Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of the Tour of ANNIE?

The National Tour of Annie is now underway, kicking off at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden. See what the critics had to say here!

This new production of ANNIE, based on the 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie, is directed by Jenn Thompson and features the Tony-award winning book and score by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. Songs include “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and “Tomorrow.”

The cast features Hazel Vogel as "Annie," Christopher Swan as “Oliver Warbucks,” Julia Nicole Hunter as “Grace,” Mark Woodard as “FDR,” Rhett Guter as “Rooster,” and Isabella De Souza Moore as “Lily St. Regis.”

Laura Collins-Hughes, The New York Times: **CRITIC'S PICK** Glad tidings, then, from the holiday run of “Annie” at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, where Whoopi Goldberg is giving a rib-ticklingly funny, extremely smart performance as the tipsy, terrorizing Miss Hannigan, bane of all the orphans in her care. If Goldberg the TV talk-show presence has eclipsed in your mind Goldberg the savvy comic actor, her Miss Hannigan will jog your memory.

Olivia Pavao, The Collegian: On this tour, Little Orphan Annie is played by Hazel Vogel, an innate talent at only 12 years old. With just the first few notes of “Maybe,” I had full body chills. She completely and totally stole the show. There’s more talent in that girl’s pinky finger than in my entire body.

Patrick Ryan, USA Today: But the draw of this production is, of course, Goldberg, who reminds us of her prodigious talent as the scheming orphanage head Hannigan, who's been memorably embodied by Carol Burnett and Dorothy Loudon. Her take on the character is less resentful than she is just flat-out exhausted by the snot-nosed kiddies in her orbit. "You must be very sick," one little girl tells Hannigan. "You don't know the half of it," Goldberg deadpans, swilling another gulp of liquor before shuffling back up stage.

Christopher Smith, Orange County Register: The 1977 musical delivers its usual charms while director Jenn Thompson keeps the sentimentality in check.

Dave Quinn, People: But Goldberg, with her perfect timing, takes things up a notch and finds new moments for Miss Hannigan to steal focus. She moves from the character's many mood swings — bitter, batty, sweet, sarcastic, flirty, funny — with ease, so quickly sometimes that the pivot induces its own laughs. And in Annie's climax, delivers one of the biggest comedic moments in the show with an off-handed remark to Mark Woodard's FDR.

Herb Merrick, MD Theatre Guide: Hazel Vogel (Annie), a Baltimore native and student at the Bryn Mawr School, has a heart-warming stage presence and a powerful singing voice. Her local and national tour experience has given her the ability to convey an emotional depth of character as a child seeking identity, love, and a sense of belonging.

Average Rating: 86.7%