Director- Andrew J. Koehler

Musical Director- Isabella Scarpa

Choreographer/Executive Producer- Bruce Grossman

Stage Manager- Christine Baehrle

Lighting Design- Domenick Napoli

Additional Lighting- Josh Amy

Set Construction- Tom McKenna, Domenick Napoli, Steve Gozdziewski

Painting- Jenny Handler

Try one of the signature drinks for this show:

Avery Barath is thrilled to make her theatre debut as the role of Kate, in the Cultural Arts Playhouse production of Annie Jr. Prior to joining CAP, Avery took acting lessons with a local company, and is a member of several school choral groups. When she is not performing on stage, you can find Avery making a name for herself on the soccer field and volleyball courts!

Olivia Cammarata is thrilled to be making her debut at CAP Merrick as Tessie in Annie Jr. Previous roles include Aladdin Kids (Jasmine) and Suessical Kids (The Cat in the Hat). Olivia is in 3rd grade and loves to sing, craft, spend time with family, friends and two dogs. Olivia extends her heartfelt gratitude to the whole production team for making this experience so much fun and her singing coach, Valerie, for nurturing a love of singing.

Nina Cannistraci is excited to be cast as Annie in Annie Jr for her CAP Merrick debut. This is her 7th musical theater production. Some of her past credits include: Frozen (Anna), Aladdin (Iago), Seussical (Sour Kangaroo), Camp Rock (Georgina Farlow), and Matilda (Matilda). She has enjoyed working with all of the cast and production team at CAP. Thank you to Bruce, Andrew, Isabella and Christine, for their hard work on this show!

Alexis Cepregi is excited to be cast as Grace in Annie, Jr. – her first YPT production! Before this, Alexis was cast in her middle school musical, Camp Rock (Star Camper), and several shows throughout Long Island, including Frozen, Jr. (Young Anna), Peter Pan, Jr. (Curly), Cinderella, Jr. (Queen), and Romeo and Juliet (Servant). Alexis is an accomplished drum player, violinist, singer, and writer, and she hopes to always have music in her life. She is also a budding stand-up comedian and loves to make people laugh. She is thankful for her twin sister, Caitlin, and her friends and family for supporting her, and for Mr. Grossman, Mr. Koehler, Ms. Scarpa, and Ms. Baehrle for giving her this amazing opportunity to perform as part of the YPT family!

Caitlin Cepregi is thrilled to be cast as Duffy in Annie, Jr., her first YPT production! The role of Duffy is particularly special to her as her dog’s name is Duffy, too! Prior to this show, Caitlin was cast in her middle school musical, Camp Rock (Star Camper), and has performed in several shows across Long Island, including Peter Pan, Jr. (Tiger Lily), Frozen, Jr. (Young Elsa), Cinderella, Jr. (Daughter), and Romeo and Juliet (Abraham Montague). Caitlin is an extremely talented guitar and viola player, a featured singer in a rock band, and is an experienced author, songwriter, and playwright. She also just began working on stand-up comedy and loves finding fun in everything around her. Caitlin is grateful to her twin sister, Alexis, and her friends and family for supporting her, and to Mr. Grossman, Mr. Koehler, Ms. Scarpa, and Ms. Baehrle for giving her this amazing opportunity to be part of this wonderful production!

Rebecca Chalom is honored to have been cast in Annie Jr (orphan, NYer, servant, dogcatcher), for her first ever CAP Merrick production. She is 7 years old, and this is the second show she’s taking part in. Her first role was in Finding Nemo Jr. (Nigel) at Camp Iconic. Rebecca loves competition dance and playing piano in addition to participating in theater. She hopes you enjoy learning about her hard-knock life in this production!

Santino Cillo (Rooster) is an 8th grader at Salk Middle School. He is the oldest sibling of 5. Santino would love to be a voice actor for animated shows when he is older. Santino has made his acting debut this year in Salk’s school play. He played the role of Oaken (Big Summer Blowout!) in Frozen Jr. He is very excited to be taking on the role of Rooster in Annie Jr.!

Emmerson is thrilled to be part of the Annie Jr. cast as an orphan, New Yorker, servant, and an apple seller. She is a fourth grader at Chatterton Elementary in Merrick, NY. This is her very first full production on stage. Thank you to CAP and the entire crew for making her first show so exciting and memorable!

