Verona Sixth Grader Starring as Annie in CNY Production
There's one more chance to see this 11-year-old superstar as the beloved red-head before the show closes this weekend.
Samantha Tedford is a sixth grader at J.D. George Elementary in Verona and has been taking front center stage in CNY Playhouse's production of "Annie" in Syracuse this month. According to the Oneida Dispatch, Samantha has been performing for three years with the Bogardus Performing Arts Center in Oneida and the VVS School District.
Samantha's mom, Mandi Tedford, told the Oneida Dispatch her family is so proud of how Samantha balances and even excels at performing and keeping up with her school work.
"She's amazing," Mandi told the Oneida Dispatch. "You can tell that she was born to be on the stage."
According to the Oneida Dispatch, Samantha starred in the junior version of "Annie" last summer with the BPAC, which was part of her audition for CNY Playhouse's production.
"She begged me because we’d have to bring her up to Syracuse for rehearsals," Mandi told the Oneida Dispatch. "She begged us, and she got the part, and she’s been rehearsing since mid-October. The whole cast has been working very hard since then."
The show opened on December 6 and closes this weekend. December 20 at 8 p.m. is the last chance to see Samantha as Annie.
Throughout their run, reviews for Samantha's performance and the entire cast have been amazing.
"[Samantha Tedford's] performance is everything you want and more in the role of Annie," Natasha Ashley from Broadway World wrote. "Her vocals are extremely powerful and emotional as she effortlessly belts out "Maybe" and "Tomorrow." Tedford's performance is beyond her years."
"I’m so proud, but it’s very humbling at the same time," Mandi told the Oneida Dispatch. "I just never expected to see my daughter’s name in the paper with those words printed next to it. I mean I always knew she was a star, but I just never expected to see her on a stage like this."
Find ticket information and more about the CNY Playhouse production of "Annie" here.