First African American Annie on Broadway
First African American Annie on Broadway
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#0First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 1:05am
I thought this was cute...and I hope it works out for her:
Cheetah Company, The Lion King national tour
JANAE NICOLE JACKSON (Young Nala at certain performances). was born on Jan. 30 1996 in Greenville N.C. prematurely, and she's been keeping her own time ever since. Janae is an aspiring actress, model and singer/ songwriter. She enjoys singing and performing for family and friends. Janae's dream is to be the first African-American Annie on Broadway! She gives thanks to her family and friends for all of their love and support.
CCM '10!
#1re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 1:50amNice dream to have. If it actually happens she'll be much too old to play the role. I knew a girl who directed an all black Annie in the LA area.
#2re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 1:52amIf Annie EVER gets revived...
#3re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 1:54amThats sweet, but what kinda of hair would annie have then? would it still be red? I'll bet that girl can sing though.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#4re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 1:58am
Andrea McArdle was 13 when she created the role on Broadway. That gives this girl 4 years at least to fulfill that dream (and I believe there were Broadway Annies even older than 13). Not sure if another Broadway revival will happen in the next few years, but then, ANNIE never seems to die ..............
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Updated On: 6/21/05 at 01:58 AM
#5re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:01amI guess it depends on how old she looks. Sutton Foster is a great example. She's 30, I think, but she doesn't look a day over 17.
This is my signature.
wildcat
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/04
#6re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:05amWell, as Sidney Poitier once famously said, black don't crack.
#7re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:08amYeah Sutton is very youthful, shes so skinny too, thats probably why she looks so youthful. So wildcat you dont want a black orphan annie?
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#8re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:12am
And why not a black version of Annie? Fans of the original comic strip are fairly scarce at this point, so I can't imagine that here would be a whole lot of people offended by it. Why not have Warbucks adopt a little black girl during the Depression? And hey, why couldn't the new Warbucks be black (after all there were black millionaires in the 20s, 30s and 40s....).
I imagine that Strouse, Charnin and Meehan would be MORE than happy to tweak things a litle bit, if they thought it might mean a long-running revival.
Do you think we could get Brian Stokes Mitchell to shave his head?
And I suppose I shouldn't even mention Jay-Z's version of "It's A Hard Knock Life" being incorporated or anything (wrong board to even mention that, I'm guessing ...........)
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#9re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:14amI didnt say anything about not wanting a black annie! thatd be cool, but would she just have a jerry curl?
#10re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:15amI say we just get Jay-Z to remix the entire score.
wildcat
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/04
#11re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 2:19am
"So wildcat, you don't want a black orphan Annie?"
Of course I do. I merely quote Mr. Poitier on the agelessness of African Americans. I expect to see Diahann Carroll playing the role in Canada before too long...
Urban
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/05
#12re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 5:03amIf it helps, I got what you meant [b]Wildcat[/b].
Marquise
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/1/04
#13re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 6:54am
that sounds like a good idea.
hey, it was done with dolly, so why not?
the jheri curl remark was wrong though. on so many levels...
bill mobley
Understudy Joined: 2/28/05
#14re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 9:34amThat would be wonderful. Now if we can only get a black guy to play Stanley Kowalski in a version of "Streetcar...." I've always wanted to see that. Speaking of the agelessness of African Americans. While Denzel is starting to show his age, I still can't believe that he and I think, Spike Lee, are older than Kevin Spacey (think of Kevin in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"), and older than Lawrence Fishbourne too.
#15re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:39amI know blacks with redish hair. It wouldn't need to be as red, but if they must keep the red, they could get a version of the wig that works.
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#16re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:41amI thought Flotilla DeBarge was up for that role?
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
#17re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:45amOooooh! I love this idea! Lilias White as Miss Hannigan, Billy Porter as Rooster and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Lily St. Regis (I know I've been on a SLR kick lately). Now that's a version of 'Easy Street' I'd pay good money to hear. I think putting the black spin on ANNIE is brilliant.
"For me, THEATRE is an anticipation, an artistic rush, an emotional banquet, a jubilant appreciation, and an exit hopeful of clearer thought and better worlds."
~ an anonymous traveler with Robert Burns
#18re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:47amWhat a cute dream! Now I really hope they revive it with her as Annie! :)
awkward.
"I think it was the Korean tour or something. They were all frickin' asian!" -Zoran912
#19re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:48amFlotilla would make a fierce Annie! hahahaha
"For me, THEATRE is an anticipation, an artistic rush, an emotional banquet, a jubilant appreciation, and an exit hopeful of clearer thought and better worlds."
~ an anonymous traveler with Robert Burns
#20re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:50amIf the new national tour of "Annie" does well financially, the plan is to bring it to Broadway in 2007 for the 30th anniversary. The only perhaps political problem with having a black Annie is that during the Depression, a black child wouldn't be put in an orphanage. Those spots would be saved for white children. Of course, they've had black orphans before (even during the original cast) so I suppose they could do it. There was a "Boston Legal" episode about this too. A black girl's mother sued the producers of "Annie" because she was the best in the room and they didn't hire due to her race.
#21re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:50amWonderboy, SLR is sorely underrated. I want her Jennifer Holiday and Loretta Divine back on broadway now!
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#22re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:50amThat's one orphan that wouldn't need rescuing -- Flo would scare the crap ot of any Miss Hannigan.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#23re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:51amIt's a shame that this show can get such a bad rap. The original production on Broadway was delightful. A solidly built musical that appealed to audiences of all ages. Over the years folks have been subjected to horrible productions and horrible renditions of "Tomorrow". I hope those that saw the original production remember what a wonderful night of theatre it was. And for those who didn't see it...I wish I had a time machine to prove it.
#24re: First African American Annie on Broadway
Posted: 6/21/05 at 11:55am
In they were going to do an all-black Annie, I would love to see Mr. Mitchell as Warbucks and Ms. White as Miss Hannigan.
If the revival did it traditionally, Micheal Cerveris would kill as Warbucks (plus, the head is already shaved) and Emily Skinner as Hannigan.
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