STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Daddy Warbucks is returning to Sun Valley.

St. Thomas Playhouse is reprising the beloved children’s musical of a Depression-era orphan who runs away from her New York orphanage to find her parents 10 years after the Playhouse staged it at the old nexStage Theatre.

St. Thomas Playhouse will present “Annie” as part of its Family Main Stage production involving children and adults Sept. 17-21, 2025, at the Sun Valley Community School.

Need a “Wizard of Oz” poster? Or the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution? St. Thomas Playhouse has it!

St. Thomas Playhouse, an outreach of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley, unveiled its 2025 theater season this weekend in conjunction with a grand opening party for Studio 4—its new studio workshop and storage facility in Ketchum’s light industrial area.

The lineup of familiar musicals was greeted with cheers and applause by the adults and children who crowded into the new facility.

The crowning production, of course, is ”Annie,” which tells the story of a little red-head girl who foils the evil plans of the embittered Miss Hannigan, who runs the orphanage; gets President Franklin D. Roosevelt to introduce the New Deal and befriends a millionaire industrialist named Oliver Warbucks.

The Broadway version won the 1977 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book Based on a Musical, Best Actress, Best Original Score, Best Set Design, Best Costume and Best Choreography.

Conor Quinn served up drinks made with his Wilde Irish Gin during the reception for St. Thomas Playhouse’s new studio/storage facility.

The last production staged in the Wood River Valley featured Maddie Miller as Annie, Tim Eagan as Daddy Warbucks and Cherie Kessler as Miss Hannigan--stay tuned to see who plays the iconic characters this time around.

Other plays in the upcoming season:

“Charlotte’s Web”—February/March. At the heart of this story is a little girl and her farm animal friends, including a little pink and curly-tailed pig. When it comes time for this little piggie to go to market, an eight-legged friend spins a web, saving the pig and reminding viewers that friends come in all shapes and sizes. E.B. White’s beloved children’s story will tour schools around the Wood River Valley as part of the Children’s Touring Theater.

“Moana Jr.”—June 9-20. This musical revolves around a young woman who sails across the Pacific Ocean to learn about her heritage and save her village. This will be presented by children enrolled in the two-week Company B camp, which enlists children’s talents in creating costumes, scenery and props, in addition to learning the music and dance for the production.

Asher Pettit and Thomas Roberts found the swords and spears among the props.

SPACC Residential Camp at Camp Perkins. June 23-28. Think magic…Harry Potter...Alice in Wonderland…The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe…Freaky Friday…and Peter Pan. This year’s camp will dote on fantasy.

“Spamalot”—July 23-26. A king and his knights go on a quest for the Holy Grail in an outrageous but entertaining retelling of a legend. Monty Python’s irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend will be staged by the Summer Theater Project for teens and young adults. Rehearsals take place July 13-22 and shows will be staged July 23-26 at the Sun Valley Community School Theatre.

“The Music Man Jr.”—Aug. 4-15. This musical full of iconic songs like “76 Trombones” revolves around a con man who poses as a boys’ band organizer in order to sell band instruments and uniforms to naïve Midwesterners. His scheme works well until he meets an uptight librarian in River City, Iowa. As he tries to impress her, he ends up helping cantankerous neighbors find harmony. This play will be staged by children enrolled in Company B.

St. Thomas Playhouse staged the announcements against the backdrop of its new studio at 220 Lewis St. No. 4 next to the Spot and the Laundromutt.

Finn Wohlwend gives a parasol a twirl.

The Playhouse has been storing its costumes and props in a building behind the real estate office that shares the church parking lot. But the building was sold recently and so the Playhouse needed to find a new storage spot.

Youngsters who have been involved in St. Thomas Playhouse productions were delighted to explore the racks and shelves containing grass skirts and other costumes. Finn Wohlwend, Thomas Roberts and Asher Pettit quickly immersed themselves in the spears and swords that have been part of past musicals.

And Georgie Payne was intrigued by the bookcase full of scripts.

Outside, guests munched on the always-popular artichoke dip and tomatoes and mozzarella balls on skewers and sparkling apple cider, while Conor Quinn served up a Wilde Cranberry Mule and a Wilde ’75 drink made of Wilde Irish Gin, lemon juice, Demerara syrup and champagne.

Quinn told how he and his business partner Stuart Hall traveled to Ireland to create a luxury Irish gin that they named in honor of Oscar Wilde.

The product, he said, uses 11 botanicals that are submerged in a grain spirit, then blended with local spring water. The botanicals include Irish mountain heather, chamomile flowers, coriander leaf and juniper, which is a must have in gins. The product is distilled in County Cork in a single copper pot still.

Available for two years, it can be found at the Pioneer Saloon and other places in Ketchum where Quinn resides, as well as California, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and online.

“It has floral notes, a citrusy sweet floral base,” said Quinn. “I have supported the Sun Valley Ski Patrol and the Sun Valley Suns through my nonprofit the Alpine Collective and I'm now  supporting St. Thomas Playhouse through Wilde Irish Gin.”