Resorts World Manila (RWM), through its production outfit Full House Theater Company, introduces two young talents who will be playing the lead role in its latest theater offering, Annie. The role of Annie will be played by two local artists: 2015 Metro Manila Film Fest’s Best Child Performer Krystal Brimner, the nine-year-old who wowed judges with her portrayal of Angel in Erik Matti’s Honor Thy Father; and 10-year-old Isabeli Elizalde who is taking her first shot at professional acting.
“Annie is very positive, which is me. I like being positive always,” says Krystal who donned the Annie red dress for the occasion. “Annie’s nice, she cares, and she’s careful,” she adds.
First-timer Isabeli is naturally ecstatic for the role. “I’m really happy that I’ve gone so far, and that I’ve made it this far, and that now, I am Annie – I am now part of the play,” she enthuses.
Among hundreds of Annie hopefuls, these two young ladies managed to stand out. During the auditions, Krystal and Isabeli performed song excerpts from the musical including the classic “Tomorrow” which caught the attention of Annie director Michael Williams and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo who will be playing the role of Ms. Hannigan.
“When the auditions were over, I said, ‘Finally, it’s done!’ And then they told me that I was part of Annie, and I was super excited that I got the role,” Krystal shares.
“The auditions were fine. I actually liked performing in front of Tita Menchu and Tito Michael because I knew the songs and I got to sing them. I wasn’t so pressured,” Isabeli says.
“We’re very excited about Annie. We had so many challenges before we actually got the rights for the musical from MTI New York. Rest assured, RWM is behind Full House Theater Company and Ultimate Entertainment throughout the musical’s run,” says RWM chief operations manager for Entertainment Alou Almaden.
Annie is set to open this September at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila. For more updates, visit www.rwmanila.com.