New Kent girl lands role in major motion picture

A 40-foot tall billboard atop the Palace Theater in New York City's Times Square depict New Kent's Taylor Richardson in the title role.

Taylor Richardson has already made her mark on Broadway, assuming the title role in a recent two-year run of the musical “Annie” at the Palace Theater. Now the 12-year-old former New Kent County resident is poised to star on the silver screen.

Taylor has been cast as one of three daughters in a family that is the centerpiece of “A Most Violent Year,” a motion picture that follows an immigrant and his family as they try to expand their business amid crime and corruption during the winter of 1981 in New York City. That year is on record as one of the most violent in the city’s history, hence the film’s title.

Cast in lead roles as the family’s mother and father are Jessica Chastain of “Zero Dark Thirty” fame and Oscar Isaac from “Inside Llewyn Davis.” Chastain is a two-time Academy Award nominee while Isaac has been nominated for a Golden Globe.

The film is written and directed by J.C. Chandor. Shooting began Jan. 29 in New York City. A release date has not been set, but speculation is that the film could be in theaters before the end of the year, thus qualifying for next year’s Academy Awards race. Other buzz has the film in 1,200 theaters nationwide by early 2015.

Taylor, meanwhile, starred in 487 performances of the $10 million production of “Annie,” which had its final curtain call on Jan. 5. In 252 performances, she occupied the title role. In the remaining 255, she played Duffy the orphan. A 40-foot tall billboard placed atop the Palace in Times Square featured a photo of Taylor as Annie.

Reports indicate “Annie” could go on tour nationally later this year, but it is uncertain if Taylor will join the cast. She resides in New York City with her parents, Tiffany Richardson and Scott Kennedy, and younger brother Sawyer James, 5, and is home-schooled.

According to her grandfather, Mechanicsville resident James Richardson Sr., a family spokesperson commenting on how Taylor and her family are adjusting to New York City life said, “If you take into consideration how a young girl can move from New Kent to New York City and then perform on Broadway before she loses all her baby teeth, I’d say they are adjusting quite well.”

Her grandfather also pointed to a passage in the playbill, the program guide given to all who attend “Annie,” as testimony to Taylor’s adjustment. The passage reads: “Taylor Richardson is overjoyed to be making her Broadway debut. She hails from Virginia and wants to thank her teachers back home, including Ann Catherine Cross School of Dance, Cathy Motley Fitch, Melody Raef and everyone involved with the Virginia Repertory Theater. Taylor is grateful to Telsey and Co., Arielle Tepper Madover, James Lapine and the entire creative team of ‘Annie’ for this incredible opportunity.”

Richardson said local resident Melody Raef served as Taylor’s piano teacher. Raef along with local residents Susan Bates and Sally Powers traveled to New York City to attend the musical, he said.

Taylor’s grandmother, Janet Richardson, resides in Providence Forge.