You can bet your bottom dollar that even after 30 years, “Annie” is still a great show.
The musical?s 30th anniversary traveling production by Networks Tours stars Conrad John Schuck as Daddy Warbucks, Alene Robertson as Miss Hannigan and Marissa O?Donnell as Annie.
O?Donnell, 13, fainted when she heard she had been chosen to play the part of Annie. “I kept getting farther along in the audition, but I didn?t really see it coming,” she said. “When I got Annie, I was jumping up and down. It was the biggest thing I had ever done.”
For those not familiar with the Broadway classic, the plot follows a young optimistic orphan named Annie on her quest to find a family to love. On the way, she has to deal with the villainous orphanage owner, Miss Hannigan, who will do anything to stop billionaire Daddy Warbucks from adopting Annie.
Actress Alene Robertson has developed somewhat of a soft spot for her character, Miss Hannigan, who she says is not evil at all, really.
“I think she is just misunderstood,” she said. “You know, she is stuck in a job with these childrenthat drive her crazy, she would love to get married but all the men reject her, she had a horrible mother, a hoodlum brother. She has a lot of pressure, and she can be kind of crabby at times.”
Kary Walker, one of the show?s executive producers, says he has been a fan of “Annie” since before he can remember.
“If you remember this show affectionately, this production will deliver on your expectations and your memories of it,” he said. “[Marissa O?Donnell] is just astonishing. She is the most wonderful Annie I have ever seen.”
With a new set design from Tony award winner Ming Cho Lee and an additional dance scene choreographed by Liza Gennaro, Annie is sure to delight even those who have seen it a hundred times.
“This is a great family show,” O?Donnell said. “The kids will love it.”
” ?Annie? delivers on two levels, one for the child and the other for the adult,” Walker said. “That?s why it?s been so successful.”
If you go
“Annie”
» Venue: The Hippodrome, 12 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore
» Times: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday
» Tickets: $25 to $65
» Info: www.annieontour.com
