OBSERVER Photo by Michael Zabrodsky The cast of “Annie Jr.” rehearse “It’s a Hard Knock Life.” The Jr. Guilders of Lucille Ball Little Theatre will perform the show Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

When Holly Weston decided to stage “Annie Jr.” with the Jr. Guilders of Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown, she realized that the performance would come full circle.

“Annie” has been performed three times at the Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown.

The musical is a popular with many school-aged actors.

Weston, LBLTJ president, said the production of “Annie Jr.” comes with a twist: the cast is 18 and under — even the parts for adults.

“‘Annie’ is one of those shows that has always been successful for us. We’ve done the full version three times at the theater. The kids really love it. They know it,” Weston said.

Weston, also the show’s choreographer, added that after the show was chosen for production this year, that she realized that the first time when “Annie” had been produced at LBLTJ that the Jr. Guilders were founded in 1982.

“So, it’s a really kind of a nice full circle from when that all happened in 1982, to us doing our first show, since December 2019, to bring back the show that essentially started it,” Weston said.

The difference between “Annie” and “Annie Jr.”, Weston noted, is that the cast is 18 and under.

“It’s the junior version (of ‘Annie’). Contractually it requires us to only cast under the age of 18. Everyone — Daddy Warbucks, Miss Hannigan, all the way down through the tiniest orphan — they’re all area children doing all of the parts.” Weston added.

Jr. Guilders Executive Director Lindsay Russell said that, after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they wanted to bring a junior theater production back to the stage.

“And so this was a way to cast every single part. We were worried that there wasn’t going to be a need for children’s theatre or want for children’s theater in the community anymore. So, we just kind of brought up ‘Annie Jr.’ because of that purpose, you know, just to start full circle where we started again, and, and just totally get some kids who were excited and interested about it. … So I think that we’re just both so relieved and so excited that the community has opened their hearts to the possibility of children’s theater, and it’s starting to be such a successful show already,” Russell noted.

In May, about 130 children showed up for the audition for “Annie Jr.”

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, finding a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy, according to lbltj.com.

In 1982, more than 100 area girls showed up at the Little Theatre of Jamestown to audition for a role in the upcoming production of “Annie.” With so many heartbroken little girls, Artistic Director Fredericka Woodard, came up with the idea to establish a children’s group of young area performers, LBLTJ.com, the theatre’s website noted. Woodard gave the idea to Theatre Board Member, LTJ actress and friend, Helen Merrill. Merrill, along with longtime Little Theatre accompanist, Lucille Miller, established the group, the website said.

“Annie Jr.” will be performed Thursday at 6 p.m., Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

For information about tickets visit lbltj.com.