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MANVILLE: Christ The Kind School stages ‘Annie Get Your Gun’

By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
   The Christ the King School Players Drama Club is presenting “Annie Get Your Gun” on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in the gym. Students from all the grades pre-K through eight are represented in the performance. The performance is free but donations will be accepted.
   ”This year we are doing ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ the first full length we’ve done that has a plot that goes all the way through the show,” said director Maria Stadtmueller. “Our first year was ‘You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown,’ our second one was ‘Godspell’ with very small pieces and this year has a whole story line from beginning to end. Our cast has grown to 23 which is doubled in size. Our first year we started with 11. We have 10 boys this year up from seven up from four the first year. When the boys asked me if you do a boys play next year, I’ll join. I picked a cowboy and Indians and what boy doesn’t love cowboys and Indians.”
   Due to the fact that more students came out for the play, Ms. Stadtmueller needed a play with more speaking parts.
   ”Which means you need more talented kids,” she said. Ms. Stadtmuelller said she chose “Annie Get Your Gun” because she knows the play and even performed the play as an actor many years ago. “It is a good beginner play for young people.”
   In the pit again this year is director Kevin LaBuff and since he is now in college, he brought some of his musical friends from The Mason Gross School of Performing Arts to help with the performance.
   ”Our orchestra sounds terrific,” said Ms. Stadtmueller.
   The cast includes Boy/Conductor/Cowboy/Brave/Thomas Keeler – Connor Budd, grade 4; Girl/Cowgirl/Squaw/Mrs. Ferguson – Alexandra Nowak, grade 4; Cowgirl/Mrs. Schulyer Adams – Brittney Kozlowski, grade 6; Woman/Cowgirl/Squaw/Mrs. Henderson – Kaylynn Shuleski, grade 8; Boy/Yellowfoot/Footman – Kyle Budd, grade 4; Girl/Squaw/Cowgirl/Pawnee Bill’s Messenger – Madison Kozlowski, grade 4; Mrs. Little Horse/Cowgirl/Mrs. Porter-Potter – Brielle Formanowski, grade 8; Mrs. Blacktooth/Cowgirl – Jena Panciello, grade 8; Charlie Davenport – Christopher Golankiewicz, grade 7; Dolly Tate – Allison Charneski, grade 7; Cowboy/Water/Sitting Bull – David Rubin, grade 8; Cowgirl/Mrs. Wild Horse/Waitress – Samantha Snell, grade 5; Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody – Andrew Colabella, grade 8; Mac/Brave/Dr. Percy Fergeson – Luke Angello, grade 4; Cowboy/Porter/Pawnee Bill/Brave – Quintin Gibbs, grade 4; Wilson/Iron Tail/Schuyler Adams – Alex Melillo, grade 8; Frank Butler – Peter Minsavage, grade 8; Annie Oakley – Brigid Lorincz, grade 8; Jake Oakley – Danny Shubiak, grade 6; Nellie Oakley – Sara Urbaniak, grade 6; Jessie Oakley – Mackenzie Cyr, grade 5; Minnie Oakley – Amanda Myers, grade 8; and Wrestler/Mr. Earnest Henderson – Danny Peltack, grade 8.
   The Little Indians are Katie Shubiak and Diana Angello, grade 2; Liam Angello and Hunter Kornacivich grade 3; Grace Benge and Nicole Hayden, grade 1; kindergarteners Marissa Morris, Anthony Politz, Cora Szczesny and Nicholas Donnelly; and pre-K studetns Sabrina Abella; Gabriel Colabella and Katie Cusack.
   Behind the scenes are the stage manager is Andy Studna, grade 8, and classmate Danny Peltack managing the lighting and curtain.
   Stage crew members are fourth grader Luke Angello; fifth graders Cortney Colangelo, Emily Raber, Mackenzie Cyr, Pierce Kokosinski, Michael Golankiewicz and Jackie Velona; sixth graders Katie Collins, Anna Mazzola, and Nicholas Velona and seventh graders Kara Kloepping, Elizabeth Kokosinski, Alyssa Rogusky, Tomas Minsavage and Mark Mihalko.
   There will be a special senior citizen performance tonight at 7 p.m.