ShowBizRadio

With a show such as Annie, playing the “cute factor” is a must. However, with a show that has been on and off stage worldwide since 1977, it’s hard to recreate the scene with as much magic as the Tony Award winning Broadway production. Up for the challenge, Holt High School’s production of Annie was a must see for theatregoers.

The story follows a redheaded little girl with spunk a mile wide. After she runs away from her orphanage and Miss Hannigan, the drunken caretaker, fate twists in Annie’s direction. The billionaire Oliver Warbucks offers one orphan the chance to spend Christmas in his house, and Annie is the lucky girl. When Annie tells Mr. Warbucks of a note and locket her parents left her when she was a baby, he vows to find Annie’s parents for her. The plan backfires when he puts up a $50,000 reward for her parents, and thousands of couples line up to claim her. The most convincing of these couples happens to be Miss Hannigan’s brother and his girlfriend. They tell Warbucks of the locket, and almost take Annie away for the money when the FBI learns of their plan, and stops the villainous pair. Mr. Warbucks becomes Daddy Warbucks when he adopts Annie, and they spend a wonderful Christmas together to wrap up this heart-warming story.

The show came together wonderfully with good acting, a complex and convincing set, real-looking props, and finally an overall energy and spark that lighted the eyes of the audience. To wrangle up that many small children must have been quite the task, but all that showed was good choreography, portrayed by adorable little orphans. Annie is a story to be told, and tell it they did.

In the title role of Annie, the sixth grader Annika Mills dropped the jaw of the audience from the start. Also in the hot seat, Nathan Hinds played Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. Together, Hinds and Mills brought the cast together, and showed perfect chemistry. It was hard to remember that they were not actually a billionaire and a little orphan girl. The notes hit by little-bitty Annika Mills earned her the standing ovation she received at the closing of the show.

Although the lead actors showed true talent, the supporting cast was the icing on the Annie cake. Even though some voices may not have been the strongest soloists, these actors gave it their all. Grace Farrell, played by Emily Hampton, and Miss Hannigan, played by Cara Delaporta gave true examples of extreme characters. From Hampton’s loving arms towards Annie to Delaporta’s drunken wobbling, these two ladies had a lot of talent, and showed the audience just what they were made of. Also, Allie Sanderson in the role of Lily St. Regis absolutely stole the show with her spot on Jersey accent, and eccentric way of parading across the stage. Not to be left out, the men of the show showed the audience just what they had as well. Andrew Milhous as Drake, and Christopher Geerling as FDR each had their moments to shine in the show, and shine they did.

The set of Annie was magnificent, from the dark and rickety look of the orphanage, to the lovely rooms of the Warbucks mansion. It truly gave the show the essence it needed. The props of the show only added to this effect. They were perfect for the time period, and gave the audience a perfect idea of what Holt High School had in store for them.

The show was a spectacular one to see, and a perfect example of what Annie had to offer as a heartwarming tale.

by Jessi Reynolds of Pattonville High School