“Never work with children