Its been three and a half long years since NBC has aired a live musical in their annual series. Partly due to Covid, partly due to regrouping and attempting to learn from their past mistakes. And since Jennifer Lopez backed out of their previously-announced next production of Bye, Bye, Birdie, NBC decided to replace it with a safe choice, Charles Strouse and Thomas Meehan’s community theatre favorite, Annie, whose optimistic tone is perfect for this dark, gloomy season of the year where Covid is still lingering over our head. And, as usual, I was asked throughout the night about my impressions (and having performed in the show three times in my career as bad guy Rooster Hannigan, I consider myself to be a legitimate authority), so, like Jesus Christ Superstar Live Easter if 2018, I decided the most efficient way to express them was not 100 random posts throughout the night, but here, all in one well-coordinated place.
First off, the best thing they did, like Superstar, was trust their material. Based on the Harold Gray depression-era comic strips, Annie has been a beloved family musical for 45 years since winning the Best Musical in 1977. Superstar was easy to adhere to. It’s all music. Annie followed the original script fairly closely (after three times, it’s pretty well-ingrained to the memory) interpolating only two additions, “We Got Annie” and “Sign!” from the 1982 Carol Burnett movie version, both to huge success. The former has already been added back to the stage show, and the latter should have been added years ago with the current re-write that dumbed down the original. But no helicopter chases, no Hannigan as the fake mom, no Lily saves the day, no elephants for Hannigan to ride. But they did add a questionable decision to, like Carol Burnett, feel a need to redeem the villainous Hannigan as a hero who saves Annie’s life. Changes precious little, but as faithful as the were to the rest of the stage script, why?
Newcomer Celina Smith was a serviceable Annie. It was obvious that she was well-drilled performing the quasi-theme song “Tomorrow” for the media tour, but she seemed a little less certain on other songs, especially opening number “Maybe”. While Smith frequently underplays the role, fortunately Meehan has wisely surrounded his title character with colorful, larger than life (dare I say “cartoon”) supporting characters rather than rest the show’s success on an 11-year-old’s meager shoulders. And this production pulled out heavy hitters from all media.
Actor and recording artist Harry Connick Jr. in bald head was an unlikely choice to play billionaire Oliver Warbucks. While he sang (and played the improvised piano solo they included for him) well, as expected, the charm of the story is that Annie melts Warbucks’ harsh, cold all-business exterior, but Connick starts out a likeable softie with such negligible bluster he has nowhere to go.
Taraji P. Henson (Empire, Hidden Figures) had great potential as the plum role of boozy floozy orphanage manager Miss Hannigan, and while she did get great comic moments out of the material as expected (especially in the added number “Sign!” wherein, when Warbucks arrives with adoption papers for her to sign, Henson shines, sexually frustrated and more than slightly inebriated throwing herself at Warbucks as he tries to stick to business at hand), she possesses a surprisingly strong singing voice and is totally comfortable going so over the top and playing to the back row of the balcony that the end result is an enjoyable buffet of scenery chewing.
Former Andrew Lloyd Webber protogee Nicole Scherzinger (The Sing Off, West End Cats) is an inspired choice as Warbucks’ personal secretary Grace Farrell. Usually a throwaway role, Scherzinger makes her pop, excelling both vocally and as a dancer in “We Got Annie”. In a flowing yellow dress saluting the late Anne Reinking, while not as effortless as Reinking (because who is?), the leggy Scherzinger dances through the number with all the grace and confidence she displayed as a former Dancing With the Stars champion. Sadly, most of the public only knows her as a former Pussycat Doll and has no idea that she has a legitimate voice and is a candidate for literally the most underrated person in show business. Tonight we got to see so much more of her talents.
The highlight of the evening was Broadway vets Tituss Burgess (The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Little Mermaid) and Megan Hilty (Smash, Wicked, 9 to 5), filling in on a week’s notice when Jane Krakowski had to drop out due to Covid, as Hannigan’s no good brother Rooster and his ditzy, “named after the hotel” girlfriend Lily St. Regis, a second rate con team who devise a near viable plot to kidnap Annie and collect Warbucks’ generous reward. With Henson, they kick the energy into high gear with their bump and grind showstopping trio, “Easy Street”.
Even with so many big names and big performances, without a doubt Tony winning choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Ain’t Too Proud…, A Bronx Tale, on Your Feet) is the secret star of the production. He commands a top notch dance troupe and a game, nimble crew of orphans with winning results. His choreography is energetic and complex and visually stunning, even if he commits a minor crime of relying on an overabundance of back flips and acrobatics for lazy applause. But his Anne Reinking-inspired “We Got Annie”, showcasing Scherzinger’s undisputed talents as a triple threat is a highlight of the show.
With all this praise for most of the team, sadly the only one who drops the ball is director Lear DeBessonet, who obviously exercised little control over the production other than moving actors from place A to place B. Where was a strong director to bring Connick’s hard abrasive side out, or to feed an inexperienced Annie a line reading or two, or pull a little genuine FDR interpretation out of Alan Toy’s flat performance, or, most importantly, to rein in the brassy, obnoxious performances of the obvious theatre kid orphans who spent all their screen time trying to upstage each other (the usually adorable orphan Molly was the worst offender, especially when mugging and pandering for attention during “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”). On the other hand, DeBessonet is a stage director who here directed a stage production for film, which are two conflicting mediums. One rewards excess, the other subtlety. Perhaps much of the bigger acting looked fine live but translated too big for the camera at times. One would think there were a few video takes along the way she could have checked out for what the translation would look like at home. Perhaps this is why Burgess, Hilty, an Scherzinger come off best, as they all have one leg solidly planted in Stage and TV experience.
And once again, to all the home viewers who blame the faults of the first few endeavors on the lack of a studio audience to inject energy and vitality into the performance you are all once again proved wrong. They were awful during Grease. The drowned out the entire beginning scenes of Rent and Superstar. The live audience was yet again a distraction throughout from the beginning as nothing but a source of cheap and undoubtedly manufactured studio applause. Applause for every key change. Applause for every high note. Applause for Connick dancing a box step. Applause for every back flip (and there are hundreds! Warbucks’ servants back flip throughout the mansion in “I Think I’m Gonna Like it Here”. A parade and the mock Broadway show cast backflip throughout “NYC”. “It’s a Hard Knock Life” was a virtual junior Olympic training camp for acrobatic orphans.). With all the complaints emanating from the garish behavior of actual Broadway audiences these days, who thought the distraction of a studio Broadway audience would solve any problem?. Wrong call again, NBC.
However, the saving grace of the entire evening is that very little of these critiques matter. It’s Annie. It’s got enough built-in safeguards and emotional cues (orphans, a dog, and Christmas when you stick to the trusted book) and much needed optimism that it’s hard to fail. Critics have placed this as one of, the best live TV musicals of the genre. And as a package, I agree, mostly for having confidence in the material. But the mostly appropriate cast makes the most of their roles. In the end, pull up a seat and enjoy NBC’s latest effort. I feel pretty sure you’re gonna like it here too.