Annie first opened on Broadway in 1997. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1982, the film version was released starring Carol Burnett and Albert Finney. In 2014, a new film version was released starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. Now, in March of 2023, it opens at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
It is 1933 and Annie is living at an orphanage in New York City. Her parents dropped her off when she was a baby in 1922. A local billionaire, Mr. Warbucks, has his secretary choose an orphan to spend two weeks at his house for Christmas. Annie is selected and they quickly form a strong bond. He wants to adopt her, but she wants to find her parents. So, he agrees to launch a big search and offer a $50,000 dollar reward to anyone who can prove they are Annie’s parents.
This musical has fantastic songs. On “Tomorrow”, Annie sings “When I’m Stuck With A Day That’s Gray And Lonely / I Stick Out My Chin And Grin And Say / The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow / So You Gotta Hang On ‘Til Tomorrow, Come What May / Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love You, Tomorrow / You’re Always A Day Away.” It’s such a great optimistic song and it sounds great at this performance.
Another big song from the show was used in JAY-Z’s hit from 1998, “Hard Knock Life”. The chorus features children singing “It’s the hard knock life for us. Instead of getting treated, we get tricked. Instead of kisses, we get kicked!” It’s not often that an rapper will use a song from a musical. In this instance it works really well.
This cast is fantastic. The kids are especially remarkable as they act just as professionally as the adults. The very well trained dog is also very impressive. This musical is truly fun for the whole family. It’s a great balance of dialog and songs. It’s truly funny and heartfelt.
Cost of a ticket: $86 + fees (Orchestra)
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It –
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Get tickets now for Annie through March 19th!
Quinn Delaney
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