One thing is certain: Laura Cowan’s experience with Annie this time out is far more positive than her first encounter with the musical.
That was when she was about eight years old and heading out for her very first musical theatre audition. She lined up with a host of other little girls, who were also vying for the coveted role of Annie, and waited her turn to be called forward to sing a bit of Hard-Knock Life.
“In my vocal range, it was way too high. They came to me, and it was my turn, and I just bombed,” Cowan says with a laugh. “My singing wasn’t there yet. It was awful.”
It didn’t stop her, mind you. Cowan kept practising and kept getting better, and now the Burnaby performer has more than two decades in the region’s musical theatre scene under her belt. Next up, she’s getting ready to step onstage as Grace Farrell in the Align Entertainment production of Annie: The Musical.
The classic tale of the plucky red-haired orphan is onstage at the Michael J. Fox Theatre from Feb. 1 to 16.
It’s Cowan’s second time playing the role of Grace, the first having been in a Footlight Theatre production in Burnaby back in 2007.
“Now I get to play Grace, I feel, at the age that she’s meant to be played, and it feels really great,” Cowan says. “I feel I connect with Grace possibly a little bit more this time around.”
Grace, for those who may not remember, is Oliver Warbucks’ assistant, the kind woman who first finds Annie and sets the orphan on her path towards a real family of her own. It’s a role full of the same kind of motherly compassion that Cowan brought to the stage last summer as the Fairy Godmother in Theatre Under the Stars’ Cinderella.
“I think that is part of my personality,” Cowan muses. “I’m a preschool teacher. I gravitate towards guiding and caring for others. It’s very important to me to express compassion and kindness when I can. I guess that is a part of who I am, and how wonderful to be able to portray a role that you can connect with on a level that is quite personal.”
Working closely with Camryn Macdonald, the young performer starring as Annie, has made that role even more rewarding for Cowan this time out.
“Camryn makes it very, very easy to fall in love with Annie’s story. She’s a very genuine performer, and to share the stage with her is a dream,” Cowan says. “She really brings Annie to life.”
Cowan has nothing but praise for all the young performers, ranging from the ages of seven or so up to their early teens, playing the band of orphans in this outing.
“My goodness, the girls that play the orphans? Oh wow! They’re so talented and so committed, they’re so committed to what they’re doing. They definitely inspire us adults to step up our game and step up our energy,” Cowan says, adding that the young performers are all very focused. “They’re really dedicated to their art and to their craft. They’re working really hard. They’re just a lovely group of children, a lovely group of younger performers.”
Add in the adult performers, who are also similarly dedicated, and Cowan says it’s a well-balanced cast. And, as she has found in four previous appearances with Align Entertainment – in Shrek, The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid and Legally Blonde – she says the company has created a supportive community for all the performers.
“I’ve always felt that way, that Align has a way of bringing together this group of people who are so supportive. There’s the camaraderie. … It’s always been a very positive experience doing a show with Align. You feel like family, you really do.”
Cowan’s excited for the chance to bring a new production of the beloved musical – featuring iconic songs such as It’s The Hard-Knock Life and Tomorrow - to the stage.
“I think everyone has an experience with Annie,” she says. “It’s a new experience, of course, because it’s a new cast and it’s a new dynamic with every actor that’s in this. … We’ve got a story to tell, and our Annie is going to be different than somebody else’s Annie.”
As with Align Entertainment’s previous shows, the musical is aimed at providing family-friendly entertainment – something that’s important to Cowan.
“I love being a part of productions that are family-oriented because I feel that when a child comes to the theatre, this could be their first experience of seeing live theatre. This could be their first experience to kind of spark that curiosity of ‘Oh, I could do that,’” she says. “It’s definitely a family-oriented show. It’s a wonderful journey for the family to be part of. It’s just full of hope and full of love; there’s just some beautiful, warm, sensitive moments in the show. There’s a lot of laughter. And the music – you’ll walk away singing these songs.”
CHECK IT OUT
What: Annie: The Musical, presented by Align Entertainment
Where: Michael J. Fox Theatre, 7373 MacPherson Ave., Burnaby
When: Feb. 1 to 16. Preview show Feb. 1, 8 p.m. Family matinee Feb. 2, 2 p.m. Opening night Feb. 2, 8 p.m. Shows Thursday to Saturday, 8 p.m., with weekend matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets: Regular prices $29 to $42, with previews for $20, family matinee for $15 and Thrifty Thursdays for $25. Order through www.vixonline.com or www.alignentertainment.ca/tickets
Info: www.alignentertainment.ca.
