Annie a Joy for the Whole Family

by Sharon Falduto; photo by Krista Neumann

Josh Sazon as "Daddy" Warbucks;
Veronica Abreau as Annie

Iowa City - The Iowa City Community Theatre has continued its holiday tradition of gifting the community with a tremendously satisfying musical the whole family can enjoy. This year’s show is the delightful Annie. My entire family was delighted and engaged by the show, from the hyper five year old to the sardonic 12 year old.

The musical of Annie is based on Harold Gray’s Little Orphan Annie comic strip, focusing on a story line in which she is plucked from the “Hard Knock Life” of her orphanage and lands in the lap of luxury at the manse of billionaire Oliver Warbucks. The original Broadway show opened in 1977 and it has been a perennial favorite on every platform from the big screen to our beloved local theaters ever since. Props to the lyrical composer, Martin Charnin, for my favorite rhyme ever: “No one cares for you a smidge when you’re in an or-phan-age.”

The core group of orphans were capable and entertaining in their singing and dancing; their raggedy clothes and dirty faces gave them an air of pity as they waited in the orphanage for the person who would “Maybe” eventually adopt each one. I’d like to make special mention of Molly, the youngest orphan, played by the adorable gap-toothed Chase Horning. I’m not quite certain which of the other girls played which orphan. Due to an unfortunate lighting choice indicating the time of day as the dead of night, each girl was in darkness during the one scene in which Annie called them each by name.

Director Krista Neuman was at her best when filling crowded scenes full of people, from the hustle and bustle of a New York City street (“NYC”) to the down in the mouth hoboes who sang in their Hooverville shantytown (“We’d Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover”). Each ensemble member had a true sense of his or her character, whether he or she was a bum or a servant in Warbucks’ home. (As my husband joked, “It’s nice that Warbucks gave all those homeless people jobs”). I especially enjoyed watching the little playlets that took place during the “NYC” number, which included some of the same girls who played the orphans gussied up and playing well-to-do children out on the town.

Jill Beardsley had some fun, memorable choreography, including the kick line at the end of the orphans rendition of “Never Fully Dressed” and a humorous conga line during the Hannigans’ “Easy Street.”

Angela Howard did a nice job as a just-drunk-enough Miss Hannigan, the matron of the girls’ orphanage. She adequately handled the barely suppressed rage of the character intermingled with the desperate hopelessness she exhibited when throwing herself at any available man. Doug Beardsley as her brother Rooster and Eliza Sanders as his girlfriend Lily nicely rounded out the team of scoundrels who were out to con Warbucks through their knowledge of Annie. Though their scheme was evil, their dancing was light and amusing, and it was hard to truly dislike them.

Rebekah Kent was a lovely Grace Farrell, personal secretary to Oliver Warbucks. Her singing voice was light and pure but unfortunately at times too soft to be heard.

For this production the part of Annie was double cast; the performance we saw featured Veronica Abreau, a delightful young singer with a bright future in music. (Katey Halverson plays the role in the matinee performances next weekend and Abreau handles the role in the evening shows. And I’ve heard good things about Halverson as well so don’t be afraid to check out a matinee!)

The true standout from this show was Josh Sazon as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. He had a perfect blustering tone tinged with just the right amount of heart to make Warbucks believable as both a ruthless money grubbing billionaire and a softie who could fall in fatherly love with a little orphan girl.

The live music accompanying the show was spectacular, up to the caliber of any local performance venue. Unfortunately, at times the music that was meant to be a background to the dialogue overpowered the actors’ voices, and we missed some of the lines.

No production of Annie is complete without her faithful dog Sandy, and Opie-the-Dog was the best live performing dog I’ve ever seen. He came when called, he sat on cue, and he even ad-libbed a paw on Annie’s shoulder during her performance of the show’s big number, “Tomorrow.”

This is a great family show, with humor just grown up enough for the adults and with characters for children to relate to. It’s a wonderful Christmas gift to take your family to the Johnson County Fairgrounds and share the experience of live theater with them.

Annie runs one more weekend, with shows Dec 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m., Dec 15 at 1 p.m., and Dec 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for students & seniors, and $10 for children, and are available here.

This Fall at ICCT

Iowa City - ICCT begins its fall season with The Fantasticks, which opens September 14. They'll follow that up with Steel Magnolias, which has recently been cast, and then Annie (audition information here.)

