Producer John Frost for Crossroads Live has revealed the child cast for their upcoming Sydney season of the beloved Broadway musical Annie. The production will open at the Capitol Theatre on 25 March 2025 before moving to Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in July.
Four young performers – Beatrix Alder, Matilda Casey, Dakota Chanel, and Stephanie McNamara – will share the lead role of Annie. The iconic character will be joined by a rotating cast of talented young actors portraying the orphans, with three to four actors portraying each character:
Pepper: Kiki Kersten, Francesca Kong, Matilda Teiotu
Duffy: Camille Nko’o, Bianca Papp, Olivia Scott
Kate: Elle Boesen, Yasha Glaperin, Skylah McMah
Tessie: Chloe Delle-Vedove, Nina Gallas, Ava Palfreyman
July: Pearl Mason, Cailin Scully, Victoria Togias
Molly: Ellie Lang, Arianna Lorusso, Willow Wilson
Friday: Yeshi Jehru, Zoe Reeves, Skye Spiden, Aleia Taliacos
These young performers will share the stage alongside Anthony Warlow, reprising his role as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, a character he has previously played in two Australian productions and on Broadway. Debora Krizak (The Producers, A Chorus Line) takes on the role of Miss Hannigan, with Mackenzie Dunn (Shrek, Grease) as Lily St. Regis, Keanu Gonzalez (West Side Story, Hamilton) as Rooster Hannigan, and Amanda Lea LaVergne (Guys and Dolls, 9 to 5) as Grace Farrell. The production will also feature an ensemble cast including Luke Alleva, Cameron Boxall, Tim Brown, Emily Casey, Nakita Clarke, Andrew Dunne, Sebastian Johnston, Anna Mallows, Chloë Marshall, Kristina McNamara, Tom New, Ryan Orphel, Madeline Pratt, Lisa Sontag, Suzanne Steele, and Dean Vince.
Speaking about the announcement, producer John Frost expressed enthusiasm for the production:
I’m extremely excited to announced this wonderfully talented group of young actresses who will be playing Annie and her orphan friends. They were chosen from hundreds of girls who registered for an audition, and all stood out as outstanding performers. I’m thrilled to welcome the rest of the cast to join Anthony, Deb, Mackenzie, Keanu and Amanda – we have a spectacular company.
This is going to be a magnificent production of Annie for a whole new generation. Line up now to buy your tickets to one of the most delightful and inspiring musicals of all time. Don’t wait until Tomorrow!
Citing an overwhelming demand, additional Sydney performances have been added, with tickets for shows through to 1 June going on pre-sale tomorrow and general sales starting Friday, 6 December. Ticketing information can be found on the official Annie the Musical Australia website.
