Can two people fall in love sight unseen? In a time when so many people swipe left without even reading a profile, do we believe that a man and woman could fall in love just by writing letters to each other?

Daddy Long Legs answers that question–with a “yes” that’s as resounding as it is satisfying to watch unfold–but does a lot more besides. It’s a love story that will feed your heart, a coming of age story that will feed your mind, while the stagecraft and songs send your eyes and ears to the dessert table.

Our lead, Jerusha Abbott, is a heroine who combines the qualities of so many you already know, while becoming something much greater than the sum of her individual parts. She’s as charming as Eliza Doolittle, but more confident–as spirited as Little Orphan Annie, but more mature–as independent as Shakespeare’s Kate Minola, but more compassionate–as bright as Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, but not so clingy. And she’s what every Jane Austen heroine wishes she could be, but isn’t quite tough enough to really pull off.

Jerusha is the oldest orphan at the John Grier Home, where she’s spent most of her life. Our story starts at a pivotal time for her, where she bears most of the responsibility of keeping the orphanage running because of her age, but has the least likelihood of finding a home… because of her age. One of the orphanage’s trustees, the mysterious Mr. Smith, takes notice of Jerusha’s cleverness, having read some satirical essays of hers on life at the orphanage. He decides that this girl’s intellect must be nurtured and fed, so he adopts her as a ward: he will send her to college gratis, but she must reward him every month with a letter on her experiences.

She doesn’t know who this man is, or even the color of his eyes. He doesn’t know if he loves her, or if he’s supporting her merely out of charity. But through the course of their correspondence–which unfolds before our eyes–she becomes the woman she was meant to be and their relationship becomes the secret of his happiness.

Think of it as You’ve Got Mail meets F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise plus all the sincere bits of Annie Hall and the charming bits of My Fair Lady thrown in for good measure–but with songs that are taking their place among new classics.

Originally a book published by Jean Webster in 1912, Daddy Long Legs is the love story that’s been hiding right in front of us all along. It would remain mostly unknown to American audiences for almost 100 years until Paul Gordon masterfully spun together the words and music you’ll hear tonight. There were adaptions of Daddy Long Legs for stage and screen–including the particularly charming Curly Top starring Shirley Temple in 1935–shortly after the book’s release, but it remained forgotten to American audiences for a long time.

Gordon’s version premiered in California in 2009, but adaptations of Webster’s love story have found audiences worldwide. In 1984, it was adapted into a Kanamarayathu for Indian audiences, followed by Watashi no Ashinaga Ojisan for Japanese audiences in 1990, and Kidari Ajeossi for Korea in 2005.

Daddy Long Legs is a classic love story that has found an audience in the confusing time of tagging, texting, snapping, swiping, and all the other endless online distractions. Enjoy the slow burn of a love story in the magical days of pen pals, stationary, creativity, and longing.

Jennifer Hill-Barlow

Director/Choreographer - Daddy Long Legs 

Scout is pleased to be back on our stage, most recently appearing as Ellie Blake in Freaky Friday.  Other favorite roles include HCTO - Sense and Sensibility (Marianne Dashwood), Daddy Long Legs (Jerusha Abbott), Les Misérables (Eponine), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), Peter and the Starcatcher (Molly Aster), and Peter Pan (Wendy Darling). 

Kelly was last seen on our stage as Lucy Grant in 2020’s production of Bright Star.  Other favorite credits include: Daddy Long Legs (Jerusha Abbott) and Newsies (Katherine) at Hale Center Theatre Orem and Cinderella (Gabrielle) and Seussical (Gertrude McFuzz) here at HCT. She graduated from UVU in performing arts and loves working in the education department at HCTO.

Taylor’s credits include: HCT - An American in Paris, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Little Mermaid; HCTO - Blink, Damn Yankees; and BYU - The Count of Monte Cristo and Young Ambassadors.  Taylor has a BFA in Music Dance Theatre and a Master's in Public Administration from BYU where he currently works as EFY Program Administrator.  

Back after thrilling audiences as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet! Credits include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, She Loves Me (HCT); Million Dollar Quartet, Daddy Long Legs, Into the Woods, Thoroughly Modern Millie (HCTO); Noises Off, Oklahoma! (SCERA); and Forever Plaid (American Performing Arts International) Fringe Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland. 

See bio under Music Director

Our audiences are no strangers to Tanner’s musical talent. He has provided live and recorded tracks for many productions at Hale Centre Theatre including Bright Star, Tuck Everlasting, Forever Plaid, and A Christmas Carol.  Tanner holds a Bachelors of Choral Music Education from the University of Utah and works as a piano and voice teacher.

Nicole has been the solo cellist for numerous recorded tracks and live performances including Bright Star here at HCT.  She is the solo cellist on three Grammy-nominated albums, a #1 Billboard charting album with Nathan Pacheco, and her own Billboard charting album of original arrangements, Away in a Manger: A Cello Christmas. 

Josh is returning to the HCT stage once again to lend us his musical talents on the cello, most recently seen as a solo cellist in our production of Bright Star. Josh is currently studying Civil Engineering at BYU and works as a Research Assistant.

