Berkshire on Stage

[Editor’s Note: “Annie” is being produced at the Sharon Playhouse and the Mac-Haydn Theatre during many of the same weeks this season. Don’t get confused! Make sure you book tickets for the production you want to attend.]

“Annie” opened on Broadway in 1977.  It has probably been seen somewhere every week since then.  Sharon Playhouse’s production is a fresh and sparkling summer treat for the Northwest Connecticut. Corner

Based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” the play takes place in 1933; it is the story of the feisty Annie (Avery Hope) who is one of a number of young girls in an orphanage under the care of the tyrannical Miss Hannigan (Courtney Balan.)

Annie runs away, finds the dog Sandy (Bailey) and is returned to the orphanage by a policeman.  Shortly before Christmas, Grace Farrell (Savannah Stevenson,) assistant to Oliver Warbucks (Alan H. Green,) the richest man in the world, visits the orphanage where she selects Annie for a two week, dream come true, holiday visit at Warbuck’s mansion.  

Much of the story revolves around the search for Annie’s parents who, she believes, left her at the orphanage while trying to build a better life for her.  In the poignant “Maybe” She sings of her belief in their eventual reunion as she begs “Won’t you please come get your baby”  Warbucks leads the hunt using his many contacts including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Michael Kevin Baldwin.)  

The show features many memorable songs, especially Annie’s optimistic “Tomorrow,” along with “It’s The Hard-Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile,” that are upbeat or whimsical.  These numbers and the rest of the score are sung and danced with great energy.  

The girls in the orphanage (Maris Jenter, Appolonia Sbano, Lyra Wilder, C.C. Stevenson, Emily Hughes, and Juliana Ferreira) along with  Ms. Hope are sympathetic and rambunctious as they cope with the cruel Hannigan.  Their musical numbers are virtual show-stoppers.

Hope, who has performed Annie in other theatres, is charming and touching as she experiences the difficulties and joys of her life.  She uses her very strong voice to bring a wistfulness to “Tomorrow.”  Her performance evokes an empathetic response from the audience.

Warbucks has a strong personality powerfully conveyed by Mr. Green.  He has a solo, “Something Was Missing” and a duet with Annie, “I Don’t Need Anything But You,” in which his bass voice underlines the simplicity and meaning of the lyric.

Hannigan, as played by Balan, is hysterical as she deliciously overplays the cruel orphanage taskmaster.  She is someone you love to hate.  Her brother Rooster (Harrison Drake) is even slimier than his sister.  He ,along with Balan and Landry Champlin, his girl friend Lily St. Regis, perform a comically menacing  “Easy Street.”

Savannah Stevenson’s Grace may be a secondary role, but when she’s onstage she is true to the character as Warbuck’s efficiently sympathetic aide who happens to have a superb singing voice.  Michael Kevin Baldwin captures FDR’s vocal intonations and physical characteristics as he spouts familiar FDRisms from his wheelchair.

Directed by Sharon’s artistic director Carl Andress, the show moves swiftly, including myriad set changes.  His stage pictures identify the characters’ personalities and relationships as the plot unfolds.  The transitions from dialogue to songs is seamless. 

A dominant feature of the show is Krystyna Resavy’s robust choreography, including the numbers by the orphan girls.  Their timing and  movement as they sing is exhilarating.  In fact, all the dance numbers are dynamic.

The sets by Christopher and Justin Swader, complemented by the lighting design of Wheeler Moon and costumes by Kathleen DeAngelis, maintain the ambiance of the Depression Era.

Sharon’s “Annie” is an absolutely joyous experience for the entire family.

Annie, Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin, Book by Thomas Meehan; Director: Carl Andress; Choreographer: Krystyna Resavy; Music Direction: Eric Thomas Johnson;  Cast: Avery Hope (Annie), Courtney Balan (Miss Hannigan), Alan H. Green (Oliver Warbucks), Savannah Stevenson (Grace Farrell), Rudd Anderson (Drake), Harrison Drake (Rooster), Landry Champlin (Lily St. Regis), Michael Siktberg (Bert Healy), Michael Kevin Baldwin (FDR),  Maris Jenter, Appolonia Sbano, Lyra Wilder, C.C. Stevenson, Emily Hughes, and Juliana Ferreira (Orphan Girls), Bailey (Sandy), Andy Delgado, Kai Horvit, Jakob Kerr-Lucero, Katelin Lopes, Molly Model, Sophie Nassiri Morvillo, Michael Siktberg, Sasha Spitz and Jonathan Zalaski (Ensemble); Production Stage Manager: Kristine Schlachter; Scenic Designers: Christopher and Justin Swader; Costume Designer: Kathleen DeAngelis; Lighting Designer: Wheeler Moon; Sound Designer: Graham Stone; Wigs and Makeup Designers: Bobbie Zlotnik and Caye Broomhead; Production Manager: Caroline Lapinski; Running Time: two hours with one intermission; July 26 – August 10, 2025; For tickets phone 860-364-7469 (Ext. 200 & 201);email: boxoffice@sharonplayhouse.org