ABC/Disney mounted an elaborate and entertaining remake of the 1977 Broadway musical Annie for television in 1999 which, for my money, was vastly superior than the theatrical version released back in 1982. This version was directed by Rob Marshall, whose next directorial assignment was a little thing called Chicago. Marshall knows what a musical should look like and having him at the helm as director and choreographer made a big difference in making the piece work, as opposed to the 1982 version which was directed by John Huston, a competent director but clueless where musicals are concerned.
For those who don't know, this is the story of a little girl named Annie living in an orphanage during the depression, run by a cruel and sadistic witch named Miss Hannigan, who is chosen to spend a week in the mansion of a billionaire named Oliver Warbucks, a publicity stunt arranged by Warbucks' secretary Grace Farrell. We then watch as a relationship develops between the lonely philanthropist and the little girl and how Miss Hannigan sees Annie's good fortune as a ticket to Easy Street (which is, BTW, the name of one of the show's best songs).
Kathy Bates is deliciously evil as Miss Hannigan. I found Bates' interpretation of the character much richer than Carol Burnett's take on the role in 1982. Burnett played Miss Hannigan as a drunk, but Bates brought the greed and viciousness back to the role that Dorothy Loudon introduced to the character back on Broadway in '77. Bates also surprised as a competent vocalist. Her version of my favorite song in the score, "Little Girls" is just superb.
I have to admit that I found Victor Garber a little bland as Daddy Warbucks. I actually preferred Albert Finney in the '82 version , though Garber's solo, "Something was Missing" was lovely. Alicia Morton is competent as the title character and Audra McDonald brings a substance to the role of Grace that has been missing in previous versions of the show. Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth are brilliant as Rooster and Lily, Miss Hannigan's brother and his girlfriend, who are Hannigan's cohorts in extorting money from Warbucks through Annie. Cumming, Chenoweth, and Bates bring down the house with "Easy Street".
Other songs in the Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin score include "Maybe", "It's a Hard Knocks Life","I think I'm gonna like it here", "You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile", and, of course, "Tomorrow". During the production number, "NYC", there is actually a cameo appearance by Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie in the original 1977 Broadway production.
For me, this is a much richer version of this musical, that takes the show back to the basics, remaining faithful to the original piece while benefiting from strong direction and choreography from Rob Marshall and some on-target casting.
For those who don't know, this is the story of a little girl named Annie living in an orphanage during the depression, run by a cruel and sadistic witch named Miss Hannigan, who is chosen to spend a week in the mansion of a billionaire named Oliver Warbucks, a publicity stunt arranged by Warbucks' secretary Grace Farrell. We then watch as a relationship develops between the lonely philanthropist and the little girl and how Miss Hannigan sees Annie's good fortune as a ticket to Easy Street (which is, BTW, the name of one of the show's best songs).
Kathy Bates is deliciously evil as Miss Hannigan. I found Bates' interpretation of the character much richer than Carol Burnett's take on the role in 1982. Burnett played Miss Hannigan as a drunk, but Bates brought the greed and viciousness back to the role that Dorothy Loudon introduced to the character back on Broadway in '77. Bates also surprised as a competent vocalist. Her version of my favorite song in the score, "Little Girls" is just superb.
I have to admit that I found Victor Garber a little bland as Daddy Warbucks. I actually preferred Albert Finney in the '82 version , though Garber's solo, "Something was Missing" was lovely. Alicia Morton is competent as the title character and Audra McDonald brings a substance to the role of Grace that has been missing in previous versions of the show. Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth are brilliant as Rooster and Lily, Miss Hannigan's brother and his girlfriend, who are Hannigan's cohorts in extorting money from Warbucks through Annie. Cumming, Chenoweth, and Bates bring down the house with "Easy Street".
Other songs in the Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin score include "Maybe", "It's a Hard Knocks Life","I think I'm gonna like it here", "You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile", and, of course, "Tomorrow". During the production number, "NYC", there is actually a cameo appearance by Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie in the original 1977 Broadway production.
For me, this is a much richer version of this musical, that takes the show back to the basics, remaining faithful to the original piece while benefiting from strong direction and choreography from Rob Marshall and some on-target casting.