Westwood’s Nathan Lamont To Star in Needham Community Theatre’s Production of “Annie”

Needham Community Theatre is presenting ANNIE, directed and choreographed by Marianne Lonati, music directed by Alan Rodi, and produced by Heather Daley, Naomi Goldman and Nina Barzilay. Performances will be at Newman Elementary School Auditorium, 1155 Central Avenue, in Needham, November 21-30, 2025.
 
Westwood’s Nathan Lamont is playing the role of Daddy Warbucks and Westwood’s Diane Rothauser is the production’s makeup director.
 
ANNIE is a musical about a spunky orphan girl in 1930s New York City who is adopted by the billionaire Oliver Warbucks, while also trying to avoid the cruel orphanage mistress, Miss Hannigan, and her accomplices. The story, based on the “Little Orphan Annie”, comic strip, follows Annie as she goes from a hard knock life in the orphanage to finding a new family with Warbucks, his assistant Grace Farrell, and her dog Sandy. ANNIE is a musical filled with love, acceptance and courage, a classic must-see for the whole family ages 4 and up!
 
Showtimes

Nov. 21 at 8pm

Nov. 22 at 2pm

Nov. 23 at 2pm

Nov. 29 at 2pm and 8pm

Nov. 30 at 2pm

Tickets are available at www.needhamtheatre.org
 
Nathan Lamont grew up in a musical household, and was taught four-part harmonies, von Trapp-style, at a young age by his folk-singer mother. Since then, theater and music have always played a role in his life. It was on the stage that he met his future wife, Chrissy, in 2005. Ten years later, they moved from Boston to Westwood with their two sons.
 
This is Nathan’s first time playing Oliver Warbucks, but it isn’t the first time he’s played a wealthy, emotionally shut-off grouch who is melted by love — his first role in Needham was as the Beast in their 2007 Beauty and the Beast, and more recently he played Mr. Banks in their 2019 Mary Poppins – both characters who start off gruff and cold, but end up gentle and loving. But among his favorite such roles is the ultimate grump Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, which he’s returned to many times through the years, most recently in Mass Art Center’s 2024 production — one in which all four Lamonts appeared together for the first time.
 
“Annie” is the first professional musical Nathan saw as a young child, during its original tour. He can recall the energy and precision of live theater — performed by children barely older than himself, playing the orphans — filling him with wonder. How could fellow children have such an effect? Now nearly fifty years later, he is again filled with wonder watching a new cast of children with that same energy and precision bringing these timeless songs back to life.