Inclusive casting, rare opportunities invite the sun to come out at Variety KC Presents: Annie
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Grayman-Parkhurst
In the rehearsal studios of Spencer Theatre at UMKC, dozens of “orphans” dance across the vinyl floor, their shoes stomping defiantly. Their voices are powerful, filling up the room with their exciting enthusiasm as they perform “It’s The Hard Knock Life”—one of the most iconic songs in theatre history. Complete with prop buckets and rags, the “orphans” prepare to bring Variety KC’s production of Annie to life.
This rendition of Annie is unlike any you’ve seen, however. Standing at the center of the orphan troop is Ruby Comfort, a seven-year-old actress with spina bifida—a congenital condition where the spine and spinal cord don’t fully develop—stomping away, her voice proudly joining the chorus.
Though frequent surgeries have disrupted Comfort’s young life, taking the stage as Molly, St. Hudson’s Home for Girls’ youngest orphan, Comfort embodies something more: an inspiring redefinition of who belongs on stage.
The Variety Show: Annie, presented by Variety Children’s Charity of Greater Kansas City, is poised to become the city’s first fully inclusive professional musical theatre production. With a cast and crew of over 100 individuals of all abilities, the reimagining of the beloved musical represents a bold new chapter for Kansas City theater and a model for stages everywhere.
Running four performances from August 1-3 at the Kauffman Center, the production combines professional performers with youth and adults with disabilities, creating a dynamic ensemble that reflects the diversity of KC’s community.
While he doesn’t believe the theatre community excludes them intentionally, director Michael Grayman-Parkhurst thinks people with disabilities just aren’t aware of their opportunity to perform.
“It’s what theater needs to be,” Grayman-Parkhurst says. “I don’t think that youth and even adults of all abilities have been able to think that there’s an opportunity for them, so I think we’re saying, ‘No, you can come here. You can be one of FDR’s Cabinet members. Here is a line for you. You are on stage, and you’re doing everything that everybody, other people without disabilities are doing around you, and you’re welcome into this space.’”
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Grayman-Parkhurst
Though theatre has become more of a destination for diversity, the director believes the community still has work to do so that it truly embodies the word “inclusion” and makes no room for exceptions.
“When we say inclusion, we’re talking about people of all colors, people of all backgrounds,” Grayman-Parkhurst says. “I think theatre has always been a place that welcomes people of differences, so I think this is just the next step to that we need to do, so that we’re looking at people that have a disability as those we have always welcomed in the theater.”
When the idea of performing Annie came up, there was very little further discussion. As a musical with several children and adult characters, it was the perfect option to include as many young and old participants as possible. Plus, exploring themes of hope, resilience, and social inequalities against the backdrop of the Great Depression felt important considering the state of the world.
“Annie is about hope,” Grayman-Parkhurst says. “That musical is all about lifting people up, and Annie is our little heroine who brings everybody to a better place. The music is all about hope coming out of the Great Depression, and Annie seems to get in there and make people feel optimism, and it’s perfect for where we are right now in this world and where we are in our country.”
With a cast of 62 actors of all abilities, an important aspect of rehearsals is creating a space accessible to all. Several older venues around KC don’t have accessibility features like ramps or sensory rooms, but as a partner organization with Variety, the Kauffman Center is fully equipped to meet the accessibility needs of all of Annie’s diverse ensemble.
“Kauffman is new, and so it’s got everything we need, and I think for these kids and these adults it would be like, ‘Oh my god, we’re gonna perform at the Kauffman.’” Grayman-Parkhurst says. “It’s gonna feel amazing to them.”
The same accessibility features apply to their rehearsal spaces, too. With dozens of actors, many of whom are children, in one space, they make sure there are fidget toys, cards, and other accommodations are provided to support sensory and learning needs.
During my opportunity to watch a rehearsal, the directors of Annie work with the actors with such patience, valuing opinions and opening discussion with all of the actors, making it clear that the space is such a welcoming and empowering environment. After the orphans were released at the end of their scene, a child with Down syndrome, Avery, chose to stay. She was having too much fun.
Another actor, Tim Bartow, a man with cerebral palsy in his thirties, also took on an inspiring role. Bartow plays Henry Wallace, a member of FDR’s cabinet. During their rehearsal of the scene where FDR—played by a charming Ron Meyer—meets Annie in his office, Bartow is front and center, not off to the side.
Between every take, Bartow would tell every other actor that they did a great job one-by-one. He even turned to me, sitting in the corner with my goofy little notebook, and smiled and waved to me. I found myself watching the rehearsal far longer than I intended. Much like Avery, I didn’t want to leave either.
“I think what’s been so wonderful is integrating people of all abilities so that it doesn’t feel like our people with disabilities are background characters,” Grayman-Parkhurst says. “It’s a beautifully constructed piece, but then finding all the different elements of people of all abilities, that’s just gonna open the heart up even more.”
For the young cast members of Annie, few things could be more exciting than sharing a stage with the woman who made the role famous. Aileen Quinn, who starred in the 1982 film as the original Annie, joins the Variety KC production as Lily St. Regis—the secondary antagonist who pretends to be Annie’s birth mother.
Grayman-Parkhurst sees Quinn’s involvement as both a boost to the production and a powerful learning opportunity—not just for her, but even more so for the kids sharing the stage with her.
“Her presence has been great, and I think for Aileen, she has gotten to meet people of all abilities and have conversations and step in, so I know it’s such a growing experience for her,” Grayman-Parkhurst says. “I think it’s just a special thing if we’re like, ‘Okay, we’re at the Kauffman Center, and Aileen is coming in to come and play with us.’”
As opening night approaches, Grayman-Parkhurst is focused not just on putting on a great show but proving to the Kansas City community what’s possible; that diversity can become the default, not an exception.
“People can say, ‘Oh, it’s possible to do this,’ which is why I think we want to do this,” the director says. “Because the audience is already gonna love what they’re seeing, and they’ll be able to sing along, because everybody knows ‘Tomorrow’, but they’re gonna leave saying, ‘Wow, I didn’t think this was possible.’”
More than anything, Grayman-Parkhurst hopes the production will open both hearts and minds, especially those of fellow theatre-makers. He thinks other directors should approach a fully inclusive show with a type of “go with it” attitude.
“I think, probably in the past, people have been scared of the unexpected happening,” he says. “I think audiences are open to letting some of those spontaneous things happen if they’re going to happen, so my advice would be, let it happen. Take a chance. They’re there with their hearts open and ready to experience this for the first time, so just go with it.”
KC Variety’s production of Annie is not only breaking new ground, but it’s planting seeds for what theater can become. With inclusion at its core and hearts wide open, it offers a glimpse of a future where everyone belongs on stage.
“We have to open our minds, and the arts really need to lead that,” Grayman-Parkhurst says.
The Variety Show: Annie runs August 1–3 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available on their website.
