Today is Thursday, November 8, marking the official opening night performance of ANNIE! The 1977 show that introduced generations of children to that 'cute little red-headed girl' sees a treatment in the 21st century, following previews from October 3. The 35th anniversary revival of the tale of an orphan in the care of a billionaire Republican during the Great Depression is directed by Tony Award winner James Lapine.
When it premiered on Broadway, in the wake of Vietnam, inflation and Watergate, the musical inspired by the Jazz Age comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" was a refreshing tonic gulped by parched critics and theatregoers alike. At its center was a little girl belting a song called "Tomorrow," an anthem of hope that became known worldwide.
Annie which featured a funny-mean orphan matron named Miss Hannigan, her bad-guy brother, an industrialist named Warbucks , his kindly secretary, a mutt named Sandy, a clutch of cute moppets and an appearance by President Franklin Roosevelt would win Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Martin Charnin). Annie goes from the orphanage to The Palace Theatre tonight!
As one who adores Katie (and trust I'm speaking for a whole lot of her fans), I just want to say: Here's hoping she - however tough the road has been - strikes gold and owns it tonight! Katie, you can do it!
How would you like to see an irresistible musical comedy about a smart and spunky young girl who outwits a tyrannical, child-hating female power figure and is eventually adopted by a genuinely caring adult?
No, I'm not talking about "Annie," though I'll get to that soon enough. The musical you really want to see is "Matilda," which will open on Broadway in a few months.
As for "Annie," one of the most heartwarming and beloved musicals of all time, it has been all but butchered by James Lapine - a playwright-director best known for his original and edgy collaborations with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn - in his charmless and misconceived new Broadway revival.
Lapine is hardly a bad director. Rather, the co-creative force behind such musicals as "Sunday in the Park with George" and "Falsettos" is simply the wrong choice for "Annie."
The problems start when the show's classic overture is cut in half to make room for a dorky newsreel clip. The scenic design, intended to represent the turning pages of a fairy tale book, is ugly. Andy Blankenbuehler's forceful choreography is completely inappropriate.
Lapine hasn't necessarily darkened the show's tone, as one might have feared. His production is simply devoid of purpose or charm. At a time when New Yorkers could really use a feel-good musical, this "Annie" can barely even entertain.
In the title role, Lilla Crawford, 11, has a strong presence, but lacks vulnerability and is strangely encouraged to use a thick Brooklyn accent and far too much vibrato.
Two-time Tony winner Katie Finneran, who recently made a splash in "Promises, Promises," delivers a surprisingly hollow performance as Miss Hannigan, consisting entirely of shtick.
Anthony Warlow, an unknown Australian actor, is especially convincing as industrialist turned father "Daddy" Warbucks.
If there's anything to learn from this production, it's to keep Lapine far, far away from "The Sound of Music."
...overall, this is a winning presentation of an unapologetically sentimental show that tips its hat to an earlier era in musical theater, before the age of cynicism and industrial spectacle redefined the Broadway model. The Hollywood Reporter
Times is up: mixed. But Brantley is a weird guy in writing THIS:
"As Warbucks, the tycoon who takes Annie in for Christmas as part of a public relations campaign but soon falls for the irresistible tyke, Anthony Warlow also ventures into naturalism, inflecting his songs with unexpected emotional variety. But once you start to think of Warbucks as a real person, his blossoming love for little Annie can register as a bit creepy in the age of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit."
Creepy? It was moving to watch Warlow's Warbucks warm up to the little orphan. I was in tears not just in "Something Was Missing", but "I Don't Need Anything But You" as well.
Is it weird to say the I think Hurricane Sandy saved Annie from pans?!?!?!
I know it may seem weird but several of the reviews even reference Hurricane Sandy, and state that in the light of it, you can't help but fall in love in the overly optimistic Annie.
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joined:6/21/06
Posted: 11/8/12 at 04:22am