'Annie' lead is theater veteran at 11
By Forrest Hartman • Forrest@rgj.com • April 13, 2008
Reno Gazette
Amanda Balon is only 11 years old, but when it comes to theater, she's a veteran.
"She's been acting for a long time," said her father, Timothy Balon. "When she was young, she loved to watch all the
movies and classical plays and theater stuff from Broadway on TV."
Amanda is in her third year playing the title role in the national touring production of "Annie," which rolls into Reno's
Pioneer Center on Friday, and she said she's having the time of her life.
"I love touring," she said. "The reason I do this so much is because I love doing it. It's so much fun. I meet all these new
people and all these different fans."
Based on Harold Gray's "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip, "Annie" relates the adventures of a precocious young girl who
was raised in an orphanage but dreams of finding her birth parents. With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin
Charnin and a book by Thomas Meehan, the show became a long-running success on Broadway, even winning the
Tony Award for best musical. The production features a number of well-known songs, including "Tomorrow" and "It's the
Hard Knock Life."
Although Amanda has been performing in "Annie" for years, she said she never grows tired of it.
"This has been my favorite show forever," she said. "The story, the optimistic part of it, the hopefulness in it. It's just
such a great story. "» I'm proud to sing the lyrics in all the songs."
And Amanda knows those songs well. She said she made her first theatrical appearance in a performance of "Annie"
with a company in her hometown of Orlando, Fla. Although she has appeared in many other productions in Florida,
"Annie" is the only show she has toured with, and the constant travel has made her career a family affair.
Timothy Balon said that when Amanda was cast in the touring production, he quit his job as a mechanical designer so
that he could travel with her. And when his wife, Angelique, is able to take time off from her job as a physician, they
trade places so he can spend time with their other children in Florida.
Once the "Annie" tour is wrapped, Amanda said she plans to try and break into television and film. But, no matter what
happens, she's going to keep performing.
"I'm still going to probably do a few Broadway plays," she said. "I love dancing, singing and acting. (They're) my favorite
things ever."