Review: ANNIE at Dolby Theatre

Annie is a charming classic musical at the Dolby Theatre through May 18th.  This national touring production of Annie has a fantastic cast, iconic songs, and a soaring optimism and pure-heartedness that feel rejuvenating.

Often when I see touring Broadway shows there is a well-oiled, showmanship slickness, a winking snarkiness, in the production which feels jaded and distracting.  But Annie is refreshingly free of cynicism and modern edge.  There is a lovely sweetness at Annie’s core, with an endearing child cast that could melt the heart of icicles.

The story of a plucky, abandoned orphan girl who sets out to find her family and instead finds a new home with her adopted stray dog and a lonely, cantankerous billionaire, Annie began life as a 1924 comic strip and has been resurrected numerous times as a hit radio show, films, TV movies, and this classic smash hit 1977 Broadway musical.

With its 1977 era commentary on economic recession, homelessness, scam artists, the lack of hope in the air, and the rise of a political class of billionaires, this classic musical resonates in the era of Trump, Musk, and Bezos.

I had never seen Annie on stage or seen the film before the production at the Dolby Theatre, yet watching this production of Annie, I already knew many of the classic Annie songs by osmosis.  These are tuneful, charming, iconic songs that anchor the whole production and frolic in your head for days, like “It's the Hard Knock Life”,  “Tomorrow”, and “Easy Street”.  Choreography by Patricia Wilcox is energetic and lively, and each song and dance number is a genuine delight.

Young Hazel Vogel plays lead Annie, and her lovable charisma, fresh-scrubbed beauty, luminous simplicity, and lovely voice anchor the show.  The cast of orphans are all winning, talented, and utterly adorable, especially Olive Ross-Kline, Kylie Noelle Patterson, and Anna Dillon.

Annie’s chief antagonist is the compulsively watchable comic genius Stefanie Landino as the evil orphanage headmistress Miss Hannigan, a hilariously selfish villainess who steals the show.

Other standouts in a terrific adult cast include a gorgeous and charming Julia Nicole Hunter as Warbucks’ assistant Grace, the brilliantly sinister and seductive Rhett Guter as Rooster, and a superb Isabella De Souza Moore as Lily, with her squawking 1920s starlet voice and dazzling dance skills.  Direction by Jenn Thompson is nuanced and sensitive, leaning more to humor and delight than dark Dickensian pathos.

The flaw in this production might be the scenic design by Wilson Chin, which is a bit underwhelming.  The only set that truly shines is the Warbucks house, with its striking gold and white panels.  Costumes by Alejo Vietti are richly textured but can be a little drab and colorless at times, but Annie and Grace’s costumes are delightful infusions of bold color and graphic charm.

Annie’s super-weapon must be Kevin, a rather supernaturally talented canine actor who plays Sandy, the stray dog that Annie adopts.  Kevin is shaggy and supremely lovable, and has pitch-perfect comic timing and emotional nuance.  Kevin garnered much spontaneous applause from the audience, who completely fell in love with him.  His surprise re-appearance at the end of Annie was a perfect ending to a pretty perfect show.

Photos by Matthew Murphy, MurphyMade

Los Angeles Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Hollywood Bowl)

9% of votes

2. HAIR (Conundrum Theatre)

5.2% of votes

3. HEATHERS (Backyard Playhouse: Treetop Production)

5.1% of votes

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