Rebecca David is an 11-year-old aspiring actress and singer in her debut role as Star-To-Be! Rebecca has also performed with Drama Kids International Production of "Pirates Beware" and "The Chicken Hearted Fox". Other roles include St. Thomas MTCSS Production of "Home Alone". Off-stage, Rebecca has won two Gold Medals for Solo and Choir Group performances in the MTC North East Regional Talent Competition. Rebecca would like to thank her parents for supporting her passion in the arts, her voice instructor Miss Nerica for the wonderful years of training and coaching, and finally Cultural Arts Playhouse Production Team for this amazing opportunity. Enjoy the show!

Lucy Dietrich is delighted to be making her theatre debut with Cultural Arts Playhouse. Lucy is thrilled to join the cast of Annie Jr. as July. Lucy is a 3rd grader at Winthrop Elementary School in Bellmore. She loves her family and her dog Gracie. Lucy’s other hobbies include travel soccer and Irish dance. Lucy wants to thank the directors and cast of Annie Jr. for all the support and assistance she has received.

Saraphina Dinin (Star To Be) is so excited to perform CAP Merrick’s production of Annie Jr. This is her 7th YPT performance. Previous credits include: Matilda Jr (Matilda) Mean Girls Jr (Karen), Disney Ensemble, Beauty and The Beast (Narrator, Baker) and Seussical Jr (Baby Kangaroo). In her free time Saraphina loves to read books about dragons and animals, explore nature, draw creatures, create graphic novels, and play Roblox. Saraphina is so appreciative of the amazing hardworking cast and crew! She is also thankful for her friends and family for being so supportive!

Allison Dorfmeister is very excited to perform in her first CAP YPT production as Drake the Butler. Annie will be Allison’s 7th show. Some of her past credits include Oliver (Charlotte), Matilda (Mrs. Phelps) and Moana (Chief Ancestor 2). Thank you so much to Andrew, Christine, Bruce, and Isabella for their time, effort, and patience. May the show be a huge success!

Isabella Eskalyo is thrilled to be cast as Orphan/Apple Seller/Mrs Greer & New Yorker, in this wonderful production of Annie JR. Isabella’s past credits include: Theater Works USA’s production of Dog Man The Musical (Chief), her school’s production of Seussical The Musical JR (Who Citizen) and Integral Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker (Baby Mouse). Isabella would love to thank the wonderful, lively director Andrew, along with the fun, experienced, choreographer Bruce. The very skilled musical director, Isabella, and the amazingly efficient stage manager, Christine, as well as everyone else who worked so hard to put this amazing musical together! It was such a great opportunity and Isabella looks forward to being cast in future CAP musical productions.

Marena Eskalyo is so excited to be cast as Orphan/Dog Catcher/Cecile & New Yorker in Annie JR. Her past credits include: Integral Ballet Company’s production of The Nutcracker at Adelphi University (Baby Mouse), & Theater Works USA’s production of Dogman The Musical (Nurse Lady). Marena looks forward to doing theater and having more experience in the years to come and is thrilled to start off with this production! Marena would like to thank Bruce, Andrew, Christine, Isabella and everyone else who put forth much hard work and commitment, into making this musical the best it could be!

Ryan Farrelly (orphan/NYer/Servant/Drake) is so excited to be a part of CAP Merrick’s junior production of Annie! Annie has been Ryan’s favorite play since she was two and she’s loving every minute it! Ryan (7 years old) keeps busy off the stage by participating in dance, cheer, Girl Scouts and softball. This is Ryan’s second theatrical experience, she was in CAP Syosset Matilda Jr (Amanda Thripp Sept 2023) Ryan would like to thank the entire production team, her family, and friends for helping her achieve her dreams!

Layla Gallo is thrilled to be a part of the show Annie. This is her first experience acting in a play. She will be part of the ensemble, as an orphan, a New Yorker, a servant and an apple seller. Layla has been dancing since she was 3 years old and also enjoys singing, swimming and playing soccer. She has also been a part of a cheer team and has participated in gymnastics classes. Layla is becoming very passionate about acting and cannot wait to get up on stage and perform for an audience. She will miss working with this cast but cannot wait to see what her next opportunity will be on stage!

