The sun’ll come out tomorrow! At least – that’s what the producers of the latest revival of Annie told themselves. Closing at a financial loss after a mostly unsuccessful at the Palace Theatre. Lilla Crawford received mostly positive reviews for her earnest but gritty “Annie”, donned a thick “New Yawk” accent, complemented by sweeping sets and a sparkling lighting design, while weighed down by misguided direction (most specifically in the ensemble numbers), while the production itself received mostly mixed-to-negative reviews overall. The production closed after only fourteen months.
But just like the character Annie who gets another chance at growing up (this time with a real parent, Daddy Warbucks), Annie gets a new chance to win over this generation. The Annie national tour opened this September at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. I won’t waste any time – let’s go!
Issie Swickle stars as the show’s title role. While charming, witty and completely lovable, Issie never quite finds her belting power in “Tomorrow” and comes of as a little too young for the role, but fills it wonderfully nevertheless. Her “Maybe” exudes longing and desire, and her dancing skills are well used. The rest of the orphans have energy and excitement oozing out of them, commanding the stage so well you almost want them to get another number.
Lynn Andrews as Miss Hannigan is quite the toss-up. Her “Little Girls” while vocally (technique-wise) is completely on point, feels bare, despite that this is her second crack at Aggie. Gilgamesh Taggett is Daddy Warbucks, and serves a polished, solid performance. Taggett’s “Something Was Missing”, normally a snooze-fest in other productions, is filled with heart. Equally as lovely, the standout is Ashley Edler as Grace Farrell. This production has been tailored to provide new comedic spots to shine, and Edler uses them up and is a true breath of fresh air. Lucy Werner’s Lily is a comedic joy, but Garrett Deagon’s Rooster is comparable to Ashley Edler’s Grace — Deagon has found what he wants to do with Rooster and completely executes it.
The set, for the most part, fills the stage. As most Non-Eq shows have mostly drops and flats, this production is no exception but has a few exceptions (the orphanage and the mansion come to mind immediately). The new choreography may be the biggest disappointment, with most of the ensemble numbers being “stand in one spot”, rather than utilizing the entire stage’s width and depth. And I can’t forget the dogs – the animals are just spectacular. The show’s pacing is tight. The length of the show seems just right.
In the latest revival, I felt the show ran a little long. While they didn’t cut anything in this new production the way in which it was presented made the time go by much faster, providing a much more enjoyable show overall. But it wasn’t perfect – the show could use a few more members in the ensemble and maybe a few more wigs. And, while the costumes weren’t exceptionally memorable (nor were the wigs), the production wasn’t weighed down by this. Charnin’s direction is actually funny – the jokes, staging and emotional direction he guided the kids to flows together smoothly.
The charm that made the original production’s iconic “Tomorrow” is restored in full-color in this production. “Annie” is not the be missed! To see where the national tour will be coming, you can visit anniethemusical.com for city and ticket information.