Aww gee, you’ve got heart. There’s a reason your story has endured since the days of being a comic book strip first printed in the 1920s. This famous little red-head has featured in 80 years of comic strips, multiple film adaptations, and junior theatre productions everywhere. She’s turned you into the 25th longest-running Broadway show going. Let’s face it, we all love a good rags-to-riches story, especially one involving an orphan.
And Annie is clearly one of the most-loved stage orphans going, sharing the good company of Oliver, Cosette, Elsa, and Hamilton. Though thankfully a fair bit cheerier. With eternal optimism in the face of grim circumstances, Annie’s sweetness and spunk have given you the opportunity to be highly entertaining and family-friendly. That’s pretty rare for a big-budget musical.
Set in 1933, life is rough for Annie and her fellow orphans in the New York City Municipal Orphanage Girls’ Annex. Under the care of Miss Hannigan – the child-despising, ever-sarcastic matron – life is all about scrubbing floors, stripping beds, and wondering what it would be like to have someone care a stitch. Unlike the other orphans, however, Annie has grown up with a steadfast hope that her parents will one day return to reclaim her, as they promised to do in the note and locket they left with her.
While your classic story and musical numbers remain the same as always, your choreography, set design and lighting give you an amped-up, modern feel. Your backing projections in particular add a whole other dimension – taking us on a seamless journey from the orphanage, the bustling streets of Manhattan, the mansion of Oliver Warbucks, and back again.
Ok Annie, we all know that you’re a musical featuring a child lead, but it’s not until we see you in your fullness that we’re reminded of what a mammoth task that actually is for the 10- and 11-year-old girls who alternate in that role (Beatrix Alder, Matilda Casey, Dakota Chanel, and Stephanie McNamara). With your titular character being the focal point of almost every scene, those young shoulders are carrying the weight of the show on them. Let’s just say there’s a good reason this role is highly coveted by every young actress out there. And you know what? Not only do these girls complete the task with first-class ease, they manage to draw us in so fully, we forget we’re watching actors at work.
Oh and the orphans! What professionals. They truly give their adult peers a run for their money in the singing and dancing departments. The cheers from the audience are loud, and every bit deserved, despite the fact we’re all doomed to have ‘It’s The Hard Knock Life’ stuck in our heads for days.
Of course, Anthony Warlow as Oliver ‘Daddy’ Warbucks – the billionaire who takes Annie in – reminds us within the first note why he’s still one of the musical theatre greats. And having played the role in three different productions before, he’s described those experiences as having allowed him to now make the role “more solid and less cheesy.” Starring alongside him as Grace Farrell (Warbucks’ secretary), is Amanda Le Lavergne – Warlow’s wife. In art, as in life, they form the perfect team to bring the warmth needed throughout.
Miss Hannigan, although being a great big bully, is played by Debora Krizak with such exaggerated derision that she makes the role somehow charming. She’s also the comedy centrepiece. And really, don’t we all have parenting days that make us want to reach for a tiny drink? Keanu Gonzalez is Miss Hannigan’s brother, Rooster, and Mackenzie Dunn is Lily St. Regis. Altogether, this trio bring classic Broadway gold. (Especially with their version of ‘Easy Street’ that has literally gone viral).
But it has to be said – hands down your biggest crowd pleaser is none other than the cameo of Sandy the dog. It’s hard to describe the sound of an entire audience gushing. (Are we here to see Annie? Or are we actually all here to see the dog?). The cast have gone dog-giddy too, with McNamara emphasising how “fun they are to work with”, Krizak admitting her highlight has been “watching the dogs being trained”, and Le Lavergne going so far as to say that, well, “everyone should have a dog just somewhere on the stage”.
Though if we can continue on the subject of cameos for just a moment, Greg Page (aka the original Yellow Wiggle) makes a delightful appearance as President Franklin D Roosevelt. And leapin’ lizards, his rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ is as far removed from ‘Hot Potato’ as it’s possible to get. Ah yes. ‘Tomorrow’ – your great untethered anthem of hope that has us feeling inspired to take more of a page out of Annie’s book.
Sure, there are some U.S presidents who probably don’t need the extra encouragement right now, but for the rest of us, you’re a captivating reminder of the power of optimism. You’ve captured our hearts with your plucky spirit, Annie, and the sun will indeed come out tomorrow.
With love,
Annie is showing at the Capitol Theatre until 21 June 2025, then Melbourne from July, and Brisbane from December. Photos by Daniel Boud.
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