Leapin' Lizards! It's Annie! In Atlanta!

What a fun night!

Fifth Third Bank, along with Broadway in Atlanta, rolled the classic musical Annie into town last night, and we couldn't have been happier.  (Did you know this story is now FORTY years old?)

This little show will only be in town for three days (it ends tomorrow, March 19th), and judging by the crowds and number of littles there last night, I highly suggest you don't miss it.

What a stellar performance by this cast.  Tori Bates could not be a better or more perfect pick for this edition of Annie.

We loved her throughout the evening.  She is relatively new to the touring audience, but I think she is going to go far.  She is bright and cheery and brings the character Annie to life in a whole new way.  She had us captivated from the opening scene.

Another audience favorite is the "little" character, Molly, played by our second touring newcomer Bunny Baldwin.  (This little one looks like she is having a ball touring the Country, as evidenced by her facebook page.)  Her acting (and her gymnastics) had the audience falling in love with orphan Molly throughout the evening.  I'm sure she would have easily been adopted if available!

It was such a joy watching these kids perform. I am always amazed at how talented children can be when given the right outlets to pursue their dreams.  To learn more about all the children traveling with this company, you can visit the Kids on Tour website, Annie page.

The tour this season was directed by the original Director and Lyricist, Martin Charnin.  This is his nineteenth time directing, and to keep things fresh, he has included a new twist or two in telling Annie's tale.  Nothing that takes away from the storyline mind you, but it was nice to see new parts of the story.  I think it keeps the musical alive and fresh.

Choreography for this tour is by Liza Gennaro, whose Father received a Tony award in 1977 for his version of Annie.  She has done a fantastic job.  The musical numbers all received rousing audience approval last night, including several shout outs from audience members.  (...just that good!)

Annie originally opened in 1977 and remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits to ever hit the stage.  It's the story of young Annie Bennett, an orphan, who is searching for her parents and who, along the way, meets and is eventually adopted by billionaire tycoon "Daddy" Warbucks.

As mentioned earlier, Annie the Musical has been running almost forty years and has been performed in 28 languages.

Audience members can expect to hear (and maybe sing along, like the littles in our audience last night) such classic tunes as, "It's a Hard Knock Life," "Easy Street" (brilliantly done by Erin Fish as Miss Hannigan, Michael Santora as Rooster, and Mallory King as Lily), and (of course) "Tomorrow."

...And one last word about last night's "performances" - don't miss the show's top scene stealer - Sandy the dog!  (...and that's all I'll say on that!)  We always love seeing animals on stage.  You never quite know how they will react, and audience reaction to them is always positive and kind.  Tony Award winning animal trainer, Bill Berloni has done a great job with the two dogs playing Annie's Sandy.

To sum things up, we loved this show -- Full theatre, lots of littles in attendance, great iconic sing-a-long songs, and an amazingly talented cast.  If you don't have plans this weekend (and okay, even if you do) - pack up your family in the minivan and head to The Fox Theatre.  It will be a weekend to remember!

* * * * *

ANNIE plays Atlanta’s Fox Theatre for four more performances before it heads back out on the road:

• Saturday - 2PM, 8PM and
• Sunday - 1PM, 6:30PM

Tickets start at $33.50 and are available by visiting www.foxtheatre.org/annie, calling 1-855-285-8499, or by visiting the Fox Theatre Box Office (660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308).  (Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.)

P.S.

Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta will offer a special $25 Student Rush Ticket price for the Atlanta engagement of ANNIE. 

Students simply need to bring valid student identification with them to the Fox Theatre Box Office two hours prior to each scheduled performance.  The Student Rush Ticket price will be valid for all performances with a two-ticket limit per student ID.  Student Rush Tickets may be purchased with cash or credit card and will apply to any open seat in the house, subject to availability.

*This blog was provided two tickets by Brave PR for the sole purpose of promoting and reviewing this musical.  All opinions are our own.