PHOTO CREDIT: BROWARD CENTER OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
BY SARAH SHARPE
There are only a few Broadway musicals lucky enough to be labeled “classics”. Among these are The Phantom of the Opera, Cats,Les Misérables, and Annie. We all know the story of the plucky, young orphan who is chosen to live with billionaire Oliver Warbucks and finds a family where she never imagined. The immortal words of the show’s lyricist, Martin Charnin, were our mottos throughout our childhood: “You’re never fully dressed without a smile”, “It’s a hard knock life”, and “The sun’ll come out tomorrow”. It’s been 37 years since Andrea McArdle donned that famous red dress and wig for the first time on Broadway and, even though this show is set right in the heart of the Great Depression, Annie is timeless and never disappoints.
Nine-year old, South Florida native Issie Swickle is tackling the title role. This “little girl” is a powerhouse. Her voice is so amazing and hearing her sing “Tomorrow” honestly gave me chills. Gilgamesh Taggett was wonderful as warm-hearted businessman, Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. His chemistry with Swickle onstage was a joy to watch and he brilliantly captures the man behind the money. Playing the ruthless and callous caretaker of the orphanage, Mrs. Hannigan, is Lynn Andrews. Not only is her comedic timing impeccable, but her singing chops are worthy of bragging as well. The songs “Little Girls” and “Easy Street” are, without a doubt, two standouts in the show. The rest of the girls in the orphanage are also extremely talented and definitely have great careers ahead of them, especially Lilly Mae Stewart, who plays Molly.
You don’t have to travel all the way to N.Y.C. to see a production this good. Annie has found a home at the nearby Broward Center for the Performing Arts and you can visit her, Sandy, and the whole gang from now until October 19th. Student Rush tickets are available at the Broward Center AutoNation Box Office two hours prior to every performance. With a student ID, students can purchase up to two tickets for only $25 each. With a deal like that, Annie is definitely not to be missed.
