View from the Green Room: Soul Dance Arts' Annie is a classic
It's a hard knock life from Annie at Garter Lane.
A fabulous set, designed and constructed by Big Bear, and imaginatively lit by Craig Cunningham, meets us as we walk through to the auditorium. A Manhattan skyline with side flats of apartments, with token doors and bunks, that revolve into office interiors and a billionaire’s home facilitates a fast-moving show that really never stops.
Costumes bring us slap bang into recession-hit New York but also lift us into street scenes that show day-to-day life in all its richness. Outfits move between down-at-heel orphans through show-off sequined flappers, uniformed black and white servants and on to expensive billionaire ballgowns. And no one crosses Jack Cunningham’s stage without some stage business to perform to keep the audience always interested.
Hairs and wigs from Annmarie Whitty evoke the Golden Age of Hollywood when Jean Harlow, Betty Grable, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo et al modelled tight and permed hairs with platinum finger waves, sculpted pin curls with centre or side parts with more peroxide than you could find in a barrel of disinfectant.
There’s a cart load of young talent here tonight that would delight any audience and that alternates each night with other young actors in the run. In a cast of stars, Annie and the orphans steal the show. Tonight’s Annie, Layla Hearne (also Shannon Rose McCara) sings, acts and dances like a star and her connection to the audience is magical. Annie’s wonderful gang of six are Misty Lee as Molly (also Amelia O’Sullivan), Amy Taheny as Duffy (also Faye Mackey), Lily Bardgett as Pepper (also Erika Ryan), Olivia Hollyhead as July (also Daisy Fitzgerald), Ailbhe Watchorn as Tessie (also Elizabeth Burns) and Lucy Comerford as Kate (also Kate Gaule). Annie’s orphan mafia brings joy to the show, drives it on and their stage presence is powerful.
Niall Broderick is wonderful as Ms Hannigan (also Rachel Farrell) as she continues to lose all her battles with the orphans and her unashamed self-serving that always fails is a comic tour-de-force.
Alex Brophy (also Adam Cliffe) brings a gentler touch to Oliver Warbucks and his final proposal to the superb Layla Roche Caulfield’s Grace Farrell (also Ana Strappe) is a real ‘aw shucks’ moment that adds yet another delightful moment to this story.
Evan Sheehan’s Rooster (also Tadhg Galibert Foley) and Layla Sadhbh Kidi’s Lily St. Regis (also Bronagh Steenson) bring great fun to the roles and their routine of Easy St. with Ms Hannigan is a real show-stopper.
There’s a host of smaller roles that also grab the attention. The Boylan Sisters of Lottie Kearney, Molly Meyler Dineen and Alanna Geraghty, Evie O’Brien, Emily O’Keefe and Aoife James provide splendid backing vocals and The Rockettes of Evie O’Brien, Jaimie O’Loughlin, Katie Penkert, Aoife de Búrca, Molly Dineen.
Abigail Myler and Caitlín Hoga Kelly catch the eye for their high kicking routines.
Director Choreographer Jack Cunningham works wonders with this show as he plays it more as a Broadway musical with huge routines that fill but never seem to crowd the stage. Even the Tiny Tots cast that flood the apron are well drilled by Lisa Kearney and the joy that everyone brings to their performances really grabs the audience. Musical Director Leah Cooley pushes the show along and the ensemble singing is tight and tuneful. And the Manhattan set is a changing landscape that facilitates all locations in NYC.
Soul Dance Arts’ Annnie is the complete package.
