Annie: A Heartwarming Story Comes to Birmingham
Earlier this week, Amber and I had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Annie at the BJCC Concert Hall. Annie is part of the ever popular Broadway in Birmingham series that for the past 9 years has brought the Broadway experience to Birmingham through some of the best and well known musicals.
From the opening scene we were totally blown away by the child actors in the show. Their energy and enthusiasm radiated from the stage throughout the show. When we took our seats there was a little girl seated directly in front of us holding small Annie and Sandy dolls which are available for purchase in the lobby. She stayed engaged through the entire show and would lean in every time Annie or the other girls took the stage. She, like us, was totally captivated by the show!
If you aren’t familiar with the story, it follows Annie, an orphan in 1933 New York City, whose number one desire is to find her parents while living in an orphanage. Things get interesting when Annie is selected to spend the two weeks leading up to Christmas with Oliver Warbucks, a NYC billionaire. The musical has plenty of laughs, heartwarming moments, and even a cuddly dog, Sandy.
The adult cast members were also fantastic and played their parts with just as much energy as the kids. I had the privilege of speaking with Stefanie Londino, who plays Miss Hannigan, the cynical matron of the orphanage who always has her flask on hand. I found out that she and three of the other cast members have been touring with Annie for three years! This is fairly unique for a musical and they jokingly refer to themselves as the “Core Four.”
It was so fun to watch Londino play a part that she’s had a chance to develop over three years. I had noticed a lot of mannerisms and other subtle things that provided extra depth to the nuanced character of Miss Hannigan. When asked about playing a “villain,” Londino said that the character is often misunderstood and often played like a caricature. “I don’t think she is. I think she’s a person in deep pain, a person stuck in a life that they don’t want, and all of the rage comes out of that.”
Londino also joked about how actor and comedian W.C. Fields once said to “Never work with children or animals” (because of their tendency to upstage adults), but that it has been such a wonderful experience for her. She complimented the young cast on their extreme professionalism. This definitely shines through during the show! She also had great things to say about Kevin and Cooper, the two dogs who take on the role of Annie’s new found friend Sandy in the story.
The musical is so enjoyable and has such great vocals, acting, and choreography! The sets were both fun and creative, especially set for the final scene, set on Christmas morning, that is absolutely dazzling!
Don’t miss your chance to see Annie while it’s here in Birmingham! The show runs until Jan 19th, and you can get tickets HERE! It’s a great reminder that even though we sometimes feel like we’re stuck in the “Hard Knock Life,” the sun will come out “Tomorrow!”