TACOMA, Wash. — On the stage of the 5th Avenue Theater, she plays Annie, the world's most famous orphan, but at home in Tacoma 11-year old Visesia Fakatoufifita has a loving family bursting with pride.
“We don't want nobody to pinch us right now,” laughs her dad Sio.
This story begins two years ago at the very same theater when Visesia's parents took her to see The Little Mermaid starring Diana Huey.
“I was like 'What? She doesn't look like Ariel,’” says Visesia, whose father is Tongan. “’She looks like me. She has brown skin like me. That could be me up there!’”
In April of this year, Visesia was one of 500 girls auditioning for Annie.
“Her dream is actually to go on Broadway,” says her mother Brenda. “We wanted her to get used to being told 'No'”.
But Visesia kept hearing ‘Yes”, through six rounds of callbacks stretching into August.
“Every time I got a call back I was like ‘Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!’” she says.
Her mom says “She kept bringing up 'I dont think I'll get Annie because my skin is brown but I'd make a good orphan'”,
Finally one late summer afternoon Visesia's parents sat her down in the living room.
“They had a present for me and so I was like they're trying to let me down slowly,” she says.
But the present is a letter from the 5th Avenue Theater offering Visesia the role of a lifetime. Her mom recorded the moment on her cellphone.Visesia is leaping off the couch and hugging her parents and yelling "I got Annie! I got Annie!"
“I think we all started crying,” she says. “To see the joy in her and the shock and I mean her real tears.”
“I was just so happy,” says Visesia. “ I was crying. I just couldn't believe it”
In just two years, Visesia’s face is on Seattle buses advertising Annie, and on the marquee outside the 5th Avenue Theater. She is starring on the same stage as Diana Huey. She even met her inspiration recently.
“There was somebody that made an impression on Sia that inspired her,” says Brenda, “ and now our daughter's up on stage and she gets to inspire other little kids. No matter their color.”
“Right when you step onstage and there's an audience it just fills me with excitement,” says Visesia. “And when they clap it's like 'Oh they liked it. Let's do more!'
Visesia Fakatoufifita is sharing the title role with Faith Young, an actress from Kent. Visesia’s next performances are Saturday and Sunday.