New Theater Company Will Debut With A Broadway Favorite

SOUTHBURY — Newbury Musical Theatre Company, in cooperation with  Southbury Department of Parks and Recreation, will be launching a full  production of Annie at Pomperaug High School on Saturday, July 26, at 7:30 pm, and, Sunday, July 27, at 2 pm.

Cast  members range in age from 11 to senior citizens. The original Pepper from the Broadway cast, Robyn (Finn) Moosey, now a resident of Southbury, will be making a special appearance in the show. The show’s choreographer is Christie Halloran, a graduate of Adelphi University, a dance teacher at Dance Etc in Newtown and also the manager of Newtown Dance and Theater Supply.

Tickets are on sale at  Southbury Park and Recreation at 561 Main Street South, and will also be available at the door, priced at $15 for adults, $10 senior citizens, and $8 for children.

The cast includes residents of Southbury and Middlebury along with those from Newtown, Oakville and Seymour. Husband and wife Jim Tornatore and Cynthia Servetas are the artistic directors of Newbury Musical Theatre. Their daughter, Stephanie Tornatore, a senior at the University of Delaware, will conduct the pit orchestra for Annie, and son Nicholas is serving as stage manager.

Jim Tornature is a music teacher in Litchfield. Cynthia Servetas is a private voice teacher in Southbury. The two met at Manhattan School of Music, where they were both vocal performance majors.

“We moved here two years ago from New York with the intention of starting a community theater program that performs fully staged productions of Broadway shows,” said Ms Servetas. “Annie was chosen as our first show because we liked the idea of bridging the generation gap. From the orphans through FDR, we have cast members ranging in age from sixth graders through senior citizens.”

Pomperaug High School is at 234 Judd Road, just off Route 188 and closest to I-84 Exit 16. Contact Newbury Theatre at 264-1009 for additional information.