Annie By Mary Alderson “This is not your Granny’s Annie.” So says 11-year-old Harper Rae Asch, who has the role of Annie at Stratford’s Festival Theatre. By that, she means It isn’t like productions you may have seen in the past, nor is it like the movie versions. Harper knows; she has watched the various movies, and she took in the U.S. national tour version live on stage. So, in the young actor’s opinion, what makes Stratford’s Annie different? “There are lots of dance breaks, with flips and tricks,” she explains. That’s not a surprise. With Donna Feore as the Director/Choreographer, one can expect her trademark impressive dance numbers. Harper also hints that the characters’ appearances might not follow the traditional looks that were originally based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip which debuted in 1924, Yes, Harper wears a red wig (in fact, she has two of them) but it might not look quite the same as the tousled curly bright red hair you’ve seen on past Annies, Harper was shocked and then thrilled when she was offered the iconic role in Annie, “It took a moment to process because there were so many talented children at the audition. It was a nation-wide call,” she says. Some of those girls now share the stage with her, as orphans in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Harper is no stranger to being on stage. At age 5, she appeared in the show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Since she was 9, she has been doing voice-overs for animated TV shows. “She has a career ahead of her: she’s a mini-star,” says Stratford Festival’s Publicity Director Ann Swerdfager. “She is a remarkable human being, packed with talent, and her beautiful composure and poise take her to the next level. Plus, she’s super-smart,” Swerdfager ...