Blu-ray Review Annie: 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray review (1 Viewer)

[Rick Thompson]

Did you get one?? (please forgive the off topic swerve here but this is too funny) Could you just imagine Merman actually singing disco songs in that blasty voice of hers? Like "Love to Love You, Baby?" "Bad Girls?" "Call Me?" What it actually turned out to be is just her old recordings with an added disco beat. i just can't picture the kids at Studio boogeying to "Alexander's Ragtime Band!" Back in that period, (when I actually worked in several discos) they would set ANYTHING to a disco beat. "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" "I Love Lucy" "Star Wars" "the Lord's Prayer" "Beowulf" (shudder)

Yes, twice. Had it on vinyl, and got it on CD back when first released -- which means I paid about $15, not $35. Of course, some things improve with age and get more expensive. How could you NOT buy the Ethel Merman Disco Album?

 

[NY2LA]

Yes, twice. Had it on vinyl, and got it on CD back when first released -- which means I paid about $15, not $35. Of course, some things improve with age and get more expensive. How could you NOT buy the Ethel Merman Disco Album?

Well, from working at those discos, to a couple record stores, I had heard enough real disco music already, and despite my mother's pleading, throughout my youth I managed to avoid camp. Someone may have played Ethel's album for me, I remember reading the cover, but once I realized what it really was, no... Now if she had really done disco songs, (especially like the ones I mentioned above, "Merman Does Summer") l would have bought it for the comic value. Ethel's album had less chances of selling in the younger levels of my crowd, who were more likely to buy Liza's Disco opus Tropical Nights. I didn't buy that either. Even though I was uh, "friendly" toward her mother, I wasn't that "friendly."
So segueway back to topic,
Didja buy Aileen Quinn's disco album "Bobby's Girl?"

Not a heap of leapin' lizards on that dance floor...

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by NY2LA /t/324494/annie-30th-anniversary-edition-blu-ray-review/30#post_3990299
Oh right, you did say Title Song, and in the movie "Tomorrow" is wasted over the credits, so I got confused.
So the song "Annie" like the finale of the play: "Since you came our way, it's Christmas... Bad times, sad times, now they're all yesterday's news since Annie kicked out the blues..." something like that? if I'm even remotely on the mark there it's amazing since I haven't listened to that album in years.
And I still wonder about Annie Warbucks...

Yes, that's the song.

Except for the float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I have never seen Annie Warbucks. What I know about it is that it is where Warbucks and Grace fall in love (there was no relationship in the play; it was the two movies that added that), and it revolves around a social worker's insistence that Annie have both a mother and a father. The stage team was working on a sequel for years (separate from the film sequels Aileen was signed to but never got to do; because of her contract with Columbia, she had to turn down a sitcom deal), and by 1990 they had Annie 2, which, by every account I've read, was a pretty big debacle, even with Dorothy Loudon back as Miss Hannigan.

Then there's the movie's sequel, Annie: A Royal Adventure, which I thought was pretty bad even when I was 12. Seriously, Joan Collins trying to blow up Buckingham Palace? Annie [now played by Ashley Johnson from Growing Pains] singing "Tomorrow" at the end for no reason? Miss Hannigan's still working at the orphanage? Her beating a kidnapping/conspiracy rap in the movie was one thing, but who at the New York Board of Orphans would have let her keep her job after that, considering Warbucks' influence with them?. That first Aladdin sequel probably made Columbia want to do a similar cash-in. The film rights to Annie included the rights to make sequels, and Ray Stark actually tried to get a film sequel off the ground for years (that and his never-made movie about film critics), even agreeing to a smaller budget. But during the disastrous tenure of David Puttnam at Columbia (the one that gave us both Ishtar and Leonard Part 6), he nixed the project solely because of his own personal feelings towards Stark. And it was not the only project Puttnam nixed for personal reasons.

 

[NY2LA]

Yes, that's the song.
Except for the float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I have never seen Annie Warbucks. What I know about it is that it is where Warbucks and Grace fall in love (there was no relationship in the play; it was the two movies that added that), and it revolves around a social worker's insistence that Annie have both a mother and a father. The stage team was working on a sequel for years (separate from the film sequels Aileen was signed to but never got to do; because of her contract with Columbia, she had to turn down a sitcom deal), and by 1990 they had Annie 2, which, by every account I've read, was a pretty big debacle, even with Dorothy Loudon back as Miss Hannigan.
Then there's the movie's sequel, Annie: A Royal Adventure, which I thought was pretty bad even when I was 12. Seriously, Joan Collins trying to blow up Buckingham Palace? Annie [now played by Ashley Johnson from Growing Pains] singing "Tomorrow" at the end for no reason? Miss Hannigan's still working at the orphanage? Her beating a kidnapping/conspiracy rap in the movie was one thing, but who at the New York Board of Orphans would have let her keep her job after that, considering Warbucks' influence with them?. That first Aladdin sequel probably made Columbia want to do a similar cash-in. The film rights to Annie included the rights to make sequels, and Ray Stark actually tried to get a film sequel off the ground for years (that and his never-made movie about film critics), even agreeing to a smaller budget. But during the disastrous tenure of David Puttnam at Columbia (the one that gave us both Ishtar and Leonard Part 6), he nixed the project solely because of his own personal feelings towards Stark. And it was not the only project Puttnam nixed for personal reasons.

