‘Annie’ proves you can’t keep a good orphan down
Little Orphan Annie’s had a hard-knock life lately, from an underwhelming 2012 Broadway revival to a charmless 2014 big-screen update.
But you know “Annie.” She always sticks out her chin and grins and holds on till tomorrow.
And for those who not only know but love “Annie,” the current touring version — at The Smith Center through Sunday — marks a return to form for the family favorite.
Director and lyricist Martin Charnin is back calling the shots (for the 19th time). Choreographer Liza Gennaro, daughter of original choreographer Peter Gennaro, contributes energetic dance numbers.
Tony-winning scenic designer Beowulf Boritt based some of the delightfully atmospheric sets, with their hand-painted backdrops, on designs from the 1977 Broadway original. Costume designer Suzy Benzinger also has a link to the first “Annie,” having worked as an assistant to the late Theoni V. Aldredge, who did the initial costumes.
Even animal trainer William Berloni has been on board since “Annie’s” beginning.
All of which guarantees that audiences who catch this “Annie” are getting exactly what they expect: a singing, dancing comic strip of unflagging, crowd-pleasing verve, where everything’s been engineered to deliver maximum “awww.” And absolutely no shocks.
And while this return to form underscores how formulaic “Annie” can seem, hardly anyone (except, on occasion, your dutifully cranky critic) could possibly object.
Harold Gray’s original comic strip recounted Little Orphan Annie’s adventures from 1935 to 1945, the decade that took the U.S. from Depression to World War II.
“Annie” opts for a 1933 Depression-era setting, where the plucky title character (big-voiced, big-hearted Issie Swickle) finds herself, and a gaggle of other lively girls, under the oppressive thumb of comically nasty orphanage overseer Miss Hannigan. (The latter is embodied by Lynn Andrews, who clearly believes that anything worth doing is worth overdoing.)
Annie’s not really an orphan, though. She insists that the hard-luck parents who left her at the orphanage 11 years ago will return for her any day now. Maybe even tomorrow.
Miss Hannigan’s shenanigans, however, prompt Annie to escape so she can look for them in New York City, where she encounters everyone from hard-luck Hooverville residents to a beguiling mutt named Sandy (played to perfection by one of two beguiling mutts, Sunny and Macy).
But a forced return to the orphanage sets the stage for Annie’s even more fateful next move: to the mansion of billionaire Oliver Warbucks (an amusingly blustery Gilgamesh Taggett), who’s decided to host an orphan for the holidays. That is, when he’s not demanding that newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jeffrey B. Duncan) dispel the Depression’s economic gloom.
Good thing Annie’s around to dispense some hard-won wisdom on that particular topic.
“Annie’s” book, by Thomas Meehan, retains a mildly satirical political edge that, alas, remains all too timely in these postrecession days. But, looking on the bright side (as Annie always does), it also helps dilute some of the show’s stickiest treacle.
Not too much, of course, because “Annie” wouldn’t be “Annie” without its unabashed sentiment.
The bouncy musical score (with Charles Strouse’s infectious melodies complementing Charnin’s cheery lyrics) retains its power to delight.
Especially when performed by those adorable orphans — and a versatile, endlessly engaging adult chorus, who metamorphose from Warbucks’ household staff to singing, dancing FDR brain trust members with the greatest of ease.
(This “Annie” may be a non-Equity show, operating without a contract from Actors Equity, the professional stage actors’ union, but you’d never know it based on the quality of the performances.)
In short, it may be a hard-knock life, but “Annie” — as always — provides peppy, chin-up diversion. Bet your bottom dollar.
For more stories from Carol Cling visit bestoflasvegas.com. Contact her at ccling@reviewjournal.com and follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.
Review
What: “Annie”
When: 7:30 p.m. through Sunday; also 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Reynolds Hall, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave.
Tickets: $34-$129 (702-749-2000, www.thesmithcenter.com)
Grade: B