Annie at TCR? Of course, it's good!

by Sharon Falduto

To be honest, I almost feel guilty writing a review of this show. I feel as though I could write “It was Annie at TCR! Of course it’s going to be good!”

But Spartan reviews are not what draws you back to the Iowa Theatre Blog. You want to know if this particular Annie will measure up to your childhood memories. Will it leave you singing? Yes, it will. Will it restore your faith that prosperity is just around the corner, even in these hard economic times? I hope so.

First of all, kudos to the cast of orphans. I would love to single out each and every one of them to mention and praise, but unfortunately, the book of the musical doesn’t individuate. I read the program at intermission and said to myself, “Huh, her name is July? Okay.” But each little girl in the show is a wonderful performer. Every one is given a chance to shine, with either a solo or a group performance, and each one makes her mama proud.

The girls begin the show piled on top of two bunk beds for, if my count is correct, 14 orphans; the 15th, Annie, appears later. They are hanging off the top, tucked underneath, and two to four abreast on the beds. Their dingy pinafores and sullen countenances put us immediately in the Depression-depressed frame of mind of the NYC girls’ orphanage.

Alexandra AbouAssaly as Molly, the tiniest girl of the group, does a wonderful job. Her bio indicates that she is in third grade, but she has the stature of a five year-old, with the stage presence and self possession of a 21 year-old theatre school graduate.

Jennifer Boettger is Miss Hannigan, the villain of the show. I’m torn between thinking her portrayal of Miss Hannigan as channeled through Carol Burnett is just perfect, and wishing she had given the role her own spin. I’ll let you, as the viewer decide. Regardless, she’s such a fun character to watch and play, it hardly matters.

The opening night performance only had one non dog-related misstep (more on that in a moment), which is when the adult chorus missed its opening notes on their “Herbert Hoover” song. I noted to myself at the time, “Kids know the score better than grownups!” But every other song, sung by child or adult, was perfectly on time and in key. Each crowd scene bustled with energy and chaos when needed, and settled into balance and lines when it was called for. Each time I would start to think my sight line was obstructed, someone would shift, and all would be well again.

The dog-related misstep was more humorous fodder for the adults in the audience than a true detriment to the show. Annie reached into her pocket a bit before calling to Sandy, and Sandy trotted on over before even hearing his name. I’m sure working with a canine adds an element of the unexpected to each night’s performance.

Every song in this show is iconic and memorable, although I did question the necessity of some of Daddy Warbucks’ ballads, especially as the show entered its second hour and some patrons, such as the young man behind me, fell asleep on Daddy’s lap. I’d hate to lose the songs, though, because Jonathon P. Swenson — a man so dedicated to his role that he shaved his head — is such a wonderful, melodious singer. It almost made me forgive him for being a Republican, to paraphrase Mr. Warbucks himself.

Ryan Folzey’s Rooster and Emily Nelson’s Lily St. Regis are delightful swindlers. He is crookeder than Snake Alley and she is dumber than a post, but they put on a beautiful Charleston with Miss Hannigan when they plan to pull a scam on Warbucks and get rid of Annie in the process. Heather Akers as Grace, Mr. Warbucks’ personal secretary, is calm and appealing throughout the show, a well cast choice for the role.

The show has some notables cameos of chorus members. Oscar Richie IV first appears as Mr. Bundles in a jovial but non-singing role, and then reappears in Act II as Bert Healy, on whose radio show Annie appears to ask to find her parents. Bert and The Lovely Boylan Sisters give us the dynamic opening song of Act II, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” which takes us back to the orphanage where we check in with the girls as they put on their own Bert Healy radio show. Gene Whiteman may not look the part of FDR, exactly, but close your eyes and you hear FDR giving a fireside chat whenever Gene speaks.

And then, of course, there’s Annie. Michelle Lindhart has a big, open, smiling face and a big, powerful, wonderful voice to go with it. She hits each note with clarity and tone, and she embodies Annie’s impish spirit throughout. The score of Annie is not an easy one for anyone, but no notes seemed strained under her angelic voice.

Review from my five year-old co-reviewer, Sammi Falduto: “I really liked two songs. ‘The Sun Will Come Out’ and ‘Hard Knock Life.’ I didn’t like Miss Hannigan.”

