CYT Northwest's 'Annie Jr.' opens today

CYT Northwest Cook County's production of “Annie Jr.” runs Thursday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Nov. 7, at Prairie Lakes Theater, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines. It features 96 youth ages 8-18 from throughout the region.

One of the most beloved musicals of all time and winner of seven Tony awards, “Annie Jr.” is the story of a spunky orphan whose journey to find her parents take her from the home of billionaire bachelor Daddy Warbucks to the President's office.  

Featuring such favorites as “Hard Knock Life,” “Tomorrow” and “Maybe,” the play runs about 90 minutes with one intermission. Annie is played by Emma Dunn, 11, who attends Prairie Hill School in Cary. Jason Long, 15, of Lake Zurich shaved his head to play the role of Daddy Warbucks.

Performances are 9:30 and 11:45 a.m. today and Nov. 4; 7 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 6 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7.

Tickets are $8-$12 presale, $2 more at the door. Group, child, senior and school discounts are available. Call (847) 516-2298 or visit cytchicago.org for tickets.

During rehearsals, the cast collected donations to benefit Oaxaco Orphanage, a Christian charitable ministry in Mexico.

Christian Youth Theater is a nonprofit, educational theater arts program for students ages 4-18 in the Aurora, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kenosha, Lake, McHenry, Oak Park and Rockford areas that works with approximately 6,000 students per year.

Each area offers summer camps and after-school classes in dance, voice, drama and theatrical specialties, and performs three fully-staged musical productions per year. CYT is nondiscriminatory and welcomes all children.

CYT also offers an inclusion program that assists students with special needs, as well as CYT@School, after-school theater arts available to public or private schools.