Alexa Giffone is a 7th grade student at Howitt Middle School. She loves singing, dancing, acting and art. Alexa has performed in the play Matilda and Aladdin and is so excited to be a part of the Annie cast.

Jaina is so excited to be playing Pepper in her first show at CAP Merrick. Some of her past roles include: The Wizard of Oz(Munchkin), The Sound of Music(Gretl), Seussical Kids(Mrs. Mayor), and The Addams Family(Alice Beineke). Jaina would like to thank everyone for all of their hard work putting this production together. She had so much fun with this show, and with all of the cast!

Lily Haberly is very excited to be playing Ms. Hannigan in Annie! Lily has previously been in Aladdin (Jasmine), Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), Mean Girls (Janis) and Camp Rock (Peggy). Lily would like to thank the Directors of Annie for making an amazing show.

Karlie Jane Hartmann is excited to be performing as the Star-to-Be in Annie Jr.! This is Karlie's debut performance at CAP Merrick! Some of her past credits include Sound of Music (Marta), Wizard of Oz (Munchkin), Suessical Kids (JoJo) and Aladdin Kids (Jasmine). Karlie is thankful to Bruce, Andrew and Christine for the incredible amount of time and hard work they put into this show, and to her family for their endless support!

This is Kayleigh’s first role in a play and she is so excited to join the talented CAP performers for Annie. She has been dancing and singing competitively for years and has won many awards including multiple Broadway Stars for her vocal solos at the Access Broadway regional and national competitions. She has also been a soloist in her school chorus.

Anna Konigsberg is excited to be cast as July in Annie! This is her 1st CAP production! Some of her past credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere) and Mary Poppins (Bird Lady) at Levy Lakeside Elementary School. Thank you to Bruce, Andrew, Christine and Isabella! Congratulations to the whole cast.

Maddie Lundrigan is so excited to be part of her second show with the Cultural Arts Playhouse! Her first show was Matilda Jr. (Lavender). She has recently discovered her love for theatre and singing and is having a blast doing this with her cousins and friends! She would like to thank her mom, dad, brothers, Teeta, Auntie, and all her family and friends for their love and support!

Alessandro Maffia is so excited to be playing the role of Warbucks. This is his first CAP performance. Some of his past credits include: The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Rudolph), Seussical (Jojo), The Wizard of Oz (Tinman). Thanks to my family for all the love and support and to CAP Merrick for this opportunity.

Molly Mancuso is excited to be part of the Annie Jr. production. Molly’s past shows at CAP have been Legally Blonde (Kate), Mean Girls (Gretchen) and Beauty and the Best (Chip). Molly is 10 years old and in 4th grade. She loves to sing, act, dance, and cuddle with her dog Cuddles. Molly would like to thank Bruce, Andrew, Isabella, & Christine for such an amazing experience.

Falyn Ann McGrath is excited to be cast in a number of roles in this exciting 2024 production of Annie: Dog Catcher, Orphan, Cecile, New Yorker, Louise, and a Servant! This is her 3rd YPT production! Some of her past credits include: High School Musical (Cheerleader) and Beauty and The Beast (The Wolf and Silly Girl). Thank you to Andrew and Christine for their hard work and patience each day at rehearsals, to my family for their support, and my friends for making this so much fun

Ellie Morrison is excited to play Bert Healy and Mrs. Pugh in her first CAP production here in Merrick. Ellie has been a player at NEAT of Levittown for 3 years, beginning her love of the stage as one of the youngest cast members there. She has held the roles of Tinkerbell in A Magical Adventure, Dorothy in The Wicked World of Oz, Grandma Josephine in Wonka, and will be playing Babette in Beauty and the Beast next month. Ellie wants to thank AJK, Bruce, Isabella, Christine and the CAP team for their hard work in making the show a success! She would also like to thank her parents, big sister Gigi, her friends and vocal coach Tori for their support!

Gigi Morrison is making her CAP debut here in Merrick as Grace. Gigi has been acting in local theater at NEAT of Levittown for 3 years now. She has played the roles of Sandy in Grease, Galinda in The Wicked World of Oz, Veruca in Wonka, and will be playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast next month. She is grateful to the CAP team- AJK, Bruce, Isabella and Christine, for making her first experience here so wonderful. She also wants to thank her parents, sister Ellie, her NEAT crew and Tori her vocal coach, for their support.

