Christopher Levi, Brooke Mattingly, Ingrid Oakley, Ellory Patterson, and Rachel McKenny, Boone Community Theatre Production of Annie, April 6, 2026

On our program today we are going to be talking about Annie, the next musical production coming up for Boone Community Theatre. It's in rehearsal and Christopher Levi is directing. Why? Why would you do that to yourself?

Well I have an amazing group that are really helping to carry the weight. So it's not just me, it's a big group of people taking the lead. So it's easier than it looks. But don't tell anybody. Well that was one thing I noticed.

You definitely surrounded yourself with a lot of people who could handle a lot of different things. Yes, that's a good director, isn't it? Well I don't know, I think so. It keeps me sane.

The production coming up here the end of April, beginning of May, and you've got several performances. I'm not even going to ask you how many but there are several. Was it like eight? Eight something like eight? That's a big cast.

So tell me about going through and getting the cast. Oh something like 68 persons came out to audition. Great. Which is huge. After the first night they said to me if that many show up again we're all quitting and more showed up and they didn't quit so I was so happy.

Brooke is over here laughing because she was definitely one who said that was a lot. We got through it, didn't we Brooke?

We got through it but after that first night we hadn't printed it out enough audition sheets of like oh what character are you going for or what are some dates you might have come.

There weren't enough so we just gave people loose leaf papers and at the end of the night I was like that was a lot. Not sure I'm going to be able to do that again and then of course we had to and it actually was very fun and I was. And you had callbacks too. Just for a couple.

Just for a couple. Just for a handful. But I mean when's the last time our community theater had callbacks? Yeah I don't know it's been a little while. So Brooke Mattingly is doing music. Yes I am directing music for Annie.

Okay and for those that don't know yes she was in Jekyll and Hyde. The performance I missed she was not. Oh well the one I went to it was Alicia. Alison who you will find in Annie as well. Yes she is playing Grace.

She is absolutely phenomenal but yeah I was in Jekyll and Hyde as the role of Emma for every performance except for one where I had to go do a final for a class. How what brought you back for directing now?

I got a text from Michelle Levi Chris's lovely wife and it just said Chris is going to ask you to direct and I didn't have her name saved in my phone so I thought she was someone else and I very unprofessionally said sorry what?

And then she's like this is Michelle Levi and I was like oh I'm so sorry that was so incredibly unprofessional of me. Yes I will think it over and so we had a quick call and I was like I don't know if I have the skill set for this can we meet with the rest of the team in person?

He was like yes absolutely let's do it and after that I was like yeah I think I'm ready to sign on and two weeks later auditions were held.

So it was a quick turnaround and I like worked on like conducting because that's something I've never like done before but I wanted to do so I have been doing that to the best of my ability.

There are tempo changes that do not agree with me like one last night where it's just like this entire song is in two is in two two in cut time and I was like great and then like and then there's gonna be this one measure four four and I was like okay thanks for the warning I guess.

And I kept just loving it up. That's okay these guys can help carry you can't they?

Yeah they were great they were great but yeah no I've been I've been having fun with it it's it's been weird to be in a position of authority where I'm like hello everyone I'm in charge now which because I've never had that before but it is very fun and very rewarding.

Is it a pretty good learning experience? I mean something like this. Absolutely. Of course I'm looking at who else you got in this cast and there's you got a lot of talent. It's a rock star cast for sure.

Like even like because we had gone into auditions knowing that we are going to double cast the role of Annie.

We originally were not going to double cast the role of Hannigan and then the two ladies we got showed up and we sat down making the final list and we were like there is no way we're gonna be able to choose between these two both get it like so I'm like we can we'll double cast it because that's a possibility and they like we were not expecting the sheer amount of talent that we got.

Which is great. Yeah. I love that. That kind of was uh partway through the season we're kind everybody's waiting for Annie. Okay at least all the all the girls were waiting for Annie and uh but I mean it was just one of those things where then more people kept coming out.

Yeah so one of the cool things when you do a big name show is how many people show up that you've never seen before. Yes. You're like well hey this is wonderful. So and I want to mention Cindy Smith uh who was actually in Mcbeth a few years back when we had Mcbeth in the park.

She's my co-director as well. So she's been covering for you when you haven't been able to come to visit. Yeah. Cindy's been here. That's what I mean about people helping out.

Yeah and she was pretty excited about the way the auditions were going to be going too because she was on and auditions were not done not that long ago. So that's right. All right so Annie's and Annie's. Annie's are over here. Hi. Hi. Here they are. Tell everybody who who's who.

Um I am Ellery and I will be Annie on the second show. Um hi I'm Ingrid and I'll be Annie on the show's when Ellery is not. She'll be Annie first. So every other one. Yeah. Yeah. You guys are going through every other one. And uh not much work training them? Honestly no.

They they both know their parts. A lot of times it's worth just like we don't have time to run a whole song twice so we're gonna have you sing it together and both of them know it. So yeah I'm I'm really not too worried about transitions.

