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She's Annie

Local 12-year-old is making
professional theater debut.

They then released about 25 girls and
kept only three. After some individual
reading from the script and singing, the
welve-year-old Bryana
director gave Bryana the good news.
Dorfman of Birmingham will
"The biggest challenge for our family
make her professional theater
has been the commute for practice six
debut in the lead role in the Encore
days a week to Dexter.," Dorfman said.
Musical Theatre Company holiday
"With three other children at home and
season production of the family musi-
their activities, we have been for-
cal Annie. Encore, which opened in
tunate that both sets of grand-
February, is located in the village
parents and some friends
of Dexter, outside Ann Arbor.
have helped with driving
The founder of the nonprofit
on a daily basis."
musical theater, Dan Cooney,
Bryana's mother, Julie,
is a Michigan native now liv-
says: "Although this role
ing in New York.
has its challenges for both
The cast of Annie fea-
Bryana and our family, she
tures professional actors
is an amazing girl who
from New York and
has been focused and
Michigan.
determined.
Bryana is the daugh-
"I am so very proud of
ter of Julie and Jonathan
her. She has given up her
Dor furan of Birmingham.
social life and is some-
She is a seventh grader at
how finding ways to
Derby Middle School in
complete all her school
Birmingham.
work
and maintain her
"When the director
Bryana Dorfman will
all-A
grade
point average."
told me she wanted me to
don a red wig.
Bryana
has
been a
be her Annie, I was at first
part
of
both
Temple
Israel
in
West
a little shocked, but extremely happy:'
Bloomfield
and
Temple
Beth
El,
in
Bryana said. "Then I thought to myself,
Bloomfield
Township
although
due
to
`How am I ever going to remember all
the
play,
she
was
forced
to
take
a
two-
those lines. Every day in practice, I am
month break from her religious studies.
getting more comfortable on stage and
She spent several weeks over the sum-
in the role. I can't wait for the play to
mer volunteering at a rescue for abused
open:'
dogs.
Bryana is a newcomer to theater. She
Set in 1933 on Manhattan's lower
got the "itch" following her school play
east
side during the Depression and
at Derby Middle School last year.
based
on the comic strip "Little Orphan
"Following her school play, she
Annie"
by Harold Gray, this musical
bugged me every day for three months
follows an 11-year-old orphan girl (and
straight, usually four or five times a
her dog, Sandy) as she attempts to find
day, that she wanted voice lessons, an
her parents in order to escape the hor-
agent and auditions," said her father,
rible Miss Hannigan, the matron of the
Jonathan. "Finally, I made a couple of
orphanage, after being invited to spend
calls to get a better understanding of
Christmas with New York billionaire
the business and was given several rec-
ommendations of talent agencies. After Oliver Warbucks.
"After being involved in a play,"
a few meetings and some headshots,
Bryana said, "I would love to one day
Bryana had her first agent."
be able to entertain people whether it
In September, she auditioned for
be on stage, in movies, singing or writ-
and eventually was a finalist for a
in.r
singing competition at an outdoor
music festival in Michigan. Then came
her Annie audition and callbacks.
Encore Musical Theatre Company,
"As I was watching all the girls dur-
3126 Broad St., Dexter. The play
ing callbacks',' Dorfman said, "my wife
runs Nov. 27-Dec. 19. Show times
was asking how Bryana was doing? I
and tickets: theencoretheatre.org
told her she was great, but some of the
or (734) 268-6200.
other girls were a bit more polished in
acting and dancing."

Ann Arbor

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November 26 • 2009

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