Highlights:
👉Harper Rae Asch was fantastic as Annie. Her bright red curly hair, bubbly personality that didn’t miss a beat throughout the whole show and incredible vocals earned a well-deserved standing ovation.
👉Kids performances (Cast) were incredible to watch especially during It’s the Hard Knock Life. A specific stand-out was Cydnee Abbott, who plays Pepper. (interesting note, she holds the Guinness World Record for the most full-body revolutions in a backbend in 1 minute!)
👉Miss Hannigan (Laura Conlin) what a gem. I couldn’t help but feel that she really embodied the spirit of Carol Burnett with impeccable comedic flair.
👉Mark Uhre and Amanda Lundgren who play Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis were a fun energetic duo and convincing on stage together as swindlers trying to pose as Annie’s biological parents in return for $50,000.
👉The song “NYC” – The scene set and lighting for this one really set the tone of New York City. Probably one of my favourites. I’m still humming the tune.
A few missteps to address...
👉I didn’t quite feel the connection between Annie and Oliver Warbucks (played by Dan Chameroy) in the second act, even during what would have been considered the emotional moments. I have seen Dan perform in many other productions in Stratford, believing his character to a tee, but this one didn’t convince me of a father figure in the end, way more believable in his role as the billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.
👉Some scenes in the second act felt rushed and the over-enthusiasm of Warbuck’s staff being so thrilled to be not only at his beck and call, but now to Annie felt a little odd as they danced around gleefully– as if they didn’t have any other purpose.
👎Pet peeve theatre moment: Despite the announcements to turn off all devices, I don’t think some people got the memo clear enough near where we were seating. Scrolling endlessly (not just a quick check if you absolutely must) on one’s phone during a performance or playing a game (Wordle can wait, trust me) is not just annoying to patrons who have to see your phone light up in the dark, but also just rude to performers on stage! Usually there would be quite a few ushers abound to nip this in the bud but there was no one near us and we didn’t want to have to get up to find someone outside and miss parts of the show. Luckily there were some unattended seats away from the unnerving cell scrollers which we grabbed (and noticed another couple doing the same) so we could enjoy the rest of the show.
Overall, this musical production of Annie with wonderful singing, incredible energetic dance sequences will no doubt make you smile and feel happy that a small change of heart can make a world of difference through a child’s eyes.
Some of the themes of desperation and despair are indeed overshadowed by catchy song numbers draped in sheer optimism that many kids in reality will unlikely experience. However, what is very apparent is the idea of one little girl’s strength (Annie), to never give up hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Returned favourites and some new spots for us to explore in Stratford.
Dinner at our favourite spot: Fellini's
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