One of the most awarded and loved musicals of all time, Annie is returning to Sydney next week. The Scoop sat down with Mackenzie Dunn, who is playing Lily St Regis, ahead of opening night. Mackenzie talks Annie‘s enduring legacy and childhood memories. Read the full interview below.
I was trying to explain the plot of Annie to my son’s girlfriend, who is Gen Z, and I completely failed! Can you tell me what Annie is about, in a nutshell, for the young people who have never seen it?
Annie is a story of hope and resilience. It follows a tenacious young orphan whose only wish is to find her parents, and by the end of the show, she finds family in more ways than she could have ever dreamed of. It’s such a timeless classic of musical theatre with so many iconic characters.
That explains it so simply! Following on from that, why do you think Annie has endured after all these decades?
I think it is still touching audiences today because the themes of family, passion and positivity will never go out of style. It’s also one of the greatest musical theatre scores; the songs in the show are so well-known and loved by all ages.
You will be playing the delightfully wicked Lily St Regis, and I can’t wait to see you in this role. Can you tell us a little bit about this character and how she fits into the show?
Lily St Regis is so much fun! She is basically a quirky, flirty gangster’s girlfriend. She comes into the story with Rooster, the brother of Miss Hannigan, who runs the orphanage. They all dream of living the ‘easy’ life rather than hustling on the streets of New York City. Without giving too much away, she is a villain in the play, and she isn’t the smartest cookie by any means.
Some big names have played Lily St Regis over the years. Bernadette Peters in the ’80s film version, which I grew up watching. Kristen Chenoweth, Megan Hilty and the list goes on. Did you revisit any of these iconic interpretations while preparing for this role?
I grew up with Kristen Chenoweth’s version of the character, and I used to watch that film on repeat as a kid. I have looked at the other versions of Lily that exist. But I’m focusing on finding her feet in the room and bouncing off the other actors in the space. She is definitely a mix of many versions with some Mackenzie flair in there too.
Your grandparents are described as a husband-and-wife powerhouse team. Jill Perryman and Kevan Johnston have been recognised for their incredible contributions to the industry, with Jill playing Miss Hannigan in the original Australian tour of Annie in 1978 and Kevan playing Rooster. How has your family shaped you to become the performer you are today? Do you have any vivid childhood memories of being at the theatre?
Having a career in the arts was something that was always an option for me, and I think that is the biggest way it shaped me as a kid. I was always around theatre and music. My earliest memories of my grandparents are sitting on their couch with massive photo albums of ‘show pictures’ and listening to the stories behind the photos. I feel like I spent so much of my life in and around the theatre that, to me, it is so normal. It didn’t stick out as ‘extraordinary,’ which is so cool.
There are a lot of young performers in Annie, with four actors sharing the title role and three actors sharing each of the orphans. Not to mention the ensemble! Have there been any mentoring opportunities for the kids on this production, officially or unofficially?
Sadly, I don’t have much to do with the amazing kids onstage until the very end of the show. But I love chatting with them in breaks and while we aren’t rehearsing. I certainly wouldn’t say I am a mentor, but I try my best to lead by example both on and off stage.
What advice would you give to young performers (and their parents) who are starting on this journey?
That’s a tough question, but my advice would be to make sure you are doing it because you love it! This career is the best in the whole world, but it’s also hard work and a massive sacrifice, so just keep going back to the love of it. And I would say, do things that challenge you and push your comfort zones. If you love to sing but stand at the back in a dance class – maybe challenge yourself to stand at the front. The more we push ourselves, the more we grow, and ultimately, the better we will be as performers.
Annie opens at the Capitol Theatre Sydney on 25 March and runs until 21 June. It will play at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne from July and at the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane from December.
Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
Website: https://anniemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/anniemusicalau/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/mackenzieannedunn/
Hero image: Supplied by Lord Murray Schoorman – peakhourimages.com.au
