Theater Review
All it takes is the orchestra’s overture to remind us why “Annie” holds a distinguished place in international musical history. The classic, catchy melodies of “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” and “Tomorrow” help transport children and adults to the lonesome but hopeful world of America’s favorite orphan and her determined, foot-stomping, mop-swishing friends. But the musical “Annie” is significantly different from the memorable 1982 movie starring Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks and Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan. And the current show revived by the original Broadway director and lyricist, Martin Charnin, takes a decidedly new approach to the familiar characters and moving story. The original Broadway production of “Annie” won seven 1977 Tony Awards, including best musical, book and score. It ran for 2,377 performances and is ranked as one of the 20 longest running shows in Broadway history. Now playing a limited-run at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through October 16, “Annie” stars Conrad John Schuck, who originally played Daddy Warbucks on Broadway and reprised the role for a recent Broadway revival. Miss Hannigan is played by Alene Robertson, who made her Broadway debut in “Annie.” Set in 1933 New York, during the Great Depression, the show highlights America’s struggle for stability, and the desperation of politicians and the streetwalkers alike. In this world, Annie’s optimism is not only unusual but also a bit extreme, as is the luxury of billionaire bachelor Oliver Warbucks’ estate in which the plucky red-haired orphan lands herself a’well, a new deal. Annie, played by Marissa O’Donnell, dreams that her biological parents who left her 11 years ago still love and will rescue her from the strict and dreary orphanage run by the wicked drunkard Miss Hannigan. An opportunity to spend a week with Warbucks is the key Annie needs to search for her parents, impress the outside world, and find a loving family. O’Donnell portrays the lovable, endearing Annie with her signature “ah-gee”s and “betcha”s. While maintaining a childlike ring, her singing voice is mature and solid, symbolic of her character’s inner strength. The young actresses who play Annie’s fellow orphan friends are a stellar crew, especially Lindsay Ryan who adds spunk to her role as the youngest child, Molly. Their version of “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” best reveals their musical and dance talents, and when Miss Hannigan staggers in with “Did I hear happiness in here?” it feels like she’s referring to the audience’s applause. In the role of Hannigan, Robertson is less of a floozy Cruella de Ville and more like the villainous Ursula in “The Little Mermaid.” She struts and sways across the stage, letting it all out in numbers like “Easy Street,” accompanied by Scott Willis and Julie Cardia as the scheming duo Rooster and Lily St. Regis (played in the movie by the unforgettable Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters). A seemingly older Daddy Warbucks, Schuck is a natural musical talent, his experience revealed in the ease of his solo number, “Why Should I Change a Thing?” the new song by Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse incorporated into the production for the first time. One of the best scenes is undoubtedly Act II’s NBC radio show at Rockefeller Center, with Bert Healy, The Boylan Sisters and the Hour of Smiles Family. Annie and her Daddy Warbucks appear on the show to announce a reward for Annie’s parents, and an awkward Warbucks, unrehearsed and inexperienced, inadvertently performs a commercial. The drama of the live radio broadcast, with Healy’s deep show voice and the accompanying sound effects, as well as the visible goings-on behind the mic’with the playful dummy and flirtatious Boylan Sisters, is a show in itself. Actor Christopher Vettel captures the Bert Healy character, representative of radio personalities of the time. It was interesting to hear the children in the audience laugh not only at the orphans’ aggressive personalities and “Miss Hannigan” jokes but also at the political commentary’for example, when F.D.R. and his Cabinet members tease Warbucks about being a Republican. Perhaps kids are more aware of political jive than one would think, which might be reflective of today’s polarized political society. When Annie delivers her message that a better tomorrow “is always a day away” in the President’s Oval Office, Harold Ickes (played by Harry Turpin) sings the theme song with exaggeratedly funny hand gestures. Her message is inspiring, despite the unbelievable idea that with it she reaches the president and unites the two political parties; most people are more like the other orphans who still have to shout from the bottom. Annie’s canine companion Sandy, played by Lola, makes too few appearances in the production, and I missed the interaction between the two. Miss Hannigan’s underlying protective care for Annie, revealed at the end of the 1982 movie, is also absent in the musical. At times, the show feels more like a rags-to-riches story than the powerful tale of love I remember. The show runs through October 16. Tickets are $25 to $68, and are available online at www.BroadwayLA.org, by calling Ticketmaster at (213) 365-3500, or at the Pantages Theatre Box Office, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.
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