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I feel like I've seen Annie at least a million times: the reality is that it has only been about half a dozen between the stage and screen. (Still--it feels like a million but maybe that's just me...) The latest production I saw (via Performance Riverside) doesn't add anything new to my experience and only served to reinforce my notions about the show. Annie is a broadly-drawn cartoon of a musical (based on a broadly-drawn cartoon--so maybe that's not such a bad thing). The show is sappy-sweet with a few good numbers with a script to match. The show has one note--full on: everything runs full-out with no subtlety whatsoever. Still, the whole thing is sweetly harmless fun for the whole family. Maybe that's not such a bad thing but it is what it is.
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Jaidyn Young is a classic Annie--cute as a button with a paint-peeling belt that can paste you to the back wall. She did well with what she was given although I did notice a couple of pretty serious voice "cracks" during Act II. (Is her voice changing or did she simply not have the vocal strength to keep up with the whole show?) The chorus of orphan girls are cute but very LOUD. Rhett Guter (as Rooster) so far outperformed Kirklyn Robinson as Miss Hannigan that it was almost embarrassing: either he needs to bring his performance way down or she needs to bring hers way up.
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The rest of the cast was adequate if not stand out in their performance with one exception, Sutton--the dog who played Sandy. One of the most difficult aspects of mounting a non-professional production of this show is casting the dog. (I've seen everything from an apricot Poodle to a German Shepherd Seeing-Eye Dog play the role.) This poor doggie-dog was clearly not into his part: yes, he hit his marks but really didn't seem to be having a good time--and he couldn't get off stage fast enough. Ah well--such is the problem with working with kids and dogs.
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Technically the show had some ups-and-downs, the nine-piece orchestra played well enough but it wouldn't be a performance at the Landis without some sound mixing issues. The costumes looked rented (and cheap) and the sets were on par with a good high school production. The choreography was nice if not overly complex.
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Annie isn't a show for jaded old grumps like me: still, the show is a fast-paced, easy to follow and fun for the whole family. It's a great show for grandparents to take their grandchildren to or for those who don't regularly attend the theater to cut their teeth on. Even so--it doesn't hold up to repeated viewings so go once, enjoy it and then leave.
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FINAL GRADE: C+
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