“Annie” To Open Fair Oaks Theatre Festival

An adorable redheaded orphan will ring in the 2011 Fair Oaks Theatre Festival summer season. The classic Broadway musical, “Annie” will open Friday at Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre in Fair Oaks Village.

Approximately 10,000 people are expected to attend all five shows running June through October. Organizers are hoping for a larger turnout of as many as 14,000, due to an improving economy, said Barbara Sestito, an organizer of the festival.

American River College students play an important role in the theater festival each year. The casts of “Annie” and “Stewart Little” are comprised entirely of American River College students. Actors are enrolled in an acting class at the college and their tuition is paid by the theater. The cast of “Annie” includes 25 actors and 10 technicians, Sestito said.

None of the actors participating in the festival are paid. The productions represent local community theater, Sestito said.

The opening night performance of “Annie” includes a gala reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and champagne before the show. Guests will also be treated to dessert with the cast after the performance. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for students and seniors and $8 for children under 12. Opening night tickets including the reception are $25. Bargain hunters can purchase $10 tickets for adults and $5 for children on “Retro Sundays”. The performance will continue Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July 24. Performances begin at 8:30 p.m.

The adventures of a small mouse with a big personality in “Stuart Little” are sure to entertain the tots. Fair Oaks Theatre Festival’s rendition is based on the classic by E.B. White. The 50-minute show will be performed Saturdays in July at 10 a.m. and noon. Tickets are $4.

While “Annie” and “Stewart Little” are geared more to the interests of children and families, this year the theater festival added a production that caters to teens and adults. “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” is an irreverent comedy with a PG-13 rating, Sestito said.

“It’s a fun show,” Sestito said.

The comedy chronicles a happenings at Armadillo Acres trailer part. A stripper disrupts wedded bliss between a Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic and her tollbooth collector husband. Based on the book by Betsy Kelso, the comedy can be described as, “South Park” meets “Desperate Housewives”.

“The Great American Trailer Park Musical” will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Aug. 12 through Sept. 11. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $15, and $13 for seniors and students. A free ice cream social will be held opening night for ticket holders.

Musical group, The New Christie Minstrels will perform July 30 to benefit Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre. The mixture of folk and Broadway scores is a crowd favorite. Tickets are $20 and revenue will be split between the Fair Oaks Theatre Festival and The New Christy Minstrels Foundation. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

The last performance of the summer season, “Best of Broadway” is often the most popular production. With a 37-year history of selling out theatres in Sacramento, Fair Oaks and Rocklin, the performance is packed with toe-tapping Broadway hits.

The play will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Sept. 16 through Oct. 2. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students and seniors, and $15 for children under 12.

Tickets for all shows may be purchased at the Fair Oaks Theatre Festival box office, which opens on Friday. Tickets can also be purchased at Oaks Hardware, Bella Fiore, The Hart Collection and American River Bank in Fair Oaks Village, as well as online at fairoakstheatrefestival.com. For additional information, call 966-3683.