When Donegal Performing Arts (DPA) presents "Annie," audiences will see a story of a plucky young orphan who maintains her positive outlook even in the face of challenges, said Isabella Reich, a freshman who portrays the title character.

"Her whole personality is that she's an optimist, and her goal is a better, brighter future for herself and her orphan friends," Isabella said. "She's a very happy person, but she goes through a lot of sad things in the show, and she experiences a lot of emotions."

Based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip, "Annie" tells the story of an orphan searching for her family. Annie lives in an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Dreaming of a better life, the young girl escapes but is caught and returned. Meanwhile, billionaire Oliver Warbucks, looking to improve his public image, invites an orphan to stay in his mansion for the holidays. His secretary, Grace Farrell, chooses Annie.

Warbucks grows fond of Annie and wants to adopt her, but Annie longs to find her real parents, so Warbucks offers a reward for information, prompting many fraudsters to come forward. Miss Hannigan, her scheming brother Rooster, and his girlfriend, Lily, plot to pose as Annie's parents to collect the reward.

Isabella noted that although the show has a happy ending, it's full of emotional ups and downs.

"I think the message of the show is that life can and does get better," she said. "This is a really cute show, but people don't remember how sad parts of it are. A lot of people are going to cry during the show, but there is sad and happy in life."

Although Annie starts out looking for her parents, she soon discovers that "family" takes many forms, said Jocelyn Yoder, who plays Grace Farrell.

"The show talks about family, but also about how family isn't just blood," she stated. "Family really comes down to the people you care about and the people you love. You can find family in the most unlikely places."

For Jocelyn, portraying a character who is a businesswoman, a love interest for Warbucks and a mother figure to Annie has been a challenge at times.

"This is my first show where I've had a lot of lines," said the 11th-grader. "I've typically been ensemble before. It's been really exciting to learn to embody this character."

Junior Nathan Frey plays Oliver Warbucks. He noted that his character undergoes a personality change throughout the show.

"Mr. Warbucks is a very interesting character to play," Nathan shared. "He's very cold in the beginning to pretty much everybody, but once he meets Annie, he starts to have emotions again. It's very fun to portray the change from completely shut off to attachments to people again."

It's also been challenging for junior Derek Palmeri to portray Rooster Hannigan, a not-so-good guy who is motivated by greed.

"I've been loving each and every step of this," Derek said. "This is my first lead in a musical, and the role has been very good for me as an actor, because I have expanded my horizons when it comes to acting and singing."

The winner of seven Tony Awards, including "Best Musical," "Annie" features a variety of well-known songs, including "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard-Knock Life."

Under the direction of Brianna Wilhelm, a 2017 Donegal graduate and veteran of the program, DPA returns to the stage after the club received numerous nominations from the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards for its 2024 fall play, "Radium Girls," including Outstanding Play. The club's 2024 spring musical, "The Wizard of Oz," also set a DPA attendance record.

Derek said people who come to see "Annie" will walk away not only humming the songs, but also taking the show's message to heart.

"Audiences will take away that you are loved no matter where you are or how poor or rich you are," he said. "Come see the amazing talent and time DPA has put into this show. We have put so much hard work and dedication into this show, and I just hope everyone comes out to see the magic come to life."

"Annie" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, in the auditorium at Donegal High School, 1025 Koser Road, Mount Joy. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.dpa.donegalsd.org.