Adelyn O'Brien is so excited to be apart of Annie Jr.! This is Adelyn's first YPT production! Some of Adelyn's past credits include working as an actor for two David Simon productions. Most notably for being featured in Perspective magazine for HBO's Plot Against America (Young Bess). Additionally, Adelyn has been featured as a commercial actor and model for Fisher Price and Carter's. Currently, Adelyn is a proud member of her school chorus and band. Thank you to the directors, cast, and crew!

Sabrina Pichardo is thrilled to make her stage debut as Molly in "Annie Jr"! A budding young talent, Sabrina has always been passionate about storytelling and performance. She has diligently prepared for this moment with countless rehearsals, channeling her enthusiasm and dedication into bringing Molly to life. When she's not captivating audiences on stage, Sabrina can be found singing, dancing, and showcasing her skills as a cheerleader, where she thrives in the dynamic world of competition cheerleading showcasing her athleticism and teamwork skills on the ground. Grateful for the opportunity to be part of this beloved production, Sabrina hopes to inspire others with her performance. Special thanks to the cast, crew, and her supportive family and friends for their encouragement and belief in her. Enjoy the show!

Emily Revello is overjoyed to be a part of Annie at CAP Merrick! Before Annie, she's been seen on Mean Girls Jr. (Caroline/Teary Girl) and Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Eggseller). She’s also done stage crew and production team on her school productions, A Murder is Announced and Grease The Musical. When Emily isn’t on stage, she’s reading, drawing, or listening to showtunes! She is immensely grateful to her family, her friends, her cast, and her incredible production team for all of their support and dedication. She can’t wait for you all to see the show!

Isabella Rodriguez, born on April 28, 2013, in Long Island, New York, is a vibrant 10-year-old with a passion for singing and acting. She's already showcased her talent at the Cultural Arts Playhouse with roles in "The Addams Family" (Caveman Ancestor) and "Annie Jr." (Mrs. Hannigan). Additionally, Isabella's infectious energy has also lit up the stage in Drama Kids productions like "The Chicken Hearted Fox" (Farmer's Wife), "Mystery at the Big Top" (Janine the Juggler), and "School for Superheroes" (Principal Strong). With her bubbly personality and dedication to her craft, Isabella continues to charm audiences wherever she goes.

Michaela Rodriguez is thrilled to be in her third CAP YPT show. Other shows include Schoolhouse Rock Jr and Frozen Jr (Queen). Michaela has also been in several CAP camp productions and was featured in a background role in the hit HBO show Succession.

Abby Roth is so excited to play Ms. Hannigan in Annie for her first time at CAP Merrick! Her previous shows include Seussical (Thing One), Freaky Friday Jr (Monica), Shrek Jr (Peter Pan, Storyteller), School of Rock Jr (Zack Mooneyham), and High School Musical Jr (Ryan Evans). She is currently in Lion King at Seaford Middle School and plays Lioness. When she was younger, she was in many cabarets at Merrick Theater. Abby recently performed with Broadway Dance Academy in Matilda and Oliver, led by Tori O’Rourke. Abby would like to thank her first director, Michele Brisco, for helping her confidence and making her what she is. She would also like to thank Ms. Tori O’Rourke, her vocal coach, for helping her with her voice and making her a better performer. Abby hopes to gain more experience at CAP and have fun in many more shows to come!

Jasira Rucker age 10 makes her debut this Spring in Annie Jr. She is energetic, charismatic and a quick study. She is excited to bring to life the role of orphan Kate. Jasira has hopes of becoming an actress in the future.

Avery Saur Is a 5th grader in the local community. Avery loves to play soccer and has been playing the full drum set for years. Avery recently performed Back in Black at concert. Avery is very excited to perform in her first play as Kate, the orphan in Annie Jr. and looks forward to continuing her studies in theater and performing arts.

Harlow Saur is a 6th grade student in the local community. Harlow recently had one of the lead roles of Gertrude, in Seussical the Musical in her school play. Harlow enjoys playing soccer, singing in chorus and playing flute in Jazz and Regular Band. Harlow recently performed in the All County Music Festival and represented Merrick.

