In Which We See Annie (Again)
Dec. 17th, 2017 06:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shannon_aK. and I were both pretty surprised when we saw that Berkeley Playhouse was doing Annie again, because we'd just seen it there a year or two ago.
Except it turns out it was six years again. I decided that repeating such a popular kid-oriented play at the Playhouse six years later was probably OK.
And, it was fun to see all the songs performed again. However, K. pointed out that one of the show's problems is that its best song is the second one.
I agree.
That's "Hard Knock Life", by the way, a song that usually has great choreography involving mops and buckets and usually has great percussive undertones to the song. And it's high energy and clever.
(Nowadays, I'd expect to see "Hard Knock Life" as an 11 o'clock number, but I don't think Annie has one.)
I liked the five-years ago Annie better because I thought the choreography was better; K. liked this one better because she though the directing was better, creating an improved throughline for the story.
The most amusing change this time around was that they had a live Sandy on stage this time (as opposed to a stuffed animal last time).
Oh, managing an animal on a live stage was clearly challenging though. That dog was constantly bribed with treats to run to Annie here and to stay on a chair there. He's going to be a fat doggie by the end of the show.
He also became obsessed with the orchestra during "Tomorrow" and started barking crazily. I think it was intentional, because I've seen Sandy barking uproariously in counterpart to "Tomorrow" before, but it was still hilarious to see the dark getting more and more obsessed with what going on understage, before the barking started.
I noticed that all the orphans (including Annie) were older this time around too.
Anyway a fun play. It's showing at the Berkeley Playhouse until the 23rd. Great entertainment for the Friday or Saturday before Christmas if you've already burned through The Last Jedi (which instead, we'll probably see on Friday or Saturday).
Here's what I wrote about Annie six years ago.
Except it turns out it was six years again. I decided that repeating such a popular kid-oriented play at the Playhouse six years later was probably OK.
And, it was fun to see all the songs performed again. However, K. pointed out that one of the show's problems is that its best song is the second one.
I agree.
That's "Hard Knock Life", by the way, a song that usually has great choreography involving mops and buckets and usually has great percussive undertones to the song. And it's high energy and clever.
(Nowadays, I'd expect to see "Hard Knock Life" as an 11 o'clock number, but I don't think Annie has one.)
I liked the five-years ago Annie better because I thought the choreography was better; K. liked this one better because she though the directing was better, creating an improved throughline for the story.
The most amusing change this time around was that they had a live Sandy on stage this time (as opposed to a stuffed animal last time).
Oh, managing an animal on a live stage was clearly challenging though. That dog was constantly bribed with treats to run to Annie here and to stay on a chair there. He's going to be a fat doggie by the end of the show.
He also became obsessed with the orchestra during "Tomorrow" and started barking crazily. I think it was intentional, because I've seen Sandy barking uproariously in counterpart to "Tomorrow" before, but it was still hilarious to see the dark getting more and more obsessed with what going on understage, before the barking started.
I noticed that all the orphans (including Annie) were older this time around too.
Anyway a fun play. It's showing at the Berkeley Playhouse until the 23rd. Great entertainment for the Friday or Saturday before Christmas if you've already burned through The Last Jedi (which instead, we'll probably see on Friday or Saturday).
Here's what I wrote about Annie six years ago.