ANNIE Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 4:22am

Today is Thursday, November 8, marking the official opening night performance of ANNIE! The 1977 show that introduced generations of children to that 'cute little red-headed girl' sees a treatment in the 21st century, following previews from October 3. The 35th anniversary revival of the tale of an orphan in the care of a billionaire Republican during the Great Depression is directed by Tony Award winner James Lapine.

When it premiered on Broadway, in the wake of Vietnam, inflation and Watergate, the musical inspired by the Jazz Age comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" was a refreshing tonic gulped by parched critics and theatregoers alike. At its center was a little girl belting a song called "Tomorrow," an anthem of hope that became known worldwide.

Annie — which featured a funny-mean orphan matron named Miss Hannigan, her bad-guy brother, an industrialist named Warbucks , his kindly secretary, a mutt named Sandy, a clutch of cute moppets and an appearance by President Franklin Roosevelt — would win Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Martin Charnin). Annie goes from the orphanage to The Palace Theatre tonight!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 4:47am

I'm expecting mixed reviews across the board on this one. I'm interested to see what critics think of Finneran.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 12:18pm

As one who adores Katie (and trust I'm speaking for a whole lot of her fans), I just want to say: Here's hoping she - however tough the road has been - strikes gold and owns it tonight! Katie, you can do it!

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 1:29pm

hasn't Katie already given the performance that will be reviewed? I thought the critics performance was usually a few days before opening night...

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 2:01pm

Oh, yeah, good point. In that case, here's hoping she's already stepped up to the plate.

Updated On: 11/8/12 at 02:01 PM

[lynnetoomey]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 7:14pm

AMNY (Windman)

OUCH.



Annie
1.5 stars

How would you like to see an irresistible musical comedy about a smart and spunky young girl who outwits a tyrannical, child-hating female power figure and is eventually adopted by a genuinely caring adult?

No, I'm not talking about "Annie," though I'll get to that soon enough. The musical you really want to see is "Matilda," which will open on Broadway in a few months.

As for "Annie," one of the most heartwarming and beloved musicals of all time, it has been all but butchered by James Lapine - a playwright-director best known for his original and edgy collaborations with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn - in his charmless and misconceived new Broadway revival.

Lapine is hardly a bad director. Rather, the co-creative force behind such musicals as "Sunday in the Park with George" and "Falsettos" is simply the wrong choice for "Annie."

The problems start when the show's classic overture is cut in half to make room for a dorky newsreel clip. The scenic design, intended to represent the turning pages of a fairy tale book, is ugly. Andy Blankenbuehler's forceful choreography is completely inappropriate.

Lapine hasn't necessarily darkened the show's tone, as one might have feared. His production is simply devoid of purpose or charm. At a time when New Yorkers could really use a feel-good musical, this "Annie" can barely even entertain.

In the title role, Lilla Crawford, 11, has a strong presence, but lacks vulnerability and is strangely encouraged to use a thick Brooklyn accent and far too much vibrato.

Two-time Tony winner Katie Finneran, who recently made a splash in "Promises, Promises," delivers a surprisingly hollow performance as Miss Hannigan, consisting entirely of shtick.

Anthony Warlow, an unknown Australian actor, is especially convincing as industrialist turned father "Daddy" Warbucks.

If there's anything to learn from this production, it's to keep Lapine far, far away from "The Sound of Music." Updated On: 11/8/12 at 07:14 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 7:38pm

Windman is not my favorite critic, but I'm glad Warlow's starting to get praise, even with the mild "especially convincing."

[morosco]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 7:52pm

Anthony Warlow, an unknown Australian actor, is especially convincing as industrialist turned father "Daddy" Warbucks.

Unknown? Well maybe he's unknown to many (if not most) in the U.S. but he's quite the star in Australia.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 7:57pm

I'm especially delighted to read that the first review out of the gate mentions the lack of the full overture.

[morosco]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 8:05pm

...overall, this is a winning presentation of an unapologetically sentimental show that tips its hat to an earlier era in musical theater, before the age of cynicism and industrial spectacle redefined the Broadway model.
The Hollywood Reporter

[bdn223]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 8:15pm

The hollywood reporter is basically a rave with a few reservations...

[lynnetoomey]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 8:24pm

Chicago Tribune (Jones)
Negative




http://touch.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-73228027

[jv92]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 8:41pm

David Rooney is one of my favorite critics. His review was on-the-nose.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 8:56pm

Washington Post: Positive

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/for-annie-actress-on-broadway-the-sun-has-come-out/2012/11/08/69514322-29e1-11e2-aaa5-ac786110c486_story.html

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 9:10pm

Newsday: Positive

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/annie-review-musical-is-relevant-today-1.4198569

[jv92]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 10:09pm

Times is up: mixed. But Brantley is a weird guy in writing THIS:

"As Warbucks, the tycoon who takes Annie in for Christmas as part of a public relations campaign but soon falls for the irresistible tyke, Anthony Warlow also ventures into naturalism, inflecting his songs with unexpected emotional variety. But once you start to think of Warbucks as a real person, his blossoming love for little Annie can register as a bit creepy in the age of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”"

COME ON! It's friggin' ANNIE!

Anyway...

TImes Review

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 10:11pm

Oh, Jesus.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 10:13pm

Creepy? It was moving to watch Warlow's Warbucks warm up to the little orphan. I was in tears not just in "Something Was Missing", but "I Don't Need Anything But You" as well.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 10:16pm

Yikes

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 10:17pm

I can think of a lot of things creepier than Daddy Warbucks. Like Ben Brantley, for one.

Updated On: 11/8/12 at 10:17 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 10:19pm

Indeed, Jordan. I mean, it's ANNIE, not OEDIPUS.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 11:00pm

Entertainment Weekly gave the show an A- and praised the performances from Finneran and Crawford.


http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20646050,00.html



Updated On: 11/8/12 at 11:00 PM

[bdn223]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 11:06pm

Is it weird to say the I think Hurricane Sandy saved Annie from pans?!?!?!

I know it may seem weird but several of the reviews even reference Hurricane Sandy, and state that in the light of it, you can't help but fall in love in the overly optimistic Annie.

[chanel]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 11:08pm

Villagevoice.com fairly upbeat if mixed.

Finneran is a "gifted comic actress" and "interesting casting" but her performance "is as hit and miss as Hannigan's wobbly descent down a stairway."

Liked her "Little Girls," though.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/11/annie.php

[NYadgal]

Posted: 11/8/12 at 11:21pm

Ben Brantley is disturbed. And that part of his review is disturbing.

I'm glad for the positive reviews this show is getting. We DO need something to smile and feel hopeful about.