FAMILY : Troupe Enthusiastically Adopts ‘Annie’ : Musical orphan finds a home in Los Alamitos in a bright, energetic and fun production by and for youngsters.

There are many elements in the musical “Annie” that might seem beyond the ken of a youth-theater cast, including the political satire, the historic social implications and the very adult attitudes of some of the characters.

None of that has seemed to bother the performers in the Orange County Children’s Theater production at Los Alamitos High School. It apparently hasn’t bothered director Daniel Halkyard either. His staging is bright, energetic and visually attractive. The musical direction by Laurie Hancock is strong, and Lesli Marie’s choreography is simple enough for the young performers but looks more complicated through their buoyant execution.

The orphans in this setting are adorable, and each seems to have found her individual way of winning the audience. Their heroine, redheaded moppet Annie, played with assurance by Julia Loofbourrow, belts the show’s familiar tunes with a gusto that is appealing and a clarion voice.

The entire cast is comfortable in the musical chores, but the show’s strength is in the performances of the actors playing older parts. John Blaylock’s slightly pompous Daddy Warbucks is a strong and often funny performance, and Summer Smith’s grungy Miss Hannigan is as delectable a villainess as one could want.

Hannigan’s evil brother Rooster is played effectively with a slight hint of Jimmy Durante around the edges by Matt Levine, who stands out particularly in musical numbers with Smith and Kasey St. James as his girlfriend Lily. Amanda Loomer is a suave, efficient secretary to Warbucks, and though he isn’t seen outside Sandy’s fur, Michael Lewis gets several strong laughs as the pooch who follows Annie to wealth and society.

*

The attitudes and performances of the radio cast are on the button, from the strong female emcee played by April Quinn to the frantic sound effects man, given a proper sense of abandon by Bill Shapiro. And the biggest laughs of the evening reward Lisa Clayton’s befuddled ventriloquist and her amazing Wacky the Dummy. Erin Smith is Wacky, and her wonderfully goofy blockhead is worth the price of admission.

* “Annie,” Los Alamitos High School, 3591 Cerritos Ave., Los Alamitos. Friday, 1 & 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Ends Sunday. $5-$7. (714) 502-2244. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.

Julia Loofbourrow: Annie

John Blaylock: Daddy Warbucks

Summer Smith: Miss Hannigan

Amanda Loomer: Grace Farrell

Matt Levine: Rooster Hannigan

Kasey St. James Lily

Michael Lewis: Sandy

April Quinn: Berta Healy

Lisa Clayton: Freddie McCracken

Erin Smith: Wacky the Dummy

Bill Shapiro: sound effects man

An Orange County Children’s Theater production of a musical by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, directed by Daniel Halkyard. Musical direction: Laurie Hancock. Choreography: Lesli Marie.