Annie

Sophia Galloway (Annie) is thrilled to be returning to the stage at Little Theater of Gastonia. Sophia was last seen on stage in RAGTIME (Ensemble,) at Queen City Concerts and THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE (Lucy Pevensie,) at LTG. When she’s not singing on stage Sophia enjoys recording her podcast, making movies, baking, and reading. Sophia wants to thank all the crew and staff that have helped shape and develop her!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Beau Norwood (Oliver Warbucks) is making his LTG debut. Norwood's professional career consists of 14 years in high school education and coaching Football, Wrestling and Baseball. In 2014 Norwood left the school system and opened Gaston County's first brewery (Ole Dallas Brewery) and from 2021 to present runs his own lawn care company. Though having minimal theatrical experience Beau is no stranger to performing. As a musician Beau has performed for the last 15 yrs. in a duo called "SchafeWood" and solo as well. As an actor Beau was featured in the 2006 independent film "Three Count" written and directed by two of Beau's former wrestlers Brodie and Cody Lowe along side future WWE Superstar Adam Scherr aka Braun Strowman. In his spare time he enjoys golfing. Beau is thrilled to be performing in "ANNIE" and dedicates his performance to his daughter Addie Rae for always believing in him.

Nicole Castro (Grace Farrell) is excited to perform on the Little Theater of Gastonia stage for the first time! She was last seen on stage in MATILDA THE MUSICAL (Miss Honey), SOUTH PACIFIC (Ensign Nellie Forbush), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (New Postulant/Nun), LesMiserABBA (Susan), and THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (Chiara/State Fair Singer). She is a graduate of The University of West Florida with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Awards include Lead Performer (Wessy Awards) and Best Actress in a Play (Dolly Awards). She would like to thank her Mom and Aunt Desiree for all of their love and support!

​

​

​

​​

​

​

​

Taffy Allen ( Miss Hannigan) is very excited to be a part of the cast of ANNIE! Taffy has a Bachelor of Arts from Greensboro College and currently teaches Dance and Drama at Piedmont Community Charter School. Taffy was last seen on the LTG stage in MAMMA MIA (Donna). Other LTG roles include HONKY TONK ANGELS (Angela) and THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES (Bananas). Since that time she performed in CPCC’s production of FREAKY FRIDAY (Katherine Blake). Taffy has performed in several Charlotte area theatres. Favorite roles include Actor’s Theatre’s productions of THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK (Betty) and COUGAR THE MUSICAL (Mary Marie), as well as Theatre Charlotte’s production FOOTLOOSE (Ethel McCormick). When not ON the stage Taffy enjoys choreographing, most recently doing so for Gaston School of the Arts’ production of ANNIE, JR. She would like to dedicate this to Milani and Ginger Lane.

Joey Hollenback (Rooster) is excited to be returning to the stage at Little Theater of Gastonia. Joey was last seen in SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (Ensemble). When not on stage, Joey enjoys spending time with his wife Megan, daughter Brooklyn and snuggling with his dogs Bella and Zoey. Joey would like to thank his friends and family for all their love and support throughout his acting career.

Kim James (Lily St. Regis) is absolutely thrilled to be making her debut at the Little Theater of Gastonia and in ANNIE - the first musical she fell in love with as a kid. Outside of the stage, Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons: camping, kayaking, swimming, roller skating and eating our way through one city at a time!

Hollin Hannon (Molly) is so excited to be performing at Little Theater of Gastonia for the first time! She was last seen on GSOA's stage in ANNIE JR. (Molly) and has had amazing experiences at Gaston Day School’s theater camps with Ms. Oden. Hollin has so much fun on stage and loves being with her family, friends, and teachers and eating cotton candy ice cream! She also loves her two dogs: Rudy and… Molly, whose name was inspired by the character. Hollin is grateful to be in this play and she’s thankful for her castmates, the directors, the production team and crew, and all the audience members!

