2+ Musical .f-oMot't'oW, -hMot"t"oW Actors of Tomorrow The audience in the Benson Auditorium was taken from the hard knock life to glamorous "N.YC." in Harding's 20 ll Homecoming musical, ''Annie." Spectators were surprised to see that, rather than casting university students for all the roles, a large number of actors were actually children. Positions for Annie and the rest of the orphan cast were open to both students and children in the community. Over l 00 girls auditioned for the roles, and after many callbacks, Abbey Giboney, a Harding Academy eighth grader, was cast as Annie. Harding students in the cast were impressed with how well she handled her role as an actress. "I think what makes her talented is that she picks things up very quickly," junior Benji Holder, who co-starred alongside Giboney, said. "She never had a problem learning her lines or remembering music. She was very committed from the beginning, and it really showed in her performance." Holder said he and Giboney were able to successfully connect for a heartwarming performance. "The directors would explain things differently to [Abbey and me] because I'm 21 and she's 13," Holder said. "When it came down to it, we both were able to get into character and form the relationships that Warbucks and Annie needed to have to make the roles believable." Junior Amy Dorsey spent a lot of time working with the other young girls in her role as an orphan. "I had a blast with these girls," Dorsey said. "They were some of the best that I have ever worked with." Senior Logan Kays said that the college actors and younger actors were able to closely bond because of the special activities they did off-stage. "There was one dressing room that was specifically for the orphans," Kays said. "We would spend time together talking, taking pictures, writing encouraging cards and coloring pictures for each other." Mter the curtain calls and final bows, Harding students walked away with some new, albeit younger, friends. Stacy Hall
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