Press Release: ANNABELLE DUFFY, CAST MEMBER ON NATIONAL TOUR OF FUNNY GIRL, TO PERFORM FREE CONCERT AT COHOES MUSIC HALL 4/6/2025

ANNABELLE DUFFY, CAST MEMBER ON NATIONAL TOUR OF FUNNY GIRL, TO PERFORM FREE CONCERT AT COHOES MUSIC HALL SUNDAY, APRIL 6 AT 7:00PM

 Duffy, a Capital Region native and Albany High grad, studied in Playhouse Stage youth theatre programs for eight years, appearing in ten productions with the company.

Cohoes, N.Y. (March 31, 2025) – Playhouse Stage Company announced today that the company will welcome Capital Region native Annabelle Duffy, who studied with the Playhouse from 2011 through 2019, back to Cohoes Music Hall for a one-night-only, free concert event featuring the songs of Funny Girl and more. Duffy, a graduate of Albany High School and the theatre arts program at Carnegie Mellon University, is currently appearing in the national tour of the Broadway musical Funny Girl, which makes a stop at Proctors in Schenectady this week. Impressively, Duffy is the standby understudy for the lead role of Fanny Bryce. The Playhouse is hosting Duffy for a free concert event to ensure that friends, family, and local theatre audiences have the opportunity to hear her perform the acclaimed music from the musical during her homecoming to the region.

The Cohoes Music Hall doors will open for seating for this special event on Sunday, April 7 at 6:00PM, and the program will begin at 7:00PM. All seating is free, and offered first-come, first-served.

 “Seeing Annabelle’s success since leaving the region in 2019 has been incredibly exciting, but not at all surprising,” said Playhouse Producing Artistic Director, Owen Smith. “Annabelle enrolled in Playhouse youth theatre programs in 2011 at the age of ten, taking classes annually, and appearing in ten productions with our pre-professional youth training program,” Smith continued. “It was clear early on that she was quite a gifted young woman, but she never rested on her natural abilities. She always put the work in to build her skills and grow. Her success at Carnegie Mellon and in her early professional career should be a great point of pride for the Capital Region arts community, and we can’t wait to welcome her home to the Music Hall.”

More Playhouse success up next…

Next up in Playhouse Stage Company’s 37^th Season is a production that further shines a light on talented young artists fostered by the Playhouse’s youth programs, as PSC presents the developmental premiere production of the beautiful new folk musical The Waiting, co-written by Capital Region native (and former Playhouse student) Maria Isabella Andreoli (Composer), and her writing partner EmmaLee Kidwell (Book & Lyrics). More information about Playhouse Stage Company and its productions can be found online at www.playhousestage.org.

About Annabelle Duffy…

Annabelle Duffy is proud to return to the Capital Region where she got her start as an actress! A 2019 Albany High Graduate, Annabelle grew up performing around the Capital Region with theatres including Playhouse Stage Company, Debuts Theatre, Steamer 10, and CR-Kids. In 2018 she won the award for Best Actress at the High School Musical Theatre Awards at Proctors which led her to compete nationally in the Jimmy Awards in NYC. She went on to study Musical Theatre at Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 2023. Now she is touring the country in the Broadway National Tour of Funny Girl, understudying Fanny Brice. She thanks her friends at Playhouse Stage for hosting this concert and giving her the opportunity to perform at the gorgeous Cohoes Music Hall again.