​

​

​

​

​

Juliette Davis (Tessie) is 8 years old and in 3rd grade. She loves school and the challenge of it, where she has worked very hard and earned student of the month each of the last 2 years and also served on student council last year. Juliette keeps herself very busy, getting involved in as many activities as possible which include: girl scouts, tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer, swim team, volleyball, dance, gymnastics and piano and voice lessons. When Juliette does get a little free time, she enjoys doing art, traveling, playing with her dog and spending time with her family and friends. ANNIE is Juliette's first time in a mainstage theatrical production, although she has attended multiple theatre camps and been involved in the performances at the end of camp!

Helen Hand (July) is so happy to be performing at Little Theater of Gastonia. Helen was last seen on stage in ANNIE JR, (Annie) and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR (Fishmonger). When not on stage, Helen enjoys taking care of her farm animals and playing with her friends.

Aliza Hand (Kate) is so excited to be performing at Little Theater of Gastonia. Aliza was last seen on stage in the ensemble of ANNIE JR. When not on stage, Aliza enjoys playing board games with her family and summer camp.

Zelie Polnaszek is so excited to be performing in the Little Theater of Gastonia's production of ANNIE! This is her first performance here at the Little Theater of Gastonia. When not on stage Zelie enjoys reading anything she can get her hands on, knitting, and spending time with friends.

Amelia Memrick (Pepper) is ecstatic to be in her first theater production at Little Theater of Gastonia. Over the summer, she participated in the Act & Dance Discovery Retreat by Noel & Noah Productions and fell in love with acting. Encouraged by the new skills she learned, she decided to try out for a role in Annie. Amelia, 10, will be entering fifth grade at Belmont Central Elementary. When she’s not practicing her lines, Amelia enjoys taking ballet classes, crocheting, drawing, singing, and reading. She’s a voracious reader known to finish an 800-page book in three days.

Ariana Parker (Peggy) is excited to be returning to Little Theater of Gastonia! Previous roles include FINDING NEMO, KIDS (Bruce), BYE BYE BIRDIE (Randolph MacAfee) and MATILDA THE MUSICAL (Lavender). When not performing, Ariana enjoys taking acting, dance, and voice classes as well as playing copious amounts of Minecraft. Ariana would like to dedicate her performance to her great-grandmother, Peggy, whom her character is named after. Ariana would like to thank Danielle and all of the cast & crew of this production! 

Quinn Alley (Susie) is so excited to make her debut on stage at Little Theater of Gastonia. When not on stage, Quinn loves spending time with her family and creating through art, music and drama.

Az'Iyanna McGill (Millie) is so excited about her very first performance at Little Theater of Gastonia. Az'Iyanna's bubbly personality and fun loving spirit can light up a room. When not on stage, she is a social butterfly. Az'Iyanna enjoys dance singing, and cheer gymnastics.

Emma Kate Griffin (Patsy) is so excited to be a part of the Little Theater of Gastonia for her first show! In her spare time, she enjoys playing the violin, playing softball, and designing dresses. She has always loved singing and acting. Her favorite musical is HADESTOWN because of its jazzy music and beautiful story. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her in this debut.

Riley Knockenhauer (Ruth) is so happy to be returning to the Little Theater of Gastonia and be a part of the ANNIE cast! Riley was last seen in THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (Company). Riley was also recently a part of the Act and Dance Retreat with Noel and Noah Production's HOW ANANSI GOT HIS STORIES (Nyame). When not on stage, Riley enjoys playing Minecraft with her friends and big sister, and also makes bracelets with her mom and sister for their small business, Positive Tyes. She also loves to draw and is in the process of drawing designs for T- Shirts, that she would love to eventually sell. Riley hopes that the audience enjoys the show and has fun.

