Don’t tell Clue that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Because the poodle-foxhound cross would most certainly beg to differ.
The nine-year-old is getting up there in age. He could even be considered a senior among his peers. But that isn’t stopping him from going out on a paw and making his stage debut this spring in the Stratford Festival’s upcoming production of “Annie.”
He’s one of two dogs sharing the role of Sandy in the classic American musical, about a brightly optimistic young orphan who (with the stray dog in tow) escapes the clutches of her hellish orphanage and finds refuge in the home of a billionaire businessman.
You could call it the Elphaba of musical theatre canine roles. Unlike the terriers playing Chowsie in “Gypsy” (who spend their entire cameos coddled in the arms of the actor playing Mama Rose) or the Totos from “The Wizard Oz” (who spend much of the show lounging in their dressing rooms, like the divas that they are), Sandy is one of the few demanding dog roles in the theatrical canon: onstage throughout the production and sometimes only accompanied by the young actor playing Annie.
The training to prepare for the role is rigorous and begins in the rehearsal room weeks before the start of performances for a paying public. And much of it involves positive reinforcement, including handfuls of dog treats.
“All the dogs are food-motivated, like we all are,” explained director Donna Feore with a chuckle. “If you want the dog to come to you, then you need to have so many treats. And the second you don’t have treats left, the dogs are like, ‘Yeah, I’m not doing that.’”
So far, the most challenging aspect of the staging for Clue and his co-star, Uno, a two-year-old border collie-Australian shepherd mix, is learning to stay in place for the entirety of Annie’s iconic solo “Tomorrow.”
“It’s really a prolonged stay,” said Kathy Zubick, the dogs’ trainer. “And that’s something we’ve had to work on.”
There are other challenges, too. The design of the Stratford Festival’s Festival Theatre, with the audience wrapped around the stage, means the performers (both two- and four-legged) are more exposed compared to a traditional proscenium venue. As well, no one really knows how the dogs will react to things such as the costumes and full orchestra when they’re introduced later in the rehearsal process.
But the key, explained Zubick, is to ensure that the dogs are familiarized with those elements as early as possible and feel comfortable around them.
“Right now, for instance, they’re seeing the other actors in their normal clothes,” said Zubick. “But once they come out in their show costumes, the dogs are going to immediately notice those things.”
Clue and Uno, however, aren’t totally green to show business. They’ve previously participated in SuperDogs shows at the Canadian National Exhibition and also appeared on film.
Zubick notes that they each have distinct personalities and have learned to make the role of Sandy their own. “Clue’s very boisterous, a take-on-the-world type of personality, but also very sensitive, too,” she said. “Uno, meanwhile, is very intuitive and very compliant. He never wants to be wrong, which works a little bit in our favour.”
Clue and Uno were selected by Feore from a group of five dogs, all under Zubick’s care. The director said there were multiple factors she needed to consider, including how well each dog connected with their human scene partners.
Speedy, a Saint Bernard, was one of the first to be cut — for practical reasons. “I grew very fond of Speedy and he’s adorable,” said Feore. “But when he was running around, the entire stage had drool on it. So he didn’t make the cut pretty quickly.”
Then there was Cappuccino, a terrier mix who was slightly too small for the role. (“She’s more of a Toto,” said Zubick.) Meanwhile, the fifth dog, Domino, is less than two years old and seemed skittish in the role, said Feore.
Clue and Uno, though, quickly bonded with the cast and settled into their parts. Throughout the musical’s six-month run, both will take turns stepping into the part of Sandy.
“They’ve been doing great with everybody,” said Zubick. “And they’re having an absolute blast.”
“Annie” runs from April 19 to Nov. 2 at the Stratford Festival’s Festival Theatre, 55 Queen St. Visit stratfordfestival.ca for tickets and more information.
