Annie Live

Thursday night, Andrea and I watched NBC's "Annie Live!", a musical based on the classic comic strip Little Orphan Annie. 

These network TV productions of live theater are a bit hit or miss in terms of quality but Andrea was particularly determined to see this one. Annie is one of her favorite musicals and she was in a production of Annie when she was a kid as one of Miss Hannigan's ragmuffin orphans. 

Well, it's not like I had anything else going on my social calendar so let's give Annie Live a whirl. 

Long story made short: a good time was had by all. 

Celina Smith as Annie had a star making turn with killer pipes for all her big numbers and a sparkling personality that makes her Annie so charming and endearing.

Celina and her ensemble of orphans delivers a take on "It's Hard Knock Life" that is just epic with energetic vocals and complex choreography that includes gymnastics. These kids are doing freaking back flips out there. And it doesn't stop there as other big ensemble pieces throughout the play incorporates gymnastics with the dancing. It's like watching a parkour version of Annie. 

Sandy is a very good dog! Annie's dog has a role and the dog hits his marks like a pro. (Andrea shared that in her "Annie", Sandy ran out into the audience for pets.) 

Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan is a bit problematic. Henson rips into her role like it's a honey baked ham which is perfect for Hannigan's outsized bitterness towards her orphan charges. But Henson's full bore push into the ridiculousness of Hannigan's character undermines any sense of the sadness and threat the character is supposed to have. 

Harry Connick Jr is OK as Oliver Warbucks. Connick certainly has a very good singing voice which brings an unexpected warmth to Warbuck's otherwise gruff businessman. But his acting's a bit wooden and it's hard not be distracted by the really bad skull cap he's wearing for Warbuck's bald pate.

Nicole Scherzinger’s turn as Grace. Warbuck's assistant and unrequited love interest, is... well, graceful. Her spotlight number "We Got Annie" is a veritable ballet as Nicole spins about in a flowing yellow dress and as they say on Broadway, her legs go all the way up. 

Tituss Burgess is perfect as the smarmy, conniving Rooster Hannigan and as the nervously nebbish "Mr. Mudge" seeking to con Warbucks into believing he's Annie's father.  

I need to call out my favorite recurring bit through out Annie Live, Beard Guy! In live theater, a single actor may be used in a variety of different background or supporting roles. With his distinctive bearded face, Jacob Keith Watson kind of stands out in his wide variety of roles:

• the laundry guy who resists Mrs Hannigan’s advances
• a resident of one of Herbert Hoover’s shanty towns
• a hot dog salesman
• an advisor to President Roosevelt on the New Deal
• one of Warbuck's house staff 

It was fun to keep calling out "Hey, there's Beard Guy!" 

Because we're not watching this in a theater but instead on a television network, we had to contend with commercials. But at least some effort was made to make some of these fun.

Watching little kids play with Fisher Price musical toys to songs from Annie was cute.

There was a Wendy’s ad done in the style of a 1030's radio ad to the tune of “Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile".  Complete with brassy blonde singers in evening downs singing into vintage NBC microphones. It makes me want to see more commercials like that.

(It also flung a craving on me for Wendy's breakfast menu. Good work, Wendy's ad executives!)   

But because NBC is owned by Universal which owns Illumination which made Sing 2, there were too damn many commercials for Sing 2. I wish I wanted to see Sing 2 so I can now refuse to see it out of spite for too many commercials.  

All in all, Annie Live may be occasionally flawed but overall, it was a production filled with joy and strong performances, particularly from the lead, Celina Smith.

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We're off to the movies tomorrow as Cinema Sunday takes a look at boxing movie starring Paul Newman from the 1950's.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another.