Emily Slininger (Rose) is excited to be performing in her first production at Little Theater of Gastonia. When not on stage, she enjoys spending time with her family, hanging out with her friends and singing 80’s music!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Kalaya Taylor (Dorothy) is so happy to be performing once more at Little Theater of Gastonia. Kalaya was last seen on stage in The LITTLE MERMAID (Allana), OZ (Glenda) and LEGALLY BLONDE (Pilar). When not on stage, Kalaya enjoys spending time with family and friends and listening to music.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Magnolia Hill (Sophia)  is ecstatic to be performing at Little Theater of Gastonia. Magnolia previously did LTG's summer camp of FINDING NEMO, KIDS. This will be her first full production! Magnolia is five and will be beginning kindergarten this year. Outside of theater, Magnolia participates in aerial gymnastics. She recently got her own aerial set up at home and spends a lot of time practicing. Maggie developed a love for musicals from her favorites Monster High, Descendants, and Zombies. She has since grown to also love Beetlejuice and Matilda. Maggie lives with her mom and dad and is a wonderful big sister to her brother Finch.

Steven Westlake (Franklin D. Roosevelt) is honored to be performing once again at Little Theater of Gastonia. Steven has previously been seen on stage in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Otto Frank), SWEENEY TODD (Jonas Fogg), and BYE BYE BIRDIE (Charles Maude). When not on stage, Steven enjoys movies and hiking. He also manages the legacy of the National Police Gazette, a legendary American magazine that established championship belts for bare-knuckle boxing, among other things.

Becky Layman (Bert Healy) is so excited to be performing again at LTG! Becky was last seen on the LTG stage in SISTER ACT (Sister Mary Patrick), THE LION, THE WITCH, & THE WARDROBE (Aslan), HEATHERS (Mrs. Fleming & Mrs. Sawyer), BYE BYE BIRDIE (Mrs. MacAfee). Becky was also seen in THE WINTER WONDERETTES (Suzy) at Davidson Community Players, and other shows in her earlier years. In her spare time Becky enjoys cooking and cake decorating, and pretty much anything else crafty.

​

​

MJ Sadler (Star-to-be/Cecile) is thrilled to be in ANNIE. After performing in SWEENEY TODD (Company) and SISTER ACT (Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours) this past season, MJ feels more confident on stage than ever. When not performing, MJ is often writing stories or singing at church. Most recently, MJ has begun reading up on various unknown psychology facts of history to prepare for a degree in psychology.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Logan Watkins (Drake) is thrilled to be returning to the Little Theater to perform in Annie. He is seventeen years old and attends school at Stuart W Cramer High. Logan last appeared onstage at Little Theater of Gastonia’s in SISTER ACT (Pablo), and spent the past few years performing in various school and community productions. Aside from acting, he also enjoys playing bassoon, working with reptiles, studying languages, art, writing, and exploring the outdoors. Logan would like to thank his parents, sister, friends and family for their continued encouragement, his friend Levi Hoyle for avid support, and fellow actor Ashleigh Parra for her guidance and encouragement.

Maddie Knockenhauer (Mrs. Greer/Company) is happy to be returning to the stage at the Little Theater of Gastonia She was last seen in SISTER ACT (Sister Irene). Maddie has had a love of theater since she was a little girl, when her grandmother took her to see the Rockettes in NYC. After that experience, she joined a community theater on Long Island and was in multiple shows. She is joining the cast of ANNIE with her two daughters, Isabella and Riley. She moved to North Carolina about 13 years ago with her husband, Matthew. When not on stage, Maddie enjoys reading books about her heritage, gluing jigsaw puzzles together and making bracelets with her daughters for their Mother/Daughter business, Positive Tyes. Maddie would like to thank her family and friends for their patience while she pursues her love of theater. She would also like to thank the audience for coming to support the actors and theater, and hope they enjoy the show!

Jenni Slininger (Mrs. Pugh/Company) is so excited to be performing again at Little Theater of Gastonia. She was last seen on stage in SISTER ACT (Company) and BYE BYE BIRDIE (Company). When not on stage, Jenni enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, baking, dancing, singing and going on travel adventures.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Hannah (Annette/Company) is so thankful to have the opportunity to be back on the LTG stage with so many talented people. ANNIE has always been one of her dream shows to be a part of, and she is excited to be in this with so many of her friends but also to get to know some new ones as well. This show is about hope and second chances and that is something that is so important, especially in this day and age because at times we tend to forget. She would like to thank the whole production team for letting her be a part of this show and also thank each and every one of them for all the time and care they put into this show.