Dylan Schachter (Rooster) is thrilled to be performing with CAP Merrick again in the production of Annie Jr. Some of Dylan’s previous notable credits include: Aladdin Jr. (Genie), Shrek Jr. (Shrek), Matilda Jr. (Miss Trunchbull), Little Mermaid Jr. (Sebastian), and High School Musical Jr. (Ryan). He loves being on the stage singing and wants to thank this amazing, compassionate production team for helping him and all his fellow cast members make this show the best possible. He would also like to thank his family for being so supportive of his passion for musical theater and taking him to so many rehearsals all over the island. “I think I’m gonna like it here!”

Dylan is very excited to be a part of this cast and production. It is her second time on stage, following her debut in Finding Nemo Jr. (Bubbles). Dylan would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support!

Juliette is ecstatic to play the role of Miss Hannigan in this production of Annie. Fresh off her role as Ms. Trunchbull in Matilda Jr. Juliette is ready to bring her trademark passion, enthusiasm and powerful voice to the CAP Merrick stage! Previously, Juliette has performed in Aladdin (Genie), Into The Woods (Baker’s Wife) and High School Musical (Sharpay).

Ronit Shoer (Tessie) has loved acting ever since she started classes at the age of 5. Ronit loves being on the stage and entertaining people. Ronit has been in the following shows: Shrek Jr. (citizen of Duloc), Mean Girls, Jr. (Mrs. George), All Shook Up (ensemble) and Seussical (Bird Girl). Ronit is so excited to play the role of Tessie in Annie, Jr.

Ben Sinisi is excited to be making his stage debut as Daddy Warbucks in this production of Annie Jr.! When not acting, he enjoys playing piano, saxophone, baseball, and drawing. Love to his friends and family for all the support!

Jake is so excited to be making his acting debut with CAP in Annie Jr! Jake loves being on stage performing especially when he can do it with some of his besties!

Annaleigh Stone is thrilled to be performing in her first YPT show at CAP! Previous shows for this 6th grader include Mean Girls jr (Cady), Shrek jr (Fiona), Seussical jr (Young Kangaroo and Horton), Frozen jr (Elsa), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown jr (Sally), Peter Pan (Mrs. Darling), and Aladdin jr (Rajah). In addition to musical theatre, Annaleigh was selected to participate in the past two All County Chorus festivals and LISFA on violin. She has been seen at the Tilles Center in Eglevsky Ballet’s productions of The Nutcracker as a Mouse, a Bon Bon and a Soldier. She will next be seen as Gretchen in Mean Girls at Cap Syosset YPT. Thank you to everyone at CAP for this opportunity!

Eric Vaglio (Rooster) is so happy to be on “Easy Street” with the talented cast of Annie Jr. at CAP. Favorite credits include Shrek the Musical Jr. (Donkey), Matilda the Musical (Tommy), and YPT Addams Family (Lucas). Thank you to the production team for their dedication and guidance, and for this terrific opportunity.

Noa Wellen is thrilled to be cast as Annie in CAP Merrick’s production of Annie Jr. This marks Noa’s sixth production and third with CAP. Noa has previously appeared in Mean Girls Jr. (Caitlyn), All Shook Up (Ensemble), The Jungle Book (Shanti), Oliver (“Where is Love” soloist) and Alice and Jack (Alice). Noa and her family are so grateful for Bruce, Andrew, Isabella and Christine for this opportunity and making this show come to life!

Mia Vides is so excited to be performing in Annie as Duffy. This will be Mia’s Fourth performance, she has performed In a Cabaret. Also Performed in Seussical The Musical (Bird Girl) & The Little Mermaid (Ensemble). Mia is in fifth grade at Chatterton Elementary School.

Lily Zimberlin is playing Burt Healy/Mrs Pugh in this performance of Annie. She has been performing for CAP for over 5 years. This is her first show in Merrick. Some of her other shows include Matilda main stage (Alice), Les Mis (young Cosette), Newsies (boots), a chorus line (Connie), Sponge Bob (old man Jenkins), the Addams family (ancestor), Frozen (oaken), the little mermaid (Jetsum) and many more. Lily has also been cast as a background actress in several tv shows. She is excited to see what the future holds!!