The sun comes up on this feel-good, family-friendly 'Annie'
Everyone knows about Annie . She appeared in New York 39 years ago (actually earlier than that in the Sunday comics) and has been going strong ever since. She's no taller, no older but she still puts on a great show and a marvelous evening of song, laughter and entertainment. And it's not just for the youngsters either (the theater was packed with 'em), because parents were enjoying the play just as much as their offspring. This almost 40-year old musical, created by Thomas Meehan (book), Charles Strouse (music) and Martin Charnin (lyrics), is performed in 28 languages and has been running around the world since its inception
We all know the story. Annie (played with verve by ) is in an orphanage with eight other unfortunate young girls (who sing and dance as a chorus as well as looking very adoptable) under the stern and uncaring eye of Miss Hannigan, played with exceeding meanness by Erin Fish. She doesn't want kids, she wants 'out' and preferably with a man, any man. By chance, Annie is plucked out of the orphanage to spend two weeks at the home of the wealthy Oliver Warbucks (Gilgamesh Taggett, a master of this role) during the Christmas season. Of course, Annie melts his heart with the quiet plea to find her real parents. Enter the Bad Guys, Rooster Hannigan, the no-good brother of Miss Hannigan (products of bad parenting, I'm thinking) and Lily St. Regis (played schemingly well by Michael Santora and Mallory King respectively). They hope to capitalize on a reward offered by Warbucks to find Annie's parents using inside information from Rooster's sister, the three of them to divide the ill-gotten gains.
All of these happenings keep the kids enthralled but from time to time, there's something thrown out there for the older folks, too. Example: Warbucks' secretary giving her boss his phone messages-"You had two calls." "who from?" "The first was from President Roosevelt." "He can wait. Who's the other call from?" "Harpo Marx." "What'd he want?" "He didn't say." You had to be quick to catch it.
The sets were outstanding and deserved the plaudits of the audience. Designed by Beowulf Boritt, the backdrops for the orphanage, the Bowery streets of New York City with the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance and the elegant offices and home of Daddy Warbucks were staggeringly beautiful.
And a deserved word for the orchestra and its conductor, Keith Levenson. My son Bruce, also a conductor on the national tours, said to me once, "no one knows what goes on in the pit. All the audience sees is the stage and the top of the conductor's head". So, I listen to the orchestra and can tell you they were a big part of a successful evening. They kept the pace up and meshed musical gears with the cast that kept the story moving with ne'er a lull. Kudos to the unsung heroes, the musicians and conductor in the pit!
Lastly, let us not forget the lovable dog, Sandy, meeting Annie on the mean streets of New York, realizing they were meant to be with one another. Responding to gentle commands and trained to do so by William Berloni, he stole the hearts of all the youngsters in the audience, no matter how old, even though his appearances were brief.
In summation, this is a lovely, glorious, filled-with-happiness evening. If the tour is coming to your city, be sure you don't miss out on this feel-good, family-friendly production.
continues through November 13th at Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph (map). Tickets are $25-$110, and are available by phone (800-775-2000) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More info at AnnieTheMusical.com. (Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes, includes an intermission)
Gilgamesh Taggett (Oliver Warbucks), (Miss Hannigan), (Annie), Casey Prins (Grace Farrell), Michael Santora (Rooster Hannigan), Mallory King (Lily St. Regis), Jeffrey B. Duncan (FDR, u/s Warbucks), Timothy Allen (Ickes, u/s Rooster), Bunny Baldwin (Molly), Todd Berkich (Bert), Katie Davis (Star to Be), Adam du Plessis (Drake), Jacqueline Galvano (July), Connor McGiffin (Bundles), Connor Simpson (Lt. Ward), Ava Slater (Kate), Amanda Swickle (Pepper), Amanda Wylie (Tessie), Katie Wylie (Duffy), (Mrs. Pugh), Macy, Sunny (Sandy), Mia Fitzgibbon , Caroline Lellouche (ensemble), MacKenzie Perpich, David Vogel , Anastasia Wolfe (swings)
Keith Levenson (music director, keyboard), Matthew J. Pool (asst. music director, keyboard 2), Daniel Dorrance (woodwinds), Danielle Giulini (violin), Emma Stanley (trumpet), Craig Watson (trombone), Darren Lucas (guitar, banjo, mandolin), Katie Steinhauer (drums)
behind the scenes
Martin Charnin (director, lyricist), Liza Gennaro (choreographer), Beowulf Boritt (set design), Suzy Benzinger (costume design), Ken Billington (lighting design), Peter Hylenski (sound design), Campbell Young Associates (hair, wig, makeup design), William Berloni (animal trainer), Keith Levenson (music director, music supervisor, additional orchestrations), Joy Dewing Casting (casting director), Townsend Teague (general manager), Randy Moreland (technical director), Suzayn MacKenzie-Roy (production stage manager), Kelsey Clark (stage manager), Mark Johnson (company manager), David Vogel (dance captain), Anastasia Wolfe (asst. dance captain), Daniel Dorrance (band tech), Talitha Fehr (music coordinator), Randall A Buck, Troika Entertainment (producers), Joan Marcus (photographer)
Tags: 16-1119, Adam du Plessis, Amanda Swickle, Amanda Wylie, Anastasia Wolfe, Annie the Musical, Ava Slater, Beowulf Boritt, Bunny Baldwin, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Campbell Young Associates, Caroline Lellouche, Casey Prins, Charles Strouse, Chicago Theater, Connor McGiffin, Connor Simpson, Craig Watson, Daniel Dorrance, Danielle Giulini, Darren Lucas, David Vogel, Duane Barnes, Emma Stanley, Erin Fish, Gilgamesh Taggett, Jacqueline Galvano, Jeffrey B. Duncan, Joan Marcus, Joy Dewing Casting, Katie Davis, Katie Steinhauer, Katie Wylie, Keith Levenson, Kelsey Clark, Ken Billington, Liza Gennaro, MacKenzie Perpich, Macy, Mallory King, Mark Johnson, Martin Charnin, Matthew J. Pool, Mia Fitzgibbon, Michael Santora, Peter Hylenski, post, Randall A. Buck, Randy Moreland, Roxy York, Sunny, Suzayn MacKenzie-Roy, Suzy Benzinger, Talitha Fehr, Thomas Meehan, Timothy Allen, Todd Berkich, Tori Bates, Townsend Teague, Troika Entertainment, William Berloni
Category: 2016 Reviews, Broadway in Chicago, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Charles Strouse, Duane Barnes, Musical, National Tours, Video, YouTube
