Sound issues, forced acting characterize musical

Annie, one of the newest productions put together by Children’s Musical Theaterworks, is a play based on a classic movie from 1982 that was remade in 2014. The original movie and play revolve around a lively, red-headed girl who was abandoned by her parents as a child.

Annie (Samantha Smith) struggles with not knowing her parents while dealing with her alcoholic caretaker. During this time she is taken to live with Oliver Warbucks (Eric Estep) temporarily. She faces some challenges and in the end, is adopted by Warbucks.

The play includes many musical favorites including: Tomorrow, Hard Knock Life and I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here.

Two students on campus acted in the play, Nazrawit Tewodros, ‘22, and Elliana Gonzalez. Tewodros acted as Mrs. Pugh along with other roles and Gonzalez played one of the servants in Warbucks’ mansion. The play was directed by Judy Stene and Karan Johnson.

Although the original story is heartwarming and very special the play version did not live up to the standard that the movies set. It is a small production put on by a small company, but that is no excuse for the problems and inconsistencies in the play.

First of all, audiences are accustomed to the main character, Annie, having red hair. However, the the play this Annie does not have red hair. One of the signature things about Annie is her red hair. In the play, Annie has brown hair. This significance is magnified when Annie dons a red curly wig during the last scene of the play. Although it is not a big deal, the red wig at the end seems silly and a waste when most of the play her hair is brown.

The singing was above average, with room for improvement. Their voices were especially scratchy and high pitched while some of the actors could not be heard due to microphone problems.

During the musical, most of the actors play numerous parts, which seemed unnecessary since there were so many actors who did not have speaking or significant roles. Many times due to improper planning there were impromptu quirks, such as when one of the actors was supposed to dance but a box almost rolled off stage. She picked it up and did the whole dance routine while holding the box.

There seemed to be some problems with the sound. Some of the actors could not be heard during the entirety of the play. There would be random long and loud beeps and high-pitched screeching.

The dances were mostly executed well but were not especially coordinated or fancy. During the play, there were numerous moments when a simple dance was messed up unnecessarily.

Outside the main theater, there is a booth that sells various candies and water. The candies were given names based on various aspects of the play. Unfortunately, more than half the candies on the list were not there, even before the play had begun.

The acting was solid but seemed very forced at times. The only character I really enjoyed was Mrs. Hannigan (Biz Fiester). Fiester stayed especially true to the character and was quite funny. Her costume was on point and very original.

The backdrop and props were actually pretty good. They were well made and added depth to the scenes. The transitions in between scenes were smooth and went on without any hitches.

Overall the play was good but not anything special. The last showing was on the eleventh. Annie was performed at the Veterans Memorial Museum.

The upcoming shows for the Children’s Musical Theaterworks include Legally Blonde and Cats, both of which are in the middle next year.

For more reviews, read ‘Reputation’ showcases the deeper, darker side of pop genius. For more articles, check out Ben Certain: Man Behind The Music.

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