(peaceful music) - It's every actor's dream to land something massive.

(peaceful music) Have their name in lights.

It's just all so crazy, it doesn't even feel real.

To know that I'm playing Annie.

It's just all a dream come true.

(gentle upbeat music) - Rainey's been singing since she was in diapers.

She would memorize stories that she would read and then recite them and we would record it.

- One day, a very little bug fell into a...

It was a Christmas preschool recital, and I was singing, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas".

I only rehearsed with the accompanist once or twice.

- She didn't like the tempo or she was off a little bit and she stopped the whole song.

- Let's start over again.

(audience laughs) - The entire audience laughs and I just make nothing of it, and we just go on with the song.

I guess that's where my performing started.

(Rainey singing) - [Stephanie] It just seemed like her stage presence was there from the start.

- My first ever show was "Moana".

"Junie B. Jones", "Little Mermaid", where I had my first ever name role, Flounder, "Sound of Music", "Lion King", "School of Rock", "Finding Nemo".

Then we did "Madagascar".

- She stood out a little bit more than what we expected.

We were kinda like, okay, well let's keep going and see where this leads (Rainey singing) - [Rainey] Putta cutta, putta cutta.

- [Teacher] Bring that forward; putta cutta, putta cutta.

- [Rainey] Putta cutta, putta cutta.

- [Teacher] Good, butter gutter.

- [Rainey] Butter gutter.

- [Teacher] Butter gutter.

- [Rainey] Butter gutter.

- [Teacher] Butter gutter, butter gutter.

- Butter gutter, butter gutter.

- Butter gutter, butter gutter, butter gutter.

- Butter gutter, butter but-- - You gotta-- - Butter gut.

Butter getter, butter getter, butter getter.

- Supporting her through this journey, it is a full-time job.

- [Rainey] Butter getter, butter getter, butter getter.

- [Teacher] Now putter cutter.

- Every day I get her off the bus, get her fed, make sure we have everything we need 'cause as soon as we leave the house at 4:30 in the afternoon, we aren't coming back until 10 o'clock at night.

(upbeat music) - Rainey with every project you take on, you're so expressive.

It's important to be the character in the moment.

Yay.

- Our main goal as an actor is to make it look easy, but it takes a lot of work.

- Everything that has led her up to this has been acting classes, tap, jazz, ballet, musical theater, even audition tech classes, which help you know how to audition in a professional way.

Head shots can mean a lot too.

A casting director may look at one picture and decide whether or not they want your child to audition So it's made my life very unstable in a way that I just don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring.

But when you're doing the things for your kids, you kind of just do what needs to be done.

We are constantly checking in with her saying, is this something you really want to do?

And if you don't, it's okay.

No matter what it is, it's a preparation for life, being able to speak in front of others, being able to advocate for yourself, being able to know what to do if something happens on stage so that it doesn't affect the whole rest of the show.

- Every role, every class, every rehearsal even has definitely all built up to this.

- [Agent] I have some feedback for you.

They actually wanted me to call you and ask you a question.

- Yes.

- Would you like to play Annie?

- Oh my gosh!

Yes, please!

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

Thank you.

- [Agent] Congratulations.

- Oh my gosh, thank you so much.

- [Agent] You are gonna be Annie.

- Oh my gosh.

(peaceful music) - [Stephanie] You do an audition, you may not hear anything back ever.

So we set it and forget it is what they say.

- We got a callback and then we got final callbacks.

- [Stephanie] She put it all out there.

That's all you can do is do your best.

- There were so many other girls were auditioning for this role.

If you don't get it, maybe they just wanted something different.

- [Stephanie] Got the phone call saying they want to cast Rainey as Annie for the next national tour.

- To know that I'm what they wanted, it's pretty crazy.

Just like one of the biggest moments of my life.

- [Stephanie] When you know that it's something that she really wants and that it's something she's worked this hard for, it's pretty satisfying to know that you've been doing this the right way.

- I was a little nervous, I'll be honest, but overall ecstatic to be doing this big role.

(audience murmuring) (instrumental music) (child crying) - I'm not able to get any sleep around here.

The set, the stage, the audience, costumes, every single element coming together makes a very magical experience.

- Do you wanna sleep with your teeth inside your mouth or out?

♪ It's a hard knock life for us ♪ - To see her finally on stage with a full orchestra and professional actors that have been doing this for their careers, singing these songs that I've known forever.

♪ It's a hard knock life ♪ It's a big deal.

(children singing) - Acting is just professional make believe.

♪ Empty bellies ♪ I'm not Rainey when I play Annie.

♪ It's a hard knock life ♪ I am Annie.

♪ Why shouldn't they be ♪ - It's something she's always gonna remember and always gonna be her grounding and jumping point from here on out.

♪ So maybe now it's time ♪ - You will clean this dump til it shines like the top of the Chrysler building.

Now!

- I love to know that somewhere there is a child who after this show says to their mom, I wanna do theater.

♪ That's gray and lonely ♪ It's a very heartwarming feeling.

♪ Stick out my chin and grin and say ♪ - We'll look back years from now and go, wow, that was something that you did and you were 11.

♪ The sun will come out tomorrow ♪ There's so many people that we have to be grateful for.

A lot of 'em do it because they want acting to keep going.

♪ Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow ♪ - These past four months have been just amazing.

This has definitely shown me what I want.

♪ Tomorrow tomorrow I love ya tomorrow ♪ I'm gonna keep going with acting.

I wanted to move to New York.

I want to perform.

I wanna be on Broadway.

(Rainey singing) (audience applauding) (upbeat music)