{"id":18797,"date":"2015-06-08T13:15:54","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T20:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=18797"},"modified":"2015-06-08T13:22:28","modified_gmt":"2015-06-08T20:22:28","slug":"three-generations-revel-in-san-francisco-revival-of-annie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/three-generations-revel-in-san-francisco-revival-of-annie\/","title":{"rendered":"Three generations revel in San Francisco revival of \u2018Annie\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Issie Swickle stars in the title role of \u201cAnnie the Musical.\u201d Sunny, a rescue terrier mix, is her co-star (as Sandy). Photo by Joan Marcus. <\/p>\n

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Lynn Andrews hams it up as Miss Hannigan in \u201cAnnie the Musical.\u201d Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p>\n
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In \u201cAnnie the Musical,\u201d Lilly Mae Stewart (right) sings, dances and does a cartwheel as Molly, alongside Issie Swickle in the title role. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p>\n
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Issie Swickle, in title role of \u201cAnnie the Musical,\u201d is backed here by the company. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

[Woody’s [rating: 3.5]<\/span><\/p>\n

Good things come in threes.<\/p>\n

Like \u201cAnnie the Musical,\u201d which just opened at the SHN Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

It has, to start with, bouncy tunes, talented cast and uplifting theme.<\/p>\n

It also has a knack of bringing synchronized pleasure to three generations \u2014 at least in my family.<\/p>\n

My 8-year-old granddaughter, Hannah, loved it.<\/p>\n

So did Laura, her mom: mid-lifer. And so did I: geezer.<\/p>\n

Issie Swickle, a 9-year-old Floridian whose long brown hair was cut and dyed red for her \u201cAnnie\u201d title role, is absolutely professional.<\/p>\n

And has a strong voice.<\/p>\n

Yet I believe two other performers have even more charisma.<\/p>\n

The first, scene-stealing Lynn Andrews, turned orphanage queenpin Miss Harrington into the best villainess since Glenn Close\u2019s portrayal of Cruella de Vil in \u201c101 Dalmatians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andrews, like Melissa McCarthy, uses her plus-sizedness as a hilarious comic prop.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s so over-the-top it\u2019s impossible to stop grinning when she\u2019s on stage \u2014 whether singing like a snarling witch in \u201cLittle Girls,\u201c embellishing a raunchy song-and-dance trio such as \u201cEasy Street,\u201d or lip-synching a Jello commercial.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s a challenger to Shirley Temple as cutest kid actor ever, Lilly Mae Stewart, who sings, dances and even cartwheels as Molly, one of seven little orphaned girls.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s a teeny 10.<\/p>\n

Speaking of cute, Sunny, a 4-year-old rescue terrier mix who plays Annie\u2019s adopted pooch, Sandy, fits that bill.<\/p>\n

Hannah, in fact, confided that one of her favorite \u201cAnnie\u201d moments was \u201cwhen Sandy yawned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her others included two numbers, \u201cIt\u2019s the Hard Knock Life\u201d and \u201cTomorrow, \u201c the show\u2019s optimistic anthem, and the fun idea of bunk beds (though she wouldn\u2019t want to be stuck in a lower).<\/p>\n

Laura, meanwhile, \u201cthoroughly enjoyed the show, which can be appreciated on both adult and kid levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s right, of course.<\/p>\n

Though most youngsters will be clueless about The Great Depression and Hoovervilles, FDR and the New Deal, or, indeed, orphanages, they certainly can comprehend kids\u2019 plaints about drudgery, meanness and a desire to be part of a family.<\/p>\n

When \u201cAnnie\u201d first appeared on Broadway in 1977, it won seven Tony\u2019s, including best musical.<\/p>\n

Martin Charnin, who doubled as lyricist, directed it then. His direction of this touring company is his 19th go-round.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnie\u201d spotlights a capable cast of 25 (plus or minus the dog), and an orchestra of 21. And although the girls shine in choreography by Liza Gennaro, particularly a number featuring a Rockettes-like chorus line, their high-pitched voices make words difficult to distinguish.<\/p>\n

Some theatergoers might consider the show\u2019s length \u2014 about 2-1\/4 hours \u2014 excessive for younger children.<\/p>\n

Others might object to Annie not looking like the original comic strip character.<\/p>\n

Until she\u2019s \u201cgussied up\u201d in Act II by billionaire Daddy Warbucks\u2019 minions. That\u2019s when her straight hair suddenly turns curly and she dons the red dress we all recognize.<\/p>\n

Some also may find fault with a knife threat, a doll\u2019s head being torn off, and the word \u201cdamn\u201d being used repeatedly.<\/p>\n

Never, however, is Annie anything but an optimist, spouting such niceties as \u201cYou gotta have dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show\u2019s an old-fashioned happy-ending creation likely to force you to hum songs by Charles Strouse, who also co-wrote \u201cBye Bye Birdie.\u201d<\/p>\n

A key by-product, by the way, stems from SHN joining the St. Anthony Foundation in its \u201cSocks in the City\u201d campaign. Seat-holders are asked to bring a new pair to a performance and deposit it in SHN Golden Gate Theatre lobby barrels. Collected items will be given the homeless.<\/p>\n

Because my family isn\u2019t homeless, Hannah could smile a lot during \u201cAnnie.\u201d And Laura could smile while watching Hannah smile.<\/p>\n

And I could smile while watching them both.<\/p>\n

Hannah\u2019s mere existence gave me an excuse to go in the first place. I probably wouldn\u2019t have without her, and I\u2019d have been the loser.<\/p>\n

But I believe after this run is successful, \u201cAnnie\u201d will turn up again \u2014 tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnie the Musical\u201d runs at the SHN Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. (at Market), San Francisco, through June 14. Night p<\/em>erformances, 5:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Matinees, noon Sundays, 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Tickets: $40 to $160 (subject to change). Information: (888) 746-1799 or shnsf.com.<\/em><\/p>\n

Contact Woody Weingarten at www.vitalitypress.com\/<\/a> or voodee@sbcglobal.net<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Woody’s [rating: 3.5] Good things come in threes. Like \u201cAnnie the Musical,\u201d which just opened at the SHN Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. It has, to start with, bouncy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-woody-weingarten"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"