I was there tonight and really enjoyed myself. It has some stuff that needs work, but overall, it's off to a great start. I agree with much of what's been said. Finneran needs to figure out what she's doing, but everyone else is quite strong. Warlow has such a soaring voice that his numbers really take off in a way they never did before to me. J. Elaine is doing the exact same character from Priscilla, but it's not her fault, and she does it well. That's one of the bits I foresee perhaps changing in previews. O'Malley does well with a small role. Crawford especially is so impressive. You may have heard "Tomorrow" a thousand times before, but when Lilla sings it, you can't get enough. She has a thrilling voice and a terrific characterization already.
It should be noted that the overture isn't gone entirely. We still get the beginning of it before the newsreel comes in, and some of it plays under the reel, I think. But I agree it needs to be reinstated in all its full glory.
Overall, this production shows why Annie has enjoyed such consistent popularity over the years. It's a gorgeous score and a real crowd pleaser. It's also so undeniably sweet that it could win over almost anyone. To my ear, the orchestra sounded full and fantastic, and most changes to orchestrations or arrangements seemed to be for the better. I heard some nice counterpoints in some of the group numbers that sounded new and worked pretty well. It's a huge production that's already in a great place. Let Finneran work her way through and it could be near to perfect.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
