By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published March 10, 2026
ROYAL OAK — Follow the story of Jershua Abbott and Jervis Pendleton in “Daddy Long Legs,” taking the second stage March 20-29 at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette Ave. in Royal Oak.
The story follows the life of Abbott, the oldest orphan in the John Grier Home, until a mysterious benefactor decides to send her to college to be educated as a writer, according to stagecrafters.org.
Abbott is required to write him at least one letter a month, and she is never to know the benefactor’s identity, so she invents one for him: Daddy Long Legs. Abbott then finds out one startling fact that ends up changing her life forever.
The cast consists of two actors, Maggie Kalt as Jerusha Abbott, and Christopher Bateson as Jervis Pendleton. The show is directed by N’Jeri Nicholson.
With there only being two actors in the whole two hour show, the preparation and auditioning process was tough for both Kalt and Bateson.
“It was a very tough competition. There was a really good turnout for it. It was definitely one of the most competitive auditions I’ve ever been to,” Kalt said. “I have been doing theater for over 10 years, and I have never done a two-person show before, so just knowing that there is only one role that I am eligible for, it was a long shot and I worked very, very hard.”
Bateson shared a similar experience, saying that he knew a lot of his competitors personally, and that he knew they would put up a good fight for the role.
“I think there were around 12 men in the beginning of auditions, and all of them are very talented,” he said. “Before going to the audition, I had listened to the album many times, I rehearsed the songs many times and I had already had half the show memorized, at least song lines, before we even had auditions.”
Kalt said that this being her first two-person show brings both excitement and nerves.
“This is definitely by far one of the most challenging theater experiences I have ever been a part of,” she said. “I have had leading roles before, but nothing compares to the amount of memorization you have to do for a two-person show. We never really leave the stage.”
Bateson said he had never heard of “Daddy Long Legs” before being introduced to it by Nicholson, but upon hearing about the role and the story, Bateson thought it would be the perfect opportunity for him to challenge himself.
“The music is just gorgeous. I have listened to the album over and over again. And I really thought that Jervis would be not only an interesting character to play, but also a challenging character to play,” Bateson said. “I thought this would be a unique and fun challenge to take up for myself.”
Both of the actors in the show and Nicholson share a love for the music that “Daddy Long Legs” showcases.
“When I first heard about the show, I listened to it a lot. I fell in love with the music first and foremost and would sing it around my house and with my friends at karaoke and stuff like that,” Kalt said. “So yes, I have heard about the show before, but I had never seen it on the stage, so I was really excited when Stagecrafters said they were going to be doing it.”
Nicholson said that this is her first time directing a Stagecrafters show, and from her experience the show is coming together well.
“In my opinion, it’s going well. I think we are moving at a really good pace, and they (the actors) have run the show a few times, and they will get to run it a few more times before we even get on stage,” she said. “I think the two of them just naturally clicked. They both have similar working habits, and they are both kind of overachievers, so they have been working really hard to make sure they have everything down.”
Nicholson said she has always had an interest in the show, and that it being on the 2nd Stage will make the performance that much more intimate and entertaining.
“When I was introduced to the show, I just fell in love instantly. The music is just beautiful,” she said. “It’s nice, almost Hallmark, it’s a charming little story. It’s only two people, so it’s perfect for a stage this size, for a second stage, which is a lot more of an intimate theater.”
Performances of “Daddy Long Legs” will be at 7:30 p.m. March 20-21, at 2 p.m. March 22, at 7:30 p.m. March 26-28 and at 2 p.m. March 29.
Tickets cost $25 with a $3 ticket fee for Thursday-Sunday. For more information and to buy tickets, visit stagecrafters.org.