Annie The Musical

‘Annie’ is the iconic story based on the 1924 comic strip, ‘Little Orphan Annie’ and was first performed on Broadway in 1977.  It has had many revivals most recently with Craig Revel Horwood playing the part of the odious Miss Hannigan, manager of the New York City Orphanage.  County Amateur Operatic Dramatic Society, under the direction of Adam Slepowronski, have created and produced a pacy, slick and heart-warming performance that I have come to expect from this Society. 

The musical tells of a little girl, Annie who has been abandoned at a New York Orphanage, run by the odious Miss Hannigan, who still holds out hopes that her real parents will come for her one day.  Annie is full of perky optimism, and she is the beating heart of the show, charming everyone she meets, especially the self-made billionaire Oliver Warbucks. 

The show opens with an introduction to the other orphans who live in the orphanage, including the feisty Pepper and her side-kick Duffy who bullies the less confident orphans and who are first seen teasing little Molly who has had a nightmare.   I was very impressed with the girls dancing, singing and acting (some of whom were making their stage debut), particularly in ‘Hard Knock Life’ a well-executed choreographed routine (Adam Slepowronski and Michelle Smith) using buckets and brushes.

Annie herself (played on this night by 14-year-old Matylda Kosmala) showed acting skills beyond her age and a sweet, wistful delivery of her song ‘Maybe’ as she tried to comfort Molly, while clutching her locket the only connection she has to her parents. 

Annie escapes in the laundry basket and finds her canine companion the adorable Sandy. Well done to Matylda for keeping in character and not being distracted while powerfully singing her signature song ‘Tomorrow’ as the little dog pulled at its lead and barked on cue proving the line ‘never work with animals’ is very true!  

Next, Annie meets the inhabitants of ‘Hooverville’ the shanty town full of desperate people who have been stripped of their livelihoods and dignity and forced to live in hovels.  I liked the way the costumes reflected their reduced status with some wearing 30s styled suits and the ladies still wearing their shabby fur trimmed outfits.

Recaptured and returned to the orphanage, Annie is in Miss Hannigan’s clutches but is rescued by the arrival of Grace Farrell (Megan Gilmartin) Secretary and PA to Oliver Warbucks who is looking for an orphan to spend Christmas with her employer.  Annie charms Grace and to Miss Hanningan’s dismay is whisked away to the billionaire’s mansion. 

In a slick scene change, using the cast, the mansion is created, featuring sculptures and paintings reflecting Warbuck’s wealth and status.  A busy montage follows, featuring a host of staff, including a dutiful butler Drake (Ian Norton) housekeeper Mrs Pugh and various maids and servants dusting and polishing ready for Annie’s arrival and the imminent return of their employer.

When Oliver Warbucks enters, he is at first dismissive and seemly arrogant his obvious riches and material goods creating an overbearing man to whom money is no object.  But this Warbucks, however is a deeper character and far from superficial with a secret of his own.  Initially he rejects Annie as he wanted a boy orphan, but Warbucks is quickly charmed by Annie’s forthright attitude and the fact that she is not dazzled by his wealth and agrees to accompany Annie and Grace to the pictures.

Every musical needs a villain and here we have Miss Hannigan’s good for nothing, jailbird brother, Rooster (David Andrew Warman) and his vacuous girlfriend and partner in crime, Lily St. Regis (Georgina Hancock).  Together with Miss Hannigan they showed their truly despicable characters in a shady, sleazy rendition of ‘Easy Street.’  I loved the way Lily pilfered the drawers for jewellery while Miss Hannigan’s back was turned and checked out her fingernails. Rooster and Lily have designs on on Warbuck’s cash by executing an audacious con, by dressing up as Annie’s parents using the other half of Annie’s locket as proof of their identity. 

Would Rooster’s malicious plan to whisk the unwitting Annie away succeed or will she finally get her dream come true a life of luxury with the kind and gentle Daddy Warbucks?

Some highlights of the show were the hilarious behind-the-scenes radio show hosted by Bert Healy (Ian Marston) featuring a ventriloquist dummy and a ‘tap dance’ routine with a pair of shoes!  I loved the vacuous, bored Boylan sisters (Lisa Reilly, Sarah Holt and Cheryl Barlow) dressed to the nines but smoking, chewing gum and gossiping as they waited to perform their routine, then fighting over the microphone.  This was followed by the impish orphans wonderfully sending up the show in ‘You’re Never Fully Dressed Without aSmile.’ 