Returning after his rousing performance as Carl Perkins in Million Dollar Quartet, Bryan’s other credits include: Baz Lurhman’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical (live guitar), Tuck Everlasting, Joseph...Dreamcoat (Pharaoh), No Time for Sergeants (Ben Whitledge), The Wedding Singer (Robbie Hart) and Into The Woods (Rapunzel’s Prince) - HCT; 

2021 marks Jenny’s 13th Season with HCT. In early 2020, Jenny Directed/Choreographed the US Premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical. Jenny has created over 45 musicals in the last 13 years. Most notable, Assoc.Director/Choreographer, HCT’s An American in Paris starring ballet superstar and Disney film actress, Juliet Doherty. Other favorite directing/choreographic credits include: AIDA, In the Heights, Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, Anything Goes, Catch Me If You Can, Into the Woods, Joseph...Dreamcoat, Big Fish, Big River, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Xanadu!.  

Kelly is one of the most sought-after Music Directors along the Wasatch Front. His talent and skills have been instrumental in the success of many of our productions, with the most recent being A Tale of Two Cities, Disney’s Tarzan, Disney’s Mary Poppins, Bright Star, Seussical, Freaky Friday, An American in Paris, AIDA, Forever Plaid, Sister Act, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Peter and the Starcatcher, Big Fish, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, GHOST the Musical, Catch Me If You Can, Mary Poppins, and Les Misérables. A few of Kelly’s stage roles at HCT include Catch Me if You Can (Carl Hanratty), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Goran), My Fair Lady (Colonel Pickering), Man of La Mancha (Sancho Panza), and Ragtime (Tateh). 

Megan is thrilled to be back in the Stage Manager seat at Hale Centre Theatre after helming Murder on the Orient Express and our 2019 & 2020  productions of A Christmas Carol. Favorite Stage Management credits include: SCERA Shell-Newsies; Noorda Performing Arts Center-Week of Dreams Events; Ragan Theater-Die Fledermaus; UVU-Jumpers. Asst. Stage Manager-Sundance Summer Theatre for Joseph...Dreamcoat. Stage Management Intern-O’Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, CT. 

As an accomplished artist and associate Designer, Madeline’s work was recently seen in our productions of Les Miserables, A Tale of Two Cities, Disney’s Tarzan, Murder on the Orient Express, Million Dollar Quartet, Baz Lurhman’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical, Bright Star, Seussical, Matilda, and Cinderella.

Peggy has designed & sewn for HCT since 2005. She lists some of her favorite designs as The Heart of Robin Hood, Peter and the Starcatcher, Big Fish, Tarzan, Les Miserables, The Civil War, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island, AIDA (2006), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Matilda. Peggy enjoys the design process but also loves stepping back to be a “sewing/crafting gremlin” in the costume shop. Peggy holds a BFA in Costume Design for Theatre from USU and currently works full-time in HCT’s Costume Shop. “Love and thanks to my family for their enthusiasm and support when my theatre world engulfs the real one!”

Recent Hale Centre Theatre credits for Marianne include the Lighting Design for Murder On The Orient Express, Bright Star, and The Addams Family. She works as the Assistant Lighting Designer for BYU Arts Production. Marianne holds her Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University and her Master’s from the University of Idaho. Other credits include BYU - BYU Spectacular, Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables. Utah Metropolitan Ballet - Snow White

Dan loves the challenge of theatrical sound and is very excited for the opportunity to work in such a marvelous place. Some of his favorite sound designs have been The Three Musketeers, The Wedding Singer, and A Tale of Two Cities. He feels blessed to have worked on a variety of other projects, which include The Savior of the World, The Nauvoo Pageant, A Brand New Year, and various concerts and television programs for the LDS Church. 

Michelle is extremely passionate about details, research, beautiful and interesting “things,” anything to do with flowers, and opening packages. She recently designed her 75th show with our A Tale of Two Cities; some of her other favorite designs have included The Drowsy Chaperone, Over The River..., Les Misérables, Tarzan, Tuck Everlasting, My Fair Lady, AIDA, and She Loves Me. 

Candice started with HCT in 2014 with Mary Poppins. Since then, she has worked as a costume and wig dresser and was a makeup artist for Disney’s Beauty and The Beast. She is a graduate of Paul Mitchell the School, and currently works as an instructor there, as well as in the HCT wig studio. “I would like to thank Trisha and Krissa for being such big mentors! I have learned so much from you guys, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities you have given me. I also want to thank Adam, Cordelia, and Gabriella for being so supportive of my dream to work in theatre. Love you guys!”

Previous HCT credits include Projection Designer for A Tale of Two Cities, Disney’s Tarzan, Murder on the Orient Express, Million Dollar Quartet, Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical, Bright Star, Seussical, The Addams Family, Cinderella, Freaky Friday, Matilda and video content for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

Siamani is honored to be providing the automation design for Daddy Long Legs - his first solo design. He has worked at HCT as an Automation Specialist/Rigger for 3 years and notes Seussical! as one of his favorite productions. “I love what I do! And I hope that you all LOVE IT TOO!”