So, will it leave you singing? Of course it will. It will even, in the case of one particular five year-old girl, leave you muttering “The sun’ll come out…” as you drift off to sleep after Mommy carries you in from the car and puts you to bed after the show.


Sharon Falduto has been involved with theatre for many years. Notable roles include Corrie in Barefoot in the Park with Dreamwell and Myra in Hay Fever with ICCT. She has directed God for the now defunct student group, West Side Players, and Of Mice and Men for Dreamwell. She is currently out of the theatre scene, as she is busy directing the lives of Rachel, Samantha, and Piper at her home in Coralville. She still enjoys the stage, however, and hopes to trod the boards again in the future.

Backstage with Annie

TCR - You have to check out this video of Jonathan Swenson getting his head shaved so he can play Daddy Warbucks in Annie. Then check out Annie this weekend!

TCR's Annie opens this weekend

TCR - Theatre Cedar Rapids audiences are no strangers to the musical Annie. It’s a longtime favorite and audiences have been clamoring for it to return to their stage — which is exactly what it will do beginning Nov. 20, when Annie opens at TCR Lindale.

In fact, it’s recommended that audiences reserve their tickets now. Annie tickets are selling faster than any other show on the season — even The Producers, which will see TCR finally return to its home in the Iowa Theater Building downtown.

So what’s the appeal?

“At the end of the day, this musical is about a little girl, the unbridled optimism of children and the importance of the love and care that every child receives,” says director Casey Prince.

It helps that Annie features several classic songs of musical theatre, from “Tomorrow” to “Easy Street” to “Hard-Knock Life.” It also features a heroic father figure in Daddy Warbucks, and one of the all-time classic villains in Miss Hannigan.

For those who don’t know the story: Annie centers on a Depression-era orphan who slaves away at her orphanage under the tyrannical rule of Miss Hannigan. One day, however, her fortunes change when billionaire Oliver Warbucks agrees to temporarily take in an orphan to live with him and Annie gets chosen.

Warbucks is strict and standoffish, but it doesn’t take long for Annie to warm his heart. Soon he’s ready to adopt the little girl for good. It seems that Annie’s life couldn’t get any better — but Hannigan and her brother Rooster are seeing dollar signs, and they start cooking up other plans.

“The script is so great and the setting is so real that we are sucked in, and we truly believe — as unlikely as it sounds out of context — that the optimism of one little girl can change a nation,” Prince says. “When you witness the wholehearted belief of a child like Annie that everything will be better tomorrow, and know that her innocence is not yet jaded, you start to believe again too.”

Annie features many familiar TCR faces, including Jonathan Swenson (Fiddler on the Roof) as Warbucks; Heather Akers (Disney’s High School Musical On Stage) as Grace; Jen Boettger (Urinetown) as Miss Hannigan; Ryan Foizey (Altar Boyz) as Rooster; and Gene Whiteman (countless productions) as Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, it features a fresh face in the lead role: Michelle Lindhart is making her TCR debut as Annie.

“She’s optimistic, warm, funny and quite a talent,” Prince says of his leading lady. “She embodies Annie and she is an amazing little girl.”

Annie will be the final musical at TCR Lindale, which has served as TCR’s temporary home during flood recovery. While Prince is eager to see TCR get back downtown, he admits that he’ll miss the Lindale space.

“That space has been a blessing,” he says. “We’ve done a lot of great theatre in that building in a year and a half. Annie will be a fantastic addition to that.”

And in the spirit of the holiday season, TCR has a special program to help children in need. People who bring in a donation of one package of size 4 & 5 diapers get one free ticket to the Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) performance of Annie. Tickets/donations must be exchanged no later than Nov. 24. This special is only good in person at TCR’s temporary box office located at 800 Second Ave SE 52403. Please have donations with you at time of ticket purchase. All donations will go to Waypoint Services. All of those that make a donation for tickets for the Thanksgiving night performance of Annie will receive a special welcome at the show that night with an update as to the result of your collective donations.

Annie will be performed Nov. 20-Dec. 12 at TCR Lindale, 4444 1st Ave. NE. . Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20 or $25 ($15 for students) and can be purchased in person at the TCR Box Office; by phone at 366-8591; or online.

Photo by Steve Eckert/Spotlight Images.