ELGIN — Even in fall weather, the sun will come out in Elgin this month as the Elgin Opera House presents “Annie” on the main stage.

The classic musical tells the story of an orphan girl, Annie, who navigates a cruel orphanage and Depression-era New York City before finding a happy ending.

Director Terry Hale said the show is a perfect fit for the world right now.

“I really wanted to mount an optimistic show. I knew this would be a time where it would be good for all of us to come and have a good time. There’s nothing more optimistic than a production of ‘Annie,’” Hale said.

Twelve-year-old Becca Austin plays Annie.

“I grew up watching ‘Annie,’ and my mom has videos of me singing it to my little sister when she was in the crib,” Austin said. “It’s one of my dream roles to be as a kid.”

As an adult, Austin said her dream role will be either Elphaba or Glinda in “Wicked.” For now, she is fully invested in Annie.

“It’s been really fun. I’ve gotten to work with my dog and I’ve been able to work with a whole lot of people to do this show,” she said. “There are a lot of fun songs and dances.”

Austin said her favorite song in this show is “Hard Knock Life.” Hale said that scene will be a favorite for audiences as well.

“The orphan scenes are really dynamic, and I think people are really going to enjoy them,” he said.

A longtime theater participant, Hale has been involved with a half dozen productions of “Annie” over the years from acting to directing. As the artistic director for the Elgin Opera House, he said he always tries to put on a great show with something new for longtime audiences.

“If they’ve seen the show here before, they’re definitely going to see something different this time,” Hale said.

One of those new pieces is the actress behind the antagonistic head of Annie’s orphanage, Miss Hannigan. Kyle Koyle is making her Elgin Opera House debut with “Annie.” She said a good friend told her about the role, and she decided to submit an audition to try something new.

“I thought, I dance and sing in the kitchen, I have a big background in music, so I’ll go ahead and try it out,” she said. “I thought they would do callbacks and they would never cast me, so I didn’t even tell my husband about it. I just had my daughter video me, and two weeks later, I hadn’t heard anything. I was in Burns, and I got a text from a different friend who said, ‘Oh, my gosh, you’re Miss Hannigan.’ I said, ‘What on Earth are you talking about?’”

She quickly discovered the Elgin Opera House had posted the cast list, and Koyle was listed as Miss Hannigan. She said it has been a challenging but rewarding experience.

“It’s been really great. The people here are patient and kind,” Koyle said. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s a positive, inclusive culture that builds a nice show.”

“Annie” will run for four weeks on the Elgin Opera House Main Stage, from Nov. 22-Dec. 14. Friday performances are at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays feature two shows — 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. There is no show on Friday, Nov. 29.

Tickets range from $8-18 and are available at www.elginoperahouse.com.