Both both girls are absolutely nailing it. Um yeah I just like and they're so they're so cute and sweet and lovable and everyone who comes to no matter which one they see what show they're at people are going to come and be like that was so amazing.

Annie is so lovable and I understand why a rich man would want to adopt her. Okay. Because she's just so cute and wonderful. It's it's it's great. It's so great. Yeah but that would be Michael.

And after watching Jekyll and Hyde I'm going oh hey this is gonna be a little change for him. Different world. Well of course he was in he was in uh what uh Suzical too. So yeah I did a lot of and you're gonna be doing what?

I am the one who gets to yell at our darling children here. So I I'm one of our wonderful Miss Hannigan's and I somehow have I think I have the hardest job because I have to get angry at such cute children on stage every single night. How does she do? She's doing great.

She's a really nice backstage but when she becomes Miss Hannigan she is scary. Okay definitely. Well that's what we need for this don't for this production.

All right so how hard this many this many people in the cast and doing different and relatively I mean here we are it's you have like less than a month to get everything uh together. So how has it been going? Has it been coming together pretty well?

Do you guys think because he just kind of sides it sidles off and lets everybody do what they need to do. Speaking as a member of the cast I think absolutely.

I think it's so fun to find the moments of just natural humor and connection as we're all learning our lines things are really starting to click and really feeling those characters come to life.

You know sometimes you get those little shivers that you get when a show is starting to come together. When things work and they just start coming together. Yeah. We know how that is. We've been there. All right are we going to have a musical selection? Do we know?

Do Annie's are Annie's going to sing something? I don't think we were planning on it but if you twist there are. I mean I wouldn't mind. We can do it. Yeah we can do it okay.

Let's uh let them get a little closer to the microphone and we'll uh have them what are they going to be singing? We guess tomorrow. Everybody knows that. Just a little snap. Yeah okay. Do you want to sing it together? Yes okay sure okay. Go ahead.

Now these are going to be the Annie's from Annie. They're working it out here. Discussion. This is now this is how this goes right? Yeah. They take take charge. Yeah totally. You're the musical director go ahead and help. I could yes that's probably my job.

I don't need to put pressure on. No you're fine. How about when I'm stuck with the day that's gray and lonely to um you're always a day away and then stop there. Okay okay. Just a cute little cut like that. Okay ready? I don't know what how to do a starting note.

Yeah she's got it. Go with that okay ready? When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely I just stick up my chin and grin and say the sun will come out tomorrow so you gotta hang on till tomorrow come with me tomorrow tomorrow I love you tomorrow you're always a day away.

All right and that's just part of what you will hear when you go see Annie. All right are we ready for the rest? Christopher you got all the days down. Yeah we're opening on opening day. Which is on April 23rd right? Yeah that just seems so close when you say it like that.

We're gonna be ready. Evening performances coming up again on the 23rd 24th and then what two on the 25th? That's correct yes. So uh Matt Nae and then another one in the evening. That's right. And then coming back on the next week on Wednesday the uh Wednesday the 29th.

That's right. Because we're going out of April and then the first couple of days in May uh Friday and Saturday but a Matt Nae Saturday a single Matt Nae Saturday but they're all the other performances in the evening. Yeah so um the the first Saturday is a Matt Nae and an evening.

Yep. The second Saturday only a Matt Nae. The important thing there is don't show up in the evening to see the show. Every once in a while that happens and we just hand you a screwdriver and make you help us take apart the set. Well someone's got to do that. Ticket sales already.

I think probably going pretty well already the way it sounds.

So that we have the priority seating as well as the general seating so that if you want to insist on a named seat in the front couple of rows in the center section so you can head up to the restaurant next door and then swing in you can do that.

It's a great way to get a reserved seat if that's your story. Okay I did the uh the other one the prime for Jekyll and Hyde where people were dying at my feet. Oh yes we bring you close don't we sir.

When you get down there when you get down there it's uh it's a little different sitting right there in the front. So anyhow uh that's prime but best we go online reserve tickets now or again because I'm guessing you got some that are filling up real fast.

Yeah that's definitely the best way is just go to our website BooneCommunityTheater.org. Is that right? Yes. And it's theater R-E. Yep. And um or you can just search for Boone Community Theater. Make sure you say Iowa or you'll get Boone, North Carolina. I don't know why.

Well we get there a lot. Or they can uh again the easy way uh if they happen to go by the theater and people are around. You can pop on in too. Come on in and so get to be part of this. Yeah and you can hear rehearsals going on in the background. That's right.

You've got this many people in there. That's that's a lot. And get an unofficial preview. Just deny it officially. So uh learning all the parts for Annie. Hard to do, fun to do. Definitely fun. Fun? Okay what about you Ingrid? It's been so much fun.

You've done a lot of different parts. This is uh one of those things where for about again what second musical. Yeah second musical this season. So uh again that's we don't do that very often. We might do two musicals next. See the show. Stop spoiling. Oh nothing.

When is the season announced Christopher? You know I think it'll be right after the show closes. So we don't have all the final details. Okay. You know you have to reserve and get permission from the publishers.

I some people were telling me yes there's a lot of ideas already going. So uh well good. It's good that we're that far ahead. So yeah. So we started out as a 50th anniversary. Now this is going to be what a 50th anniversary for Annie too? Yes. Yeah that's right. Really?

Yes happy 50th anniversary Annie. You look as young as you did on the day you were born. Here we go. So you guys got pressure huh? I don't believe in pressure. We don't believe in pressure. We're not worried are we? Not at all. We'll be fine. Okay it'll be great.

So and then you do other parts when you're not doing Annie don't you? You're just playing orphans? Yep. So okay you got a group of orphans. Now how hard is it to contain the orphans? Not too hard. No. Not for me. They're a really good group.

They're getting along so well and they've got energy but it's all positive energy. What a delight. Absolutely. They're all friends. Yeah the orphans are the best. We all get along really well and it's been so much fun to work with them. There we go.

We've got all of this happening and then you of course have a snack.

I don't know if Ingrid would brag about herself but she actually got to choreograph with one of her friends for Hard Knock Life which is one of the biggest numbers in the show and I think it's a real showstopper.

Well you've done some choreography too before and a couple other things so this is not new.

I did last year in sis school I did choreography for that but I did the whole show and that was a lot of choreography so me and my friend Christine Tanner, shout out to Christine Tanner, we got together and we decided to choreograph It's a Hard Knock Life and you're never fully dressed without a smile and that's been really fun so far.

Good and everybody's doing a lot. I forgot to ask you about the music part. Is it Carrie? Yep Carrie and then also Pam Grunstad.

Carrie Galvin is the primary pianist but Pam is filling in some and so it's great to have two of them helping one another out and keeping us all breathing comfortably because without a pianist you're sad.

Oh yeah well and it's it's pretty amazing that because that's what we did just just a pianist during Jekyll and Hyde so that was uh it was uh that was it that was entertaining. It was a good show. Very cheap.

All right so I was going to ask you about next season but I guess well that's off limits for time being. Yeah well I gave a hint and they yelled at me but that's okay. Just be ready it's coming. I have no authority doing what I do.

But yeah I can't quite say but that well so Janay is working on some clues to put in the program so when you come to see this show you'll see clues which is officially allowed I guess. She's already see she's already doing all this. That's why we keep her around.

So Brooke how much more are you going to be doing for Boone Community Theater because you're still in college. I am still in college so I am graduating next semester which is terrifying but we're getting there.

Again I can't say anything about next season but there is a show that I am very very excited about. Okay. So hopefully if I play my cards right I will. If you're available huh?

If I'm available I my next semester is very light because it's my last semester so I should be available but if I play my cards right and I audition well enough maybe I could be in something next season. We'll see. Leave the door open. Yeah anyway the wind blows. Okay.

Whatever happens. We've got it. Again a lot of performances coming up Christopher. This is really wrapping up our season. This is the final for the 50th anniversary season and we are again probably when you thought I mean did they did you step up and say I want to do Annie.

Yeah so I was thinking. Yeah so the committee you know theater people have done Annie before but there's a lot of people who haven't and so we had a really interesting discussion and the committee said let's do it sent it on to the board and the board said go for it.

So and it was as big a hit as I had hoped or bigger and then of course Michelle Jacobson and the youth committee have a couple of things coming up this summer so we're gonna be busy.

So they already they already last couple of weeks did their cast so and a lot of young people doing those too.

So got a lot of entertaining things and like Susan I know she was just had to absolutely wanted to do Jekyll and Hyde and then John comes along and here we have Neil Simon throw a little Neil Simon humor in there too which was just a riot. That's right. That was fun.

We had a lot of fun stuff going on for community theater. Once again tickets available again go online www.boomcommunitytheater with an re.org easy to get them online that way or stop by theater. Most evenings I'm guessing got some rehearsals or something going on.

I think most weekday evenings. Yeah there's somebody in the building almost six nights out of the week. I got to throw in my other reminder support for this. Once again you've got you do you have some sponsors do you have some people that have helped contribute to this.

Yes we have a season sponsor turns out it's yeah the McKinney's. Yeah but then also a number of you know the foundations in the area and I don't have them right in front of me but that's okay and some businesses they will be in the program. They will definitely be in the program.

We're so grateful for it. It takes a lot of money to put one of these on and and we think we're doing a pretty good responsible job spending that and trying to create some really beautiful shows. And the other thing is buy a brick. Oh yeah the bricks.

Yeah help Christopher keep building more things inside. Slow but sure. Slowly but surely. So I'm waiting for summer break when I get to work even more in the theater. Yeah that's when you walk by and you might see him kind of sleeping on a bench in there or something. Take a nap.

Might have to. We'll see. I do appreciate you coming in. Girls good luck and have a great performance. Great performances. You get a lot of them and we hope we get a lot of people turn out for Annie coming up here the end of April and beginning of May Boone Community Theatre.

Thanks for joining us.