How do we feel about the 1999 Annie?- Page 2

[bml1980]

Posted: 5/3/20 at 8:46am

JennH said: "JBroadway said: "JennH said: "Aileen plays a street smart and manipulative Annie, which I didn't catch until she startstrying to talk Warbucks into a night out in NYC. It was played so manipulatively that I couldn't root for Annie's end success. If you want an audience to root for Annie and fall in love with her the way Warbucks does, you can't play that.Alicia plays the innocence, and genuine question of "what's NYC like?" and an true yearning for parental figures in her life."



I can't say I totally agree with that take, personally. I haven't seen the 1982 version in quite a while, so I can't really speak to the way the character is portrayed in that movie. But personally, I've always kind of liked Annie's tricky streetsmarts. Even in the 1999 version, she can be pretty tricky in some parts - she sneaky into the laundry, she steals an ear of corn, she lies to the police officer about Sandy, etc. Annie has been toughened somewhat by a difficult life, and personally I find that to be part of her charm. I think the best Annies can find that balance between streetsmarts and earnestness.

My first REAL exposure to Annie wasn't until fairly recently, actually. It was when I saw the revival in 2013. I know many people hated that revival, but as someone who didn't really know the show (besides the famous songs), it really made me fall in love with the show. And I thought Sadie Sink's performance as Annie was a big part of that. I think she really hit the nail on the head in terms of being incredibly cute and charming, but also having a bit of a tough, worldly cleverness to her."

I see what you mean, but Alicia's Annie wasn't sneaking into laundry and lying to the officer to just be manipulative. She sneaks away because she has a life goal she wants to attain, like any good leading hero/heroine.She steals corn because she's literally starving.She lies to theofficer because Sandy would have been put down otherwise. She doesn't do any of this to manipulate others. Sure, even Alicia's Annie was tough and still had it's charm,but it was never manipulative. I think I just found the 1982 so distasteful in that way, it was etched into my brain in a not so good way, so one watch was all I needed. I never thought I would have such strong feelings on such a fluffy musical theatre piece..."

I'm certainly not saying the 1982 version is perfect (what in the world were they thinking by cutting the main solo version of Tomorrow?), and maybe I'm biased since it's the version I grew up with, but I find your take on this to be kind of confusing. You make it seem the screenwriters of the '80s version made Annie into some kind of sociopath, which isn't the case. Her motivations are the same as those of the character in every other version that's been produced on stage or film and she isn't doing any of the things you mentioned just for the sake of being manipulative. She sneaks into the laundry basket in order to escape from a rundown orphanage with an abusive, alcoholic headmistress and find her parents. She saves Sandy from being abused by a bunch of awful kids and then lies to the dogcatcher in order to prevent him from being taken away to the pound and presumably put down. Now, whether or not you think Quinn did the character justice is one thing, but the '80s Annie is still written as the spunky and empathetic moppet she's supposed to be. I guess I have strong feelings on this fluffy piece too! :)

 

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 5/4/20 at 1:14pm

JBroadway said: "She's also played Miss Hannigan a couple of times, once with her daughter as Annie."

Andrea McArdle's daugher Alexis Kalehoff has never played Annie (although you can get a glimpse of her auditioning for the 1997 revival on the ABC "Turning Point" special on YouTube). She did star relatively recently with her mom in "Les Miserables" at Ogunquit Playhouse - Andrea as Fantine, Alexis as Eponine.

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/4/20 at 1:36pm

DivaBrigader said: "JBroadway said: "She's also played Miss Hannigan a couple of times, once with her daughter as Annie."

Andrea McArdle's daugher Alexis Kalehoff has never played Annie (although you can get a glimpse of her auditioning for the 1997 revival on the ABC "Turning Point" special on YouTube). She did star relatively recently with her mom in "Les Miserables" at Ogunquit Playhouse - Andrea as Fantine, Alexis as Eponine."

 

My apologies! Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

I thought I remembered her mentioning it in her Show People interview some years ago. I just re-watched the video - at the time she was performing with her daughter in a NYMF show called Greenwood, and had also recently performed in Blood Brothers alongside her daughter. Later in the interview McArdle mentions having recently played Miss Hannigan, and I guess for some reason my mind melded them together in my memory. Oops!

Here is the interview, for anyone curious: 

BTW, I just read that Greenwood also starred Alicia Morton! How funny! 

Updated On: 5/4/20 at 01:36 PM

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 5/4/20 at 1:51pm

Alexis Kalehoff and Alicia Morton are best friends, dating back to the time they were both in "Les Miserables" on Broadway together as kids.