Annie

        I have to admit something right from the start. I don't hate Annie. I know, I know, it's over done, and there is always some untalented 10 year old girl somewhere in the world belting out Tomorrow to the rafters. Not only do I not hate Annie I secretly actually enjoy it. There I said - I like Annie!

        What isn't to like, really? The Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin score is infectious. The book by Tom Meehan is delightful. The characters are three dimensional (well, maybe two and a half), and the story is well crafted (for the most part, the ending has always bothered me). So, the question has to be asked, why is   Annie so hard to get right?

       The revival currently on offer over The Palace Theater has gotten a lot of things right. First of all, Lila Crawford, who plays the title character, is fantastic and giving a star making performance. She is incredibly endearing in the role, and brings a hard edge and softness at the same time which is a joy to watch. She has chemistry with everyone she interacts with onstage, and exudes charm as if it were the air she were breathing out.

       Equally as wonderful is Anthony Warlow in the role of Oliver "daddy" Warbucks. He has a the necessary tough outer shell, and is a fierce presence. That outer shell is quickly melted by that lovable read headed orphan and the process unfolds neatly before our eyes and Warlow makes it easy every step of the way.

      The orphans have been carefully selected to represents a cross section of the melting pot of America. They all sing and dance their little mom and dad wanting hearts out to great effect. It seems as though some of the dialogue, and some of their little idiosyncrasies have been cut (Tessie never utters a single "Oh my goodness!")

       The choreography is effective if not exuberant. It's certainly not Andy Blankenbuehler's best work, but it does the job that it's intended to do. Jame's Lapine's direction is some what bland. In most places the humor is so broad that you almost feel as though you are seeing the live action version of a cartoon (technically, we ARE seeing the live action version of a cartoon, but it seems as though the characters don't realize that they are no longer, in fact, animated).

      Kate Finneran is a fine actress. She is hysterical and I adore her. That being said - she is stinking up the place royally in the role of Miss Hannigan. Her portrayal is too over the top. You don't believe a word she says, she being miss Finneran and not Miss Hannigan. Also, her face is so sweet and her personality so winning that she seems to be too nice to be doing any of this.

       Even more confusing is the casting of the role of Lily St. Regis. The role is being played by the very talented and funny J. Elaine Marcos. She is an Asian actress, and I applaud the producers for going non traditional and color blind for some of the roles. Unfortunately, because Lily masks as Annie's mother the whole thing falls apart in act II. The reason it falls apart is NOT because she is Asian, but because she is using an Asian (nondescript) accent in Act I and then dropping it in act II. It's funny in Act I, but then becomes confusing in Act II. It would have been better for the actress to use her normal speaking voice through the whole play.

   Overall the production is lukewarm at best. The performances from Lila Crawford and Anthony Warlow are definitely worth seeing. The set and costumes are a bit disappointing. The opulence of the Warbucks estate seems to be recession era. The costumes look too much like costumes.

    There is a 40 lottery for front row seats. I did this, and the night that I went (a Friday) there were more tickets than people so we all got seats. I don't recommend doing this unless you have no other option. You will spend the entire show craning your neck, and you wont see most people below the waist. Some of the shorter orphans you wont see below the neck.

     In may Jane Lynch will be taking over the role of Miss Hannigan and I intend to return to see her Broadway debut. You can expect an updated blog entry when that happens.

  Annie opened on Broadway at The Palace Theater on November 8 2012 and is still running as of the date of this blog entry.