[NEohioPAL]Berko review: ANNIE (PHSQ Palace)

[Roy Berko]

‘LEAPING LIZARDS,’ ALEX AND NOAH LIKE DATED BUT
ENTERTAINING ‘Annie’ 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

The comic strip, Little Orphan Annie first appeared in
1924.  It was based on James Whitcomb Riley's 1885
poem of the same name.  In the comic strip version,
Annie, an orphan, was taken in by Oliver Warbucks, a
prototypical capitalist.  Together they tackled
international intrigue.  Annie's main physical
characteristics were a mop of red, curly hair and
vacant circles for eyes. She is always accompanied by
her dog, Sandy and is noted for her catchphrase,
"Leapin' Llizards!."

In 1997 an award-winning musical appeared on Broadway
scene.  In August of 2005, “The Brand New Production”
of ‘ANNIE’ went on tour.  It is that version that is
now on stage at the Palace Theatre.

The show centers on Annie, an orphan abandoned by her
parents during the depression.  She is left at an
orphanage, which is under the tyrannical control of
Miss Hannigan.  Warbucks decides to host an orphan for
Christmas.  He wants a boy, winds up with Annie, and
the rest, complete with plot twists and a happy
ending, is history.

This touring production features the delightful
Marissa O’Donnell as Annie.  This is a very talented
young lady who  can sing, dance and act with amazing
abilities.  John Schuck of “McMillan and Wife” TV fame
looks the role, performs well, and adequately sings
Daddy Warbucks.  Local opening night found Victoria
Oscar more than adequately substituting in the role of
Miss Hannigan.  The orphan kids, some of whom are a
little too old to be playing “adorable,” were not up
to expected levels.  Their dancing lacked unity and
their singing  often missed proper blendings.

The show is definitely dated.  Few in the young
audience had any knowledge of the depression, the
importance of radio in the pre-TV culture, and of
President Roosevelt.  Many of the clever lines were
missed because of this lack of audience awareness. 
Songs like, “We’d Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover”
and “A New Deal for Christmas” have lost their
relevance.

As I have done when children-friendly shows appear at
local theatres, I took my grandsons, Alex and Noah
Berko, along as my “kid” eyes and ears.  In spite of
the datedness, the 10 and 8/1/2 year olds “really
liked” the show.  They both thought Annie was, “great”
and Miss Hannigan “hysterical.”  They loved the
special effects, particularly “the real snow falling
on Christmas” and the “huge tree.”  They were very
pleased that Sandy, the dog, was “real, not someone
dressed in a dog suit like some of the kid’s shows we
see.”  Their favorite orphan was Tessie (Casey
Whyland) whose constant “Oh, my” squeals were the
cause of delight.  They loved looking down into the
Palace Theatre’s big orchestra pit during intermission
and thought the theatre was “awesome.”  Both boys had
seen the movie version several times, so they were
familiar with the music and the story line, which I
think helped enhance their experience.

Capsule judgment:  ‘ANNIE’ is a dated, but cute show. 
It is a little long for younger audience members, but
any child over 8 should enjoy it.  This will probably
be the last of the touring versions of the show, so if
you want to see a professional company, this may be
your final chance.

‘ANNIE’ runs through February 19 at the Palace Theatre
in Playhouse Square.  For tickets call 216-241-6000,
800-766-6048 or go on line to www.playhousesquare.com.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

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