Annie Jr. Is Summer Fun

‘Annie Jr.,’ presented by Theatre Palisades Youth, is a perfectly delightful offering. One can’t go wrong listening to children with great voices, watching a Palisadian Labrador retriever make its acting debut, paying for reasonably priced tickets at a local theater, and enjoying a snack bar filled with Krispy Kreme doughnuts and candy.   All of this is available at Pierson Playhouse at 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. tonight through Sunday in the youth’s annual summer production.   The musical is based on the old comic strip, ‘Little Orphan Annie,’ and has music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan. The musical opened on Broadway in 1977 and ran for nearly six years. I saw it on two occasions, once with my stepdaughter, a second time with my younger sister. They both loved it, but we were seated so far up in the balcony that both my younger guests wondered how they could get seats closer. At the Pierson every seat is near the stage and at the production last Saturday night there were few vacant seats.   I had forgotten how fun the songs are, including ‘Hard-Knock Life,’ ‘Little Girls,’ ‘You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,’ and ‘Easy Street.’ Of course ‘Tomorrow’ is the song that instantly comes to mind, but it has been sung so often by children screeching it that I dreaded hearing it again. I was pleasantly surprised by the sweetness in Elizabeth Ryan’s voice as she sang, making the song totally enjoyable. As Annie, Ryan has a great deal of stage presence, which seems to come naturally.   She is one of many kids who live in the orphanage, run by Miss Hannigan (Veronica Ellis) who doesn’t like the little girls and spends most of her time threatening them. Played by Ellis with great aplomb, it is hard to image that this actress is only 12. Vocally, she handled her solo, ‘Little Girls,’ with maturity, and when singing with Jake Spivak (Rooster) and Megan Wheeler (Lily), the number was first-rate, with exactly the right balance.   Bryson Rawn plays Daddy Warbucks, the billionaire who decides to take in an orphan over Christmas. Annie is chosen and the interaction between the two leads is sweet’which seems to be true of this entire production. Katie Reinhold (Grace) is Warbucks’ secretary, and is lovely as well.   Trouble arises when Annie wants to find her real parents and Warbucks, in an effort to help the child, promises a $50,000 reward. This is an open invitation for all sorts of unscrupulous characters to try and win the money, including Rooster, Hannigan’s brother.   Director Dorothy Dillingham Blue has taken a cast of 32 young actors, ages 7 to 14, and given them all a chance to be seen and showcased, never easy on a small stage. The costuming on this show is spectacular’from the orphans’ ragged clothes to Grace’s tailored outfits to Warbucks’ staff. The set is nice, and includes a fully-lit Christmas tree.   A special nod has to go to the ‘littlest’ orphan, Stella Smyth (Molly), who with her exuberance and voice fills the stage. Topping off the grand evening, Sandy, the dog (Sandy Verrone) whose three owners Marianne, Teddy and Patric were all part of the production, slipped off the stage looking for ‘treats.’   Shows are July 30, 31 and August 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 2, at 2 p.m. For tickets ($12) call (310) 454-1970.