Leapin' lizards, ANNIE's at the Stratford Festival!

[Michael Poteet]

Of interest to Annie fans: A long article about this year's Stratford Festival, focused mostly on the Shakespearean titles being performed, but also some mention of our favorite orphan:

Harper Rae Asch as Annie with, from left in the background, Sofia Grace Otta and Harmony Holder in “Annie.”Credit...David Hou

Excerpt:

Seen today, “Annie,” in a crowd-pleasing staging by Donna Feore, is somewhat shocking. Despite allusions to Depression Hoovervilles, its portrait of poverty is relentlessly jaunty, a common problem in musicals. (Lyrics about childhood cruelty probably shouldn’t be this delightful: “No one cares for you a smidge / When you’re in an orphanage.”) And did we never notice that, despite her pluck and aplomb, the moppet’s happy ending is completely the result of accidental intercession by, as it happens, a president of the United States and a Republican billionaire? The billionaire’s servants sell Annie on life in his Manhattan mansion with promises of satin sheets and tennis lessons. ...

Is it overreaching to note that the musical is content to leave Annie, the American, merely an heiress? As if the point of striving were luxury, and the world’s fate is best left to the whims of the powerful?

Full article here, gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/theater/canada-stratford-theater-festival.html?unlocked_article_code=1.eE8.yh4m.Hok6v14Tvoma&smid=url-share

Respectfully,

Mike Poteet

[Tricia T]

Good find, Mike! I took at look at the Stratford Festival's website. There are some videos and photos worth checking out. Warbucks has a full head of HAIR! It looks like it was a good production. There are also downloadable PDFs available of the Program and a "Study Guide" for schools. The program lists the musical numbers by the abbreviated titles in the vocal score list, which contain the peculiar phrases of "Fully Dressed (Orphans)" and "Same Effect on Everyone." (We should all hope the Orphans are "fully dressed" unless the theater is doing an X-rated version, ha ha.) The latter is Roosevelt's cue line which begins some underscoring that culminates in the "Maybe" reprise that Annie sings while preparing to leave with the Mudges. I've seen the "Same Effect on Everyone" error is many programs over the years and it always amuses me.
The program also lists these specific "Audience Alerts:" "The performance will involve a dog, comedic portrayal of drunkenness and depiction of the mistreatment of children." (!!)