Review: ANNIE at Merrick Theatre And Center For The Arts

The opening night production of “Annie” on Friday, March 6 at the Merrick Theatre & Center for the Arts marked the fourth viewing of the scrappy, upstart orphan I’ve seen this winter alone (there was actually a fifth I could’ve reviewed if BroadwayWorld hired me two weeks earlier).

The beloved musical is a fan favorite and theatre company darling because of the expansive cast that includes challenging roles for children actors, but is it possible to really have this many iterations of the same story?

The answer is yes.

At the heart of that answer is Shaina Stroh’s Miss Hannigan and Steven Charles’s Rooster. This is the first production that has fully, and dare I say, even wholesomely captured the brother/sister trauma bond that is “Aggie” and her ne’er-do-well sibling.

First and foremost, Stroh’s powerful, bold voice is peppered with so much character work that she could have just sat in the chair of Miss Hannigan’s office and still emoted the annoyance, scheming, and resentment of the spinster cursed to be surrounded by children.

Steven Charles, whose gracious voice belongs on classic Motown as much as the stage, as Rooster had the slick smile and jazzy dance moves to round out the two-bit criminal, but the humor in the role was beautifully done by Charles.

In one moment during “Easy Street” when the duo looks down to Hell when referencing their mother, Stroh and Charles both took on the same expression of relenting opinion of their less-than-saintly mother and made for a memorable moment that is often forgotten in the musical.

Choreographer Danny Bishop also brought nuance to the performance of “Annie” with unexpected props and dance lines, especially in “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” where half the orphans complete a faux-pas-de-deux with mops (whose stringy ends flowed nicely and better than a broom would). For “Easy Street,” Bishop exercised restraint with the kitschyness of the sensuality in the jazz by having more of a dignified Mardi Gras vibe.

Annie played by Karlie Jane Hartmann had a charming presence on stage with delicate facial expressions and a quiet, solemnity to her performance that lent itself nicely to the exuberant happiness of Annie by the end of the musical.

In “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” the orphan ensemble worked well as a team, embodying the grit and grin that is the message of the show.

Bruce Gotlieb as Daddy Warbucks was paternal and in the private scenes with Annie was softer making the genuine goodness of his adoption more believable (as the story of a bachelor billionaire adopting an 11-year-old girl perhaps comes off differently in 2026).

Ellie Iconis as Grace Farrell was elegant, especially in “I Think I’m Going to Like it Here” where her elocution matched the finely appointed Warbucks mansion.

Erica Madigan as Lily depicted the Jersey girl con artist realistically with the nasaled accent.

Cici Chichester as the Star-to-be in “N.Y.C.” was a standout with a formidable bravado.