NBC's ANNIE LIVE! (2021) - News & Discussion Thread — Page 5

@Carlos

My telling you to skip over this thread wasn't a request or a demand - of course you can post whatever you want. It was a genuine suggestion for how to alleviate your "suffering."

I wasn't trying to suppress your right to express your opinions, I was pointing out what I saw to be an error in your logic. You can hate the idea of this, and post about that hatred, until the cows come home. But calling an optional piece of media "suffering" is simply not accurate.

EDIT: And I have no interest in blocking you simply because of a single disagreement. I don't get that mentality. It's not like I can't stand to read your posts on this, or any topic. I'm just pushing back on a single thing that you said. (There are some users on here whose posts I ACTUALLY hate to read in any thread, and I don't even block them, because I like to be in the loop lol)

Updated On: 5/13/21 at 11:51 AM

santeFEEE said: "Jessica Lange for Hannigan? "

Thank you sooo much for this! HILARIOUS!!! I would probably pay good money to see her in the role!

Chita Rivera as Molly

She’s no powerhouse belter and more of an actor who kinda sings, but nobody projects Star to Be energy like Eden Sher.

JBroadway said: "(There are some users on here whose posts I ACTUALLY hate to read in any thread, and I don't even block them, because I like to be in the loop lol)"

Because of the archaic nature of this board's software, you can see a blocked person's posts when on the reply page for a thread anyway. I missed vast swaths of this discussion because of it, but... I wasn't really surprised at what I missed until I hit reply (to someone else).

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I can't imagine they wouldn't when there are kids. Plus they don't need a second Brennin Hunt incident!

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I know it's unlikely, but Norm Lewis for Warbucks! Get Audra to reprise Grace and we'll have the perfect reunion of actors.

sabrelady said: "I'm just glad it's not "Hair". I wonder,, will they think to have understudies?"

I love Hair, but NBC would botch it and the censor would smother it.

It was never really tried commercially. Variety Arts is a bad example

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Theatrefanboy1 said: "I hope they film this live from New York. It would be a great welcome back for Broadway too. (Use the Today show set, Theatre district, New York STREETS,Carnegie Hall/RADIO CITY, Rockefeller centre, it could all be quite thrilling)"

I imagine the streets of New York look somewhat different than they did in the 1930s.

Updated On: 5/14/21 at 11:42 AM

Never been a huge fan of Annie but I think this is a good choice for a family musical after the year we’ve had. Casting thoughts for me:

- Miss Hannigan - Kristen Chenoweth or Renee Elise Goldberry (she’s shown her comedy chops in girls5eva and think could kill this role!). Please no to Rebel Wilson. She’s great at doing RW things but I think her Hannigan would almost be too ott and parody like. Alison Janney and Christine Baranski would probably kill this role also.

- Daddy Warbucks - if they’re going for an older actor, then Norm Lewis or Brian Stokes Mitchell would be good. I could see them going for a well know tv / movie actor though.

Grace Farrell - Laura Osnes, Kat McPhee or Philippa Soo would be great choices. All look the part and can sing and dance in spades. Not sure Laura is a big enough mainstream name. Nicolette Robinson would be great also but no idea if she can dance? If that’s a requirement for this live?

- Lily St Regis - Actual Rebel Wilson would be good for this part! If going for musical stars, Megan Hilty or Laura Benanti?

- Rooster - Leslie Odom Jr, although couldn’t see him doing this based on interviews I’ve read and the types of projects he wants to be doing. Christian Borle would be perfect but he’s going to be doing Little Shop of Horrors so that’s out!

Annie - I really don’t know many child actors I’m afraid!

One thing I'm hoping is that, unlike the Rob Marshall version, they follow the thrust of the work in creating, by the end of the evening, the comic book characters. The move from a rather grim Depression setting and more realistic looking characters, to a lighter toned look at the Warbucks mansion, to finally Daddy Warbucks coming out in his tuxedo and diamond stick pin and Annie showing up in the cartoon look of tight curls and the red dress with the white collar and belt, and for the first time uttering "Leapin' lizards!" are essential parts of the work that have been somewhat lost. This is one time that costume and hair are essential. The two characters need to look like the 30's comic strip characters at that point. It's got to be specific because the musical essentially poses itself as presenting the strip's origin story (though it actually isn't). Somehow, Annie has stopped having any connection to Little Orphan Annie in some of the adaptations, and to me that's a mistake.

Updated On: 5/14/21 at 03:24 PM

BwayLB said: "^ As I much I enjoyed the 1999 version, I know what you mean. Should have kept the red dress for the finale"

It was in general a very fine production (though I missed the dropped numbers). That was about my only big complaint. Somehow, I thought the performers were intentionally shot in unflattering ways, but thinking back on it now, I can't specify why. The camera angles? The looks on their faces? I remember cringing that you could see Andrea McArdle's veins popping out on her neck as she sang her bit of "NYC."