I think a lot of people hated Stark by that time. If you read Garson Kanin's book SMASH (exact same topic as the new series but different characters and situations) there is a character obviously based on him (Kanin worked on Broadway's Funny Girl) and that character is a total asshole.
I remember a little war between the Annie movie producers and stage creators over a sequel, it seems to me the talk of the movie sequel that I think they would not profit from is what prompted them to do a stage sequel. Annie 2 I recall had a long and painful history over several years, eventually evolving into Annie Warbucks... Have you ever seen the book by Martin Charnin about creating the show? When he writes about Andrea replacing the first Annie, the book shows newspaper clippings, but they try to obscure the first girl's name... I think she might be the girl who gets kicked out of dancing class in the original Fame.
After the show had been running at least a year, still sold out, and by this time Sarah Parker was the lead, I subbed in on the phones, which were in a dressing room on the top floor. (this was when the phone ticket sales were still at each theatre) Sandy (still the original dog) had a phone in his dressing room. Annie (Sara Jessica) did not. I remember passing the room while she used Sandy's phone to tell her mother she got booked on Griffin. I had nothing to do but occasionally answer the phone and say "sold out." At one point Sandy himself wandered in to check me out. No kidding. He was getting older, seemed a little tired... when I said "Hi, Sandy!" he nodded, and went back to his room. He knew the show so well by then, he had the run of the place like any other actor. Eventually another one of dogs, a cute young understudy named O'Malley, came in with a ball and rolled it toward me, I thought, wow what a nice job! Answering phones at Broadway's biggest hit show, listening to the show on the intercom, and playing catch with a cute canine! Sandy was so stage savvy that he was paged like any other actor, they sent the elevator up to his floor, Sandy got on it (stage manager hit the button to bring it back down), he rode down to the first floor, walked out on cue and did his stuff. Unfortunately, one day when Sandy was out doing promos and O'Malley was supposed to go on, the stage manager forgot he wasn't as seasoned as Sandy and left the stage door open. O'Malley got off the elevator, which was right by the stage door, saw the open door... and left. Sometime if I ever see Sarah again I'll have to ask her what it was like to do the show with an invisible dog.

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by NY2LA /t/324494/annie-30th-anniversary-edition-blu-ray-review/30#post_3990407
I remember a little war between the Annie movie producers and stage creators over a sequel, it seems to me the talk of the movie sequel that I think they would not profit from is what prompted them to do a stage sequel. Annie 2 I recall had a long and painful history over several years, eventually evolving into Annie Warbucks... Have you ever seen the book by Martin Charnin about creating the show? When he writes about Andrea replacing the first Annie, the book shows newspaper clippings, but they try to obscure the first girl's name... I think she might be the girl who gets kicked out of dancing class in the original Fame.

Yes, I have read Charnin's book, and I still have a copy of it. I think the original girl was named Kristen Vigard. She was in the Life After Tomorrow documentary; have you seen that? I recall Andrea and Aileen passed on doing it, but SJP did it and I heard she ended up quite unhappy with the end result. Two of the girls from the movie, Rosanne Sorrentino (Pepper) and April Lerman (Kate), were in it, as they were also in the national tours.

What about the involvement of Mike Nichols in the production? Did he really have as much influence as "they" say? Charnin barely mentions him in the book.

As for the original cast, whatever happened to the Annie Christmas Special that aired on NBC?

 

[NY2LA]

Yes, I have read Charnin's book, and I still have a copy of it. I think the original girl was named Kristen Vigard. She was in the Life After Tomorrow documentary; have you seen that? I recall Andrea and Aileen passed on doing it, but SJP did it and I heard she ended up quite unhappy with the end result. Two of the girls from the movie, Rosanne Sorrentino (Pepper) and April Lerman (Kate), were in it, as they were also in the national tours.
What about the involvement of Mike Nichols in the production? Did he really have as much influence as "they" say? Charnin barely mentions him in the book.
As for the original cast, whatever happened to the Annie Christmas Special that aired on NBC?

I saw the doc myself, didn't find it memorable, it didn't concentrate on the people I was hoping to hear of, like Shelley Bruce. Without Andrea or Aileen they have a couple big holes in the history... Mike Nichols was the producer, I believe he organized or provided financing, as he did for Whoopi Goldberg's Bway debut. I believe the Annie marquee said Icarus productions, which was Nichols' company. The show came into town from the Kennedy Center already a big hit and sold out quickly. Gosh I don't remember the Christmas special at all, and I DID see the show right before its first Christmas ($5 standing room, which we waited in line for very early AM, they let us inside the small outer lobby, where we sat on the floor... by the time they opened the boxoffice, we all knew each other, making for a great camaraderie when we all ended up together at the show) i don't think any of us even realized we were standing. It was a wonderful theatrical experience.