Finley Stiles (Ronnie Boylan/Company) is thrilled to be making her debut on the stage at the Little Theater of Gastonia! This is her second time ever performing on stage and at 20 years old she’s very excited to play a part in bringing the story of ANNIE to life! When Finley isn’t singing or acting, she enjoys creating visual art, and if she isn’t painting or drawing she loves serving in the children’s ministry at her church!

​

​

​

​

​

Lydia Bolick (Bonnie Boylan/Company) is very excited to be making her debut on the stage at Little Theater of Gastonia. Though Lydia has not been seen acting on a stage since she was in elementary school, she has been involved in many different facets of theater and other performing arts over the last 12 years. When not on stage, or working one of her many jobs, Lydia enjoys reading and spending time with her friends.

Gaia King (Connie Boylan/Company) is so excited to make her LTG debut with this show! Although she has never been on stage here it is not her first time on a stage. Recently she has been in BRIGHT STAR (Ensemble/Spirit) in Cherryville and NUNSENSE (Sister Luke) in Kings Mountain. In her free time she likes painting, playing video games, and making jewelry.

Vance Riley (Eddie/Company) is so excited to be in his second production with the Little Theater of Gastonia. Vance was last seen on stage in SISTER ACT (Joey) FREAKY FRIDAY (Adam) and CINDERELLA (Jean Michel). Vance will also be in the upcoming production of Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Children’s Theatre Charlotte this upcoming winter. Vance enjoys writing stories and world building and likes to do this using Dungeons and Dragons as a medium as well as writing literature. Vance also loves exercising, video games, reading, and spending time with his friends.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Simon Lauterwasser,(Bundles/Company)  is incredibly excited to be returning to the stage of Little Theater of Gastonia! Simon most recently appeared in Cherryville Little Theatre's production of BRIGHT STAR (Billy Cane) and LTG's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (Sweeney U/S & Company). Simon has always loved sharing his talents ever since he was a small child singing with his family in church and was raised watching musical movies such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, so falling in love with the stage was no surprise at all. Simon dreams of one day appearing on a Broadway stage and making a living doing what he loves, but for now he is just grateful for the opportunity to be on stage alongside such a wildly talented cast and have the support of an incredible crew.

Abrielle Hill (Apple Seller/Company) has been preforming ever since they were a kid. They've been in SPONGEBOB THE MUSICAL (ensemble) BYE BYE BIRDIE (ensemble) and DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (crew). In their free time they like to draw, collect crystals, sing, and dance! They're really excited to be performing in this show as this is their dream show ever since they were a kid, they hope that they're able to show their love theater onto the stage!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Isabella Knockenhauer is 14 years old and is in 9th grade. She enjoys her time watching horror movies with her mom, and hanging out with her friends. In Middle School, Isabella participated in multiple things such as Chorus for 3 years, and the National Beta Club. Isabella has been awarded the Citizenship Award 3 years in a row for helping out her peers, and treating them with respect and kindness. Isabella was last seen on The Little Theater Of Gastonia's stage for SISTER ACT (Sister Mary Celeste) as her first ever show. She could not believe what a wonderful time she had. Isabella was matched with a beautiful cast and crew and was very grateful she got to participate. Isabella had so much fun the first time she wanted to do it again! She is overjoyed that she once again gets to be in another incredible show at LTG.

Roen Parker (Sandy) is incredibly excited to perform in his first mainstage production ever, right here at Little Theater of Gastonia! Roen has previously performed in camp shows such as FINDING NEMO, KIDS (Squirt) and class productions such as BEAUTY (Garcon) and THE JUNGLE BOOK (Monkey). Roen is very excited to be performing with his sister in this show. Roen would like to thank the production crew, the cast, and his family who is coming to watch him. He would like to dedicate his performance to his Baw Baw.