The Sun Comes Out, With Some Clouds!

Dark and Edgy, North Shore Music Theatre’s ANNIE gets the tone right! Recent productions of ANNIE seem to be directed with layers of adorable schmaltz, but not this one. And the final result is fantastic. Thanks to James Brennan’s vision, the traditional heart-tugging moments are now created with credibility because the source is anchored in some place real, rather than forced-upon with cringes and cheek-aching smiles. Heather Buccini’s impressive Pepper establishes the mood right away with her harsh “shut up!,’ and by time we meet the residents of Hooverville, we know we are experiencing an ANNIE going where most ANNIEs fear to tread – to the dark corner of the room, rather than the sunny spot by the window. The acidic tone is both appropriate and correct, filled with cynicism and negativity. Instead of the traditional fist-pumping kick-butt of yore, Lauren Weintraub’s Annie’s roots are in sadness and despair. She isn’t the unwritten leader because of her spunk; she’s the leader because she is only one with any hope at all. She clings to what little she has because this is her sole purpose that drives her character. Her “Oh boys” are delivered with periods, rather than exclamation points, suggesting even she has a difficult time believing her own muted optimism. Even the girls’ exuberant “Never Fully Dressed” has the proper balance of joy and underlining despair. Raymond Jaramillo McLeod’s Warbucks and his impressive frame have the perfect grounding for the character, and as his layers are revealed we literally see the lonely boy hidden underneath for so long. John Schiappa and Shann Marie Palmer are so good as Rooster and Lily, we almost believe them as the Mudges. The remaining ensemble is solid and strong, including Jacquelyn Piro Donovan’s Miss Hannigan as a frazzled, shell-shocked train wreck. There were times, however, when she could have reeled herself in just in bit so we could see more of the desperate woman behind the anger and worthy of our empathy. Even the color palette of the sets and the lights remain less bright and more nebulous when we enter the mansion to prevent caricature and stereotype, as if to say that hope is there, but we have to continue searching for it. The same is true for the beautiful yet shaded costume design. Sadly, not much has changed in the “real world” since the original production in 1977, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, but as this production declares, the sun will come out, and it will be Tomorrow, some day. A-