 

[GMpasqua]

I saw the show during the first year with the original cast (all except one orphan who at the time was replaced by SJP). Andrea was fine and the show was excellent. Louden stole the show (as did Bob Fitch as Rooster)

Shelly Bruce replaced Andrea later on then SJP and Alison Smith.
A few friends and I became friendly with the cast (I was all of 14 at the time) and I remember being invited to a lot of "Annie" events.

One was a production of "Annie" performed by the orphans. SJP played Miss Hannigan and she was great - I couldn't help think "This girl's gonna be a star" Danielle (Molly) played Annie and Shelly played Oliver Warbucks. Alice Ghostly sat behind us she was just about to take over the Hannigan role from Dorothy Louden (Who stopped the show with "Easy Street" and got most of the laughs.

The original show wasn't very "Cute". Back then, the jokes were aimed at the adults. Moving the story to July 4th robbed the sentiment and some of the jokes didn't quite make sense:

"May I take your sweater" just laid there while "May I take your coat" was funny because Grace had just bought it for Annie and she thought she wasn't going to get to keep it.

Annie herself was much tougher and wise:
"Can you spare an apple for the orhpan's picnic?
"Sure, say when is the orphan's picnic?"
"Soon as I take a bite"

The two best moments in the show were Andrea singing "Tomorrow" to Sandy and "Easy Street"

Both moments missing from the film. The little that's left of "Easy Street" is a crime

 

[NY2LA]

I saw the show during the first year with the original cast (all except one orphan who at the time was replaced by SJP). Andrea was fine and the show was excellent. Louden stole the show (as did Bob Fitch as Rooster)
Shelly Bruce replaced Andrea later on then SJP and Alison Smith.
The original show wasn't very "Cute".  Back then, the jokes were aimed at the adults. 

I met Alison when I was marginally involved with Kate & Allie, but always wondered if Shelley grew up to a healthy life.
What I did think was cute or charming about the show was the little girl characters trying to act like adults in that one musical number, was it "fully dressed without a smile?"
I wasn't so thrilled with Andrea. Sang out of the side of her mouth like an Irish truck driver at a pub. (which is fine if you're a man and playing that type, but for a little girl...) When she did Starlight, she was rarely ever there. Would show up one day before she was contractually liable to be let go for a long absence, she'd do the preshow warmup skate: "Andrea, stay off the bowls!" they would remind her... (bowl shape sidewalls around the set where if you went up too far you would fall. She would do Act One, fall at some point, get replaced at intermission and go home where she stayed for another couple weeks or so. We inserted her understudy into the playbill more than all the other cast put together. I once suggested to the stage manager that they would save money and time by printing the understudy in the program and inserting Andrea when she showed up. Jane Krakowski, on the other hand, was a total adorable sweetheart who used to wave to me when she want around the paddocks.
I got dragged to a little club at some point where they introduced a girl who was about to open in Annie. She said, "I'm not a lead, but I get a lot to do." She was great. Her name was Laurie Beechman. She was also very good in the first Bway prod of Joseph, which was charmingly underproduced and lots of fun. Last time I saw her was doing Griz in Cats, a night when a man had a heart attack right down front which literally stopped the show before she could get to heaven. I think I remember the girl who did Grace in the play was memorably good but I can't remember her name now. Loudon definitely became a darling of Broadway, went on to a really cool but short lived production of Ballroom for Michael Bennett. One of my favorite overtures in that show, came directly from the TV version with Maureen Stapleton.

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by NY2LA /t/324494/annie-30th-anniversary-edition-blu-ray-review/30#post_3990566
I wasn't so thrilled with Andrea. Sang out of the side of her mouth like an Irish truck driver at a pub. (which is fine if you're a man and playing that type, but for a little girl...) When she did Starlight, she was rarely ever there. Would show up one day before she was contractually liable to be let go for a long absence, she'd do the preshow warmup skate: "Andrea, stay off the bowls!" they would remind her... (bowl shape sidewalls around the set where if you went up too far you would fall. She would do Act One, fall at some point, get replaced at intermission and go home where she stayed for another couple weeks or so. We inserted her understudy into the playbill more than all the other cast put together. I once suggested to the stage manager that they would save money and time by printing the understudy in the program and inserting Andrea when she showed up. Jane Krakowski, on the other hand, was a total adorable sweetheart who used to wave to me when she want around the paddocks.

In the production I saw, Andrea played Miss Hannigan. Her voice is still intact, but her performance just fell flat. Even the surefire "why any kid would want to be an orphan" line just sat there. The best performance came from the guy who played Warbucks: Robert Newman, whom my mom remembers from decades of watching Guiding Light.

After the last curtain call (they let Andrea sing the first verse of "Tomorrow"), such a torrential rainstorm had started, the audience couldn't leave the theatre. Through the crowds, I noticed a line forming, and it was Robert Newman signing autographs. He signed my program, and I found him extremely nice and personable. I also met the actor who played Bundles and one of the Cabinet members. There was a middle-aged gentleman with a pen hoping to meet Andrea, but she never showed up.

 

[Rick Thompson]

The woman who played Grace was Sandy Faison. Have seen a lot of shows since, but never Faison again though she was quite good in what was a thankless role. She's done mostly TV, and teaches at the School for the Performing Arts ("Fame" school) in NYC.