The sun will come out tomorrow when the Stratford Festival begins its 2025 season with the fabulous musical Annie, directed and choreographed by Donna Feore and led by Harper Rae Asch as Annie, Dan Chameroy as Oliver Warbucks and Laura Condlln as Miss Hannigan.

Ever-optimistic Annie makes it her job to improve the lives of everyone around her – except maybe Miss Hannigan, who has made life a misery for all the little girls in her care at the New York Municipal Orphanage. Fed up and determined to find her parents, Annie makes a break for it one day and learns that even the outside world is tough. Dragged back home by police, she doesn’t have to wait long for her real break. Though it may not be the dream she pictured, a happy ending is in store.

“Where we came from and where we want to go define who and what we aspire to be – our vision shapes us,” says Feore. “Annie has only her ‘imagined’ parents and past to shape her vision, yet her choices always assume wonderful prospects. She embodies the best of every human reaction to adversity and she speaks to us in a language so simple and clear that it’s hard to deny her power.”

Annie also features Amanda Lundgren as Lily St Regis, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Grace Farrell, and Mark Uhre as Rooster Hannigan, with Cydnee Abbott, Eric Abel, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Jarret Cody, Christine Desjardins, Henry Firmston, Jordan Goodridge, Evonny Harker, Hazel Heaney, Harmony Holder, Isla Horner, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Bonnie Jordan, Alex Kelly, Bethany Kovarik, Derek Kwan, Fae Lewis, Gracie Mack, Anthony MacPherson, Jordan Mah, Jamie Murray, Sofia Grace Otta, Olivia Padfield, Stephen Patterson, Ali Powell, Jessica Reddy, Kirstyn Russelle, Jason Sermonia, Michele Shuster and Addison Wagman.

Laura Burton returns as Music Director, marking her 46th season at the Stratford Festival. Feore and Burton are joined by Set and Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell, Projection Designer Sean Nieuwenhuis and Sound Designer Haley Parcher. The production features new dance music arrangements by David Dabbon.

Annie officially opens on May 27 and runs until November 2 at the Festival Theatre. Tickets are available at www.stratfordfestival.ca or by calling 1.800.567.1600.

The 2025 season also features As You Like It, Sense and Sensibility, Dangerous Liaisons, Macbeth, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Anne of Green Gables, The Winter’s Tale, Forgiveness, Ransacking Troy and The Art of War. For more information, visit www.stratfordfestival.ca

This production is dedicated to the memory of actor Logan Brideau, who played Tobias Britt in the Festival's 2018 production of The Music Man.

Photo: Harper Rae Asch as Annie, Dan Chameroy as Oliver Warbucks and Laura Condlln as Miss Hannigan. © 2025 Ted Belton.