I loved this version! It was just as good as the original starring Albert Finney and Carol Burnett. It follows the original Broadway version instead of it's predecessor of the silver screen. Kathy Bates was maybe a little nicer than Burnett's Hannigan but she still had that mean-lady aura she had in "Misery". The 3-time Tony-Award-winning First lady of the Broadway musical theater Audra Ann McDonald's portrayal of Grace Farrell put her on the road to becoming a big star in Hollywood as well, and Victor Garber (of "Titanic" and tv's "Invisible Child") makes for an even better Oliver Warbucks than Albert Finney. Kristin Chenoweth is a perfectly ditzy, empty-headed Lily St. Regis ("Named from the hotel") and is a fresh, promising face for Hollywood as well. And let's not forget Alicia Morton's sweet-smiled Annie ("Leapin' lizards!"). But the one who really stole the show (at least for a few minutes) is Broadway star Alan Cumming as Rooster Hannigan (Tony-Award winner for 97-98's "Cabaret" revival) with his show-stopping rendition of "Easy Street". The arrangement for the score in this version was even better than the original version also so the soundtrack should sell a couple of million copies at least. Kathy Bates and Alan Cumming should hopefully get Emmy nominations! Yes, "the sun HAS come out" on "Annie".
Review of Annie
