Annie

Burnley Light Opera Society kindly invited me to review their performance of ‘Annie,’ Playing to a packed auditorium, this musical, with its vibrancy and exuberance, was a pleasure to watch. Using ultramodern special effects, and a talented cast of both adult and youth actors, ‘Annie’ was fantastic from start to finish.

Set in Depression era America, Annie lives in Miss Hannigan’s grotty orphanage. Believing her parents are still alive, and will one day return for her, Annie has an optimism that Miss Hannigan loathes. After Annie goes to spend Christmas at billionaire, Mr Warbuck’s house, Hannigan, and her no-good brother Rooster, concoct a plan to swindle Mr Warbucks and dispose of Annie.

As the audience entered the auditorium, the proscenium, lit with LED screens, displayed the Statue of Liberty to the left and right of the stage, with the band pit, disguised by old newspapers and posters, Director/Choreographer, Anthony Williams created a fantastic show. It was slick, well paced, and hosted a talented cast and ensemble. Every actor on the stage was precise, every scene rehearsed to be perfect. Dance routines were fabulous, the pinpoint precision of the ensemble during ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here,’ was exceptional. The raw energy and outrage of the orphans as they sang ‘Hard Knock Life,’ was superb, I loved the use of props throughout this routine, as the orphans vented their frustration, to pronounced effect. Annie finds a stray dog, Sandy, and claims him as her own. Sandy was a custom-made puppet worked by cast members. The puppeteers would crouch behind the puppet and manoeuvre the limbs as needed. There were some comedy moments as Sandy had fleas, pushed his food dish around and generally acted like a dog, unable to stay still for long. A clever replacement for real thing,

Musical Director, Steven Mercer-Murray, and his orchestra started the show off strong as the overture began. It was wonderfully clear, each musician blended seamlessly with the next. Vocals were strong, harmonies impressive. Both the adult and youth ensembles equally matched vocally. I loved the clarity and simple beauty of ‘Maybe,’ the combination of vocals and music brought a tear to my eye. The orchestra did not overpower the vocals at all throughout this performance, the sound quality was excellent. Sound Designers, Lea Royce, and Elodie Perrier kept all microphones clear, with no feedback or dropouts. All sound effects were timed to perfection, with no missed cues.

The use of special effects and the exceptional lighting gave this production the ‘Wow’ factor. Projected imagery across the rear of the stage and the wing flats, created a depth to scenes. The Orphanage had a huge window overlooking the city, the Warbucks Mansion looked realistic as cornices and columns edged the area. AV Creation and Design by Frankie Rodgers was impressive, the clarity of imagery mesmerising. Lighting by Neil Dolman and Anthony Williams created atmosphere. I thought the spotlight on Annie during ‘Maybe,’ was simply beautiful, the fade at the end of the song was bob on. Blue hues fell across the orphanage, standing for nighttime. ‘Hooverville’ looked great, with the dark streets casting shadows as Annie wandered alone in the city. I particularly liked the lighting effect at the end of ‘Easy Street’ as the trio walked towards the rear of the stage, their silhouettes stood out against the white background. I thought it a particularly clever way to end the scene. The whole society pulled together to produce a great show. I was impressed by the period wheelchair used for Roosevelt, and I, along with the audience laughed aloud at Hannigan’s stash of alcohol hidden throughout her office, well done props team. The wardrobe team worked exceptionally hard; the servants dressed, from top to toe, in matching uniforms, right down to the shoes they wore. Scene changes were smooth, all departments working as one, under the watchful eye of Stage Manager, Ken Hardwick.

Rosie Beaumont was strong in the titular role of ‘Annie,’ a character with masses of stage time throughout the show. Her energy was infectious, she invested fully in her performance. With confidence, Rosie sang a fantastic version of ‘Tomorrow.’ Her vocals were natural, never forced, her range expansive. Rosie had an undeniable stage presence, and a solid chemistry with her fellow actors. A superior performance from Rosie.

Oliver Warbucks, billionaire and soon to be adoptive father to Annie, was played by Mark Wood. His character began the show as a busy, workaholic, who wanted to house an orphan for Christmas, to boost his popularity. Mark was great as the ever-busy Warbucks, his character won over by Annie’s optimism and approach to life. Mark displayed a wide range of emotions as he sang ‘Something Was Missing.’ His accent and diction were great. A strong performer throughout the production.

Jenny Cliff was notable as Grace Farrell; secretary to Warbucks, Grace chose Annie to visit for Christmas. Jenny played this role as a confident, organised woman, with a kind, joyful side, who clicks with Annie instantly. With a strong stage presence, Jenny, a natural soprano, suited this role. Her vocals in ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here,’ sounded lovely, her harmonies were great. She held herself with poise and had splendid costumes.

Tori Vaal played ill tempered, gin swilling, Miss Hannigan. I absolutely loved the broken shoe she wore. Adding emphasis to her inebriated walk and shoddy appearance. Tori was fabulous, her drunken performance convincing, her loathing for Annie getting deeper as the show progressed. ‘Little Girls,’ Hannigan’s solo was wonderful, drunk, angry, and very humorous as she procured liquor from many hiding places. Her harmony in ‘Easy Street’ was strong, her vocals clear. With an impressive New York accent, Tori gave a fantastic performance.

I particularly liked the subtle sibling resemblance carried in the wigs worn by Hannigan and her brother Rooster; the ‘white forelock’ (Mallen streak) looked effective. Mal Wood played Rooster Hannigan. Wanted by the police, accompanied by his girlfriend, he saw an opportunity to make money and give his sister revenge on Annie. Mal had a great comic timing; he was wise cracking and untrustworthy, slippery as an eel. A powerful singer, as showed in ‘Easy Street,’ Mal gave a wonderful performance.

Leanne Wharf played Lilly St. Regis. This was a fabulous comedy performance from Leanne. Her streetwise New York accent was impressive. The audience laughed aloud as she reappeared, dressed as a bandy-legged old woman, repeating words with excellent timing. Vocally strong in ‘Easy Street,’ with boundless energy, Leanne was hilariously good.

I thought the live radio broadcast scene well executed, the many radio artists filling the stage. Peter Gardner, as radio announcer Bert Healey, upbeat and charismatic. Bethany Whittaker as the stressed-out sound effects operator, comically becoming overwhelmed as increasingly more effects were needed. The ‘glamorous’ Boylan Sisters; Sue Avanson, Scarlet Dickinson, and Penny Poulton, sitting around, bored, reading, checking for body odour, fidgeting with costumes before bursting into song to sing the jingle in perfect harmony, well done all involved. Penny also gave an impressive performance as Star-to-be, where she appeared in a beautifully bejewelled silver costume. Her solo in ‘NYC’ vocally strong, her tap dance energetic.

President Franklin D Roosevelt, played by David Gill, was vocally strong as the Cabinet sang ‘Tomorrow.’ David had rich, powerful, singing voice. He manoeuvred the wheelchair around the stage with experience. I thought the scene where the Cabinet had to sing when commanded was great, the unaccompanied voices, starting off shakily then building in tempo.

The youth ensemble in this show were all talented actors, I would love to mention everyone, but I am afraid that is not possible. I would like the mention Autumn Wharf who played the youngest orphan Molly. Autumn was confident and comical; she had great timing and was not afraid to play her role to its fullest extent. All the orphans were impressive, full of energy, completely committed to their individual characters. Well done everyone.

BLOS presented a final surprise during the bows, showering the audience with fake snow, falling from above, providing entertainment until the very end. I would like to thank BLOS for the hospitality extended to me and my plus one. I hope to see many more productions from them in the future.

Additonal comment from Andy McNicholas (NW Regional Councillor) - On the evening I attended Annie was played by Patsy Slater, who had the audience in her hands, hanging onto every word, during her rendition of 'Tomorrow'.  Patsy is clearly at home on stage and is very comfortable working with both the adult and youth cast members.  She gave a strong and energetic protrayal of 'Annie' and sang all her numbers with great emotion.  Patsy is clearly someone to watch out for and I look forward to seeing her in many productions to come.

 

 

 

 

 

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