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It’s Annie like you’ve never seen it before. Area Stage Company proudly announces its newest Mainstage professional production, performed by eight actors and no children.
Conceived and directed by ASC’s Giancarlo Rodaz, and starring NYC actress Staci Stout as Annie, this reimagining of the well-loved Broadway hit is the latest in Area Stage’s tradition of presenting classic titles in fresh and exciting ways.
Following January’s revival of ASC’s blockbuster Shrek the Musical, Annie is sure to make the “sun come out tomorrow” when it opens on June 11. Annie also will be the first Mainstage production to grace the stage of ASC’s newly opened Black Box theater in Sunset Place.
The immersive theatrical experience will begin as soon as the audience enters the theater through a speakeasy-looking door, reminiscent of Annie’s 1933 New York setting. The theater itself will place audiences in an abandoned, industrial Brooklyn warehouse which has been turned into a theater, complete with cabaret tables, a bar, and a six-piece jazz band.
Rodaz, known for his bold style and preference for intimate theatrical experiences, will stage this production in the round, in a Brechtian, theater-of-the-poor style with only eight actors playing all roles; a contrast to the original 25-person Broadway cast. Actors will, of course, double and sometimes triple and quadruple on roles, fleshing out the full cast of characters and bringing a new dimension and emotional weight to the piece.
Following the immense success, and critical acclaim, of his directorial efforts on Shrek The Musical in 2018 and 2010, She Kills Monsters in 2018, The Wizard of Oz and the blockbuster Matilda the Musical in 2019, and his playwriting efforts on 2020’s The Ballad of Janis Matthews and the Dodo Scouts, the Silver Palm award-winning young visionary Giancarlo Rodaz is fast becoming one of South Florida’s most original and prolific theatrical forces.
He previously has presented works at Area Stage Company, MicroTheater Miami, and with his own company Wild Theatre. Florida Theatre On Stage has lauded his work as “imaginative” and “delightful”, calling him the “Orson Welles-like wunderkind of South Florida theater.” The Miami Herald raved, “Rodaz…creates a magically playful world.”
Rodaz has found his little orphan Annie in Staci Stout. Annie will be Stout’s second production with Area Stage, following her starring role and breakout performance as Janis in ASC’s 2020 radio play-style cast recording of The Ballad of Janis Matthews and the Dodo Scouts.
A graduate of NYC’s prestigious CAP21 musical theater training conservatory, Stout is a versatile actress, singer, and dancer with experience in national tours, off-Broadway, and in regional houses across the country. Casting for other roles is ongoing.
The multi-talented Giancarlo Rodaz is assisted in his set, lighting, costume, and production design in ASC’s Black Box theater by creative consultant John Rodaz. Costume designer Maria Banda-Rodaz masterfully designs the period-appropriate NYC depression era costumes, sound designer Abaraham Oleksnianski ensures the actors’ dynamic voices are heard loud and clear, and Lawrence Hansen and Eliezer Migueles serve as scene artist and carpenter and master carpenter respectively. The robust production is smartly overseen by production stage manager Simon Pincus, and ASC favorites Katie Duerr and Rick Kaydas will serve as co-musical directors.
All COVID regulations will be complied with. Masks must be worn at all times while inside the theater and social distancing will be strictly enforced. Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; the theater cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit.
Area Stage Company’s Mainstage professional production of Annie is performed June 11-27; Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 5 p.m. The Area Stage Company’s Black Box theater is located in Sunset Place, 5701 Sunset Dr., South Miami. Tickets are $60, $20 for students at areastage.org/annie or 305-666-2078.
