Talented twelve-year-old Courtney Wolfe ain’t your ordinary Annie, with a bigger temper and more deep-seated hurt than is often seen. Her Maybe lullaby is especially wistful for the past that she’s lost. But her Tomorrow will be bright with a little help from her friends, led by her unlikely benefactor, the billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Fifteen-year-old Patrick Gates delivers a phenomenal performance as Warbucks, a triple threat who can dazzle with his dancing, sings with style and great emotion, while doing it all with remarkable comedic and dramatic skills that provide both laughter and misty eyes when it appears his new dreams that mean so much more than money will never be.

Trying to make sure those dreams are never realized are the unscrupulously over-the-top villains who would be more than happy to make all of Annie’s days gray and lonely. Laura Hopkins is a riot as Miss Hannigan, the Little Girls-hating orphan warden, belting out her disdain with great vocals and venom. And she doesn’t just dislike the little girls who don’t like her. Take, for instance, Laura’s hilarious reaction to one little orphan who takes “I love you, Miss Hannigan” too seriously and tries to hug her. Must run in the family, as her brother Rooster Hannigan has Paul Gillcrist demonstrating how fun being a super-evil melodramatic villain can be as he plots his riches and Annie’s demise, joined by Dayna Austin as his not-too-bright but very funny partner in crime Lily St. Regis.

The cast is strong from top to bottom, including Kat Brown as Warbucks assistant Grace Ferrell who has a nice motherly feel around Annie and a lovely voice. Taylor Wuthrich is a hit as radio show host Bert Healy who really hams it up (in a show that includes hilarious use of a ventriloquist and his “dummy” played by a small boy who ends up getting dumped into his “dummy” box). While the ensemble shines throughout, from the bitter citizens of Hooverville who ain’t gonna take it anymore, to the people of NYC, to the spot-on staff led by a polished Drake (Jacob Cruz) at the Warbucks mansion, to Sandy (Roca) who loves to be petted by Annie, to Franklin D. Roosevelt (James Gillcrist) and his cabinet at the White House mansion, and to the pack of orphans who delight in tormenting Miss Hannigan and singing about their Hard-Knock Life with extra gusto (and a little Stomp action worked into it).

It’s probably time for their odd-looking Annie wig to be put out to pasture, but other than that the costumes and sets look good. Musical Director Taylor Peckham leads the orchestra and adds nice, creative touches to the score and bridges that always enhance the show. And Director Brad Davis demonstrates skill and attention to detail at every facet of production, from the casting to the smooth and snappy set changes to the obvious attention paid to each moment of the show and several nice creative touches like turning a cast member’s wheelchair into a taxicab, the ventriloquist radio show act, and the orphan who just wants to hug Hannigan.

Performs November 13 - 21, 2009

Rob Hopper
rob@nationalyouththeatre.com
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Executive Director
National Youth Arts