Imogen Phillis played Miss Hannigan with spiky realism, there was hardly an ounce of humanity in this woman who revelled in tormenting and humiliating the girls in her charge using them as cheap child labour in the laundry.   She staggered around the stage either in a drunken stupor or recovering from the hangover from hell while taking illicit swigs from her hidden hipflask.  This was no high camp performance but a cruel harridan who thrived on emotional abuse of her charges and her jealousy of Annie was obvious never flinching from Rooster’s gruesome suggestion.  Despite this Imogen still managed to find the humour in the role and did this brilliantly. 

I loved her outrageous flirting with any male with a pulse and the way she used the whistle around her neck to communicate with the children treating them like animals under her control.  Her cynical song ‘Little Girls’showed her bitter resentment of her life and the fact that these parent-less children would eventually result in her descent into madness and was wonderfully performed.  We never felt sympathy for her character but could understand how she had become the jaded woman she was now. 

David Warman and Georgina Hancock as Rooster and Lily, the conniving couple of cons played their parts well and I liked the transformation to the homely humble Mudges as they tried to convince Warbuck’s that they were Annie’s parents. 

Megan Gilmartin was bright and breezy as the sweet, gentle Grace, showing her obvious enchantment with Annie and hiding her true feelings for Warbucks.  Megan has a beautiful voice used to good effect in the montage songs welcoming Annie to the mansion and extolling the delights of NYC.  

Christian Norton was the perfect Daddy Warbucks from his shaved head to the tips of his shiny patent shoes.  His version of Warbucks had real heart and you felt his anguish and self-doubt as he agonised over adopting Annie and his hidden devastation when she wanted to find her true parents, putting her needs first despite the pain it caused him.  Christian’s warm tones made Warbuck’s songs reflect a deeply conflicted character as he realised by finding her parents he would lose her forever.  I loved his fumbling nervousness as he made his appeal for Annie’s parents on the Bert Healy show and his sweet confession to Annie about his own humble beginnings.  

Matylda as Annie was delightful, hardly off stage she powered through the role showing she was more than a match for her more experienced cast members. She had an incredible confident aura that came across in her body language and delivery of her many songs.  Her interactions with the other characters were excellent showing humour and timing or an innocent ever-present optimism that life would get better.  This was beautifully demonstrated in her scene with the wheelchair bound President Roosevelt (Justin Day) at the Whitehouse where she swung her legs innocently on her chair and stood her ground against his more cynical cabinet aides.  

Her slowed down rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ had none of the ‘smaltzy’ cuteness normally associated with the song and its positive lyrics symbolised the whole 30s depression era and the light at the end of the tunnel, resulting in Roosevelt adopting it as the torch song for his new deal.  Matylda’s relationship with Warbuck’s was delightful gradually breaking through his protective shell and showing him what he was missing in life. 

Special mention to seven-year-old Ella who played Molly with such a mischievous innocence she nearly stole the show she demonstrated a sweetness of character that shone from the stage and delighted the audience. 

The stage was used well with a combination of back-drops and pieces of set that were used to create Miss Hannigan’s office (strewn with clothing and children’s toys) or Warbuck’s mansion.  The front of stage was utilised for behind the screen changes and were done well combined with clever use of lighting effects. 

Costumes and wigs (James Easter and Linda Wilson) were in keeping with the 30s time period with lots of cloche hats, suits and evening dresses I liked Warbuck’s smart white jacket and two-tone spats.  The orphans in identical nightdresses and grubby faces and unkempt hair reflected their neglect by Miss Hannigan.  Warbuck’s staff were dressed according to status with candy striped uniforms or black clothing.  |Annie’s clothes reflected her change from poor to rich with a series of beautifully designed outfits such as a sweet sailor suit and her iconic red dress. 

Kev Richardson as Musical Director guided his live band through the upbeat score which was also used to good effect during scene changes adding to the tension and overall ambience. 

Well done Adam for your vision and attention to detail in producing this show with true heart and story- telling giving a new spin on a well-loved classic. Congratulations to everyone involved back-stage, including the CAODS choir and the team of chaperones who ensured that the younger members of the cast could take part.  Thank you for the warm welcome from Emily Novell (Chairperson) and Kate Fenn (Secretary) and also Adam himself who took the time to talk to me about his obvious pride in everyone’s achievement.  I look forward to next year’s production of ‘Come from Away.’

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