulgarin views theater as a form of self-expression, “I see it as a form of art. Performning means that you’re confident in yourself.” He strongly believes that more students should join Becton Theater, seeing it as a valuable outlet for building confidence!
Stage Manager Ms. Rachel Silverstein started off as a volunteer for Becton’s spring 2024 production Seussical the Musical, exercising her previous work in musical theater and serving as a role model to our star-to-be’s! While Ms. Silverstein was backstage running the stage crew, she was also greatly assisting our performers with their vocal coaching for the show. “The students worked hard to bring something new to their well known characters and I think it really paid off!” She enthusiastically shared, explaining that it’s difficult for older students to play younger roles, but that “the performers were fantastic, and the show was very well received!” While Ms. Silverstein felt that the hardest part of the show was staying true to the story of Annie and the characters alongside her, Becton’s Annie Jr. broke the barriers of this well-loved story and delivered an unforgettable few nights.
Ms. Wilson looks for the star-factor in our students at Becton, “The thing I look forward to most with all future productions is uncovering all the talent at Becton Regional! This school is so full of talented singers, dancers, and actors,” she excitedly explains, “I love seeing some of my students, even the shyest of my classes, walk on stage and shine! “It is so gratifying to see the cast grow, both in size and in ability. Each show and each new member of Becton Theater makes us stronger and stronger!”
Looking ahead, this year’s spring production, Footloose, promises to be an exciting full-length musical adventure you won’t want to miss. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Annie Jr. on a fantastic performance!
Here is a full list of cast and crew:
Annie – Sarah McAdams
Miss Hannigan – Abby Large
Oliver Warbucks – Matthew Perez
Grace Farrell – Savannah Sarden
Rooster Hannigan – Simon Colorado
Lily St. Regis – Sara Pareja
Tessie (orphan) Miley Nieves
Molly (orphan) – Amanda Cantatore
Pepper (orphan) – Isabella Peck
Duffy (orphan) – Julie Estrada
July (orphan) – Julia Bubendorf
Kate (orphan) – Sophia Finan
Orphan – Jeilin Valverde
Star-to-Be – Kayla Rivera
Drake/Apple Seller – Leah Ingram
Mrs. Greer – Alyssa Shwartz
Annette – Kayla Orr
Mrs. Pugh – Delila Roth-Witty
Bert Healy/Dog Catcher/Chauffeur – Ben Gonzales
Bundles McCloskey – Lucas Ricco
Lt. Ward – Miah Hodge
President Roosevelt – David Dorsey
Sandy – Panagiota Diakos
Director – Gregory Liosi
Assistant Director – Olivia Wilson
Musical Director/Stage Manager – Rachel Silverstein
Assistant Stage Manager – Madilyn Horowitz, Nataniel Paredes
Backstage Crew – Cesar Contreras, Emily Encarnacion, Sophia Fatule,
Malahni Nieto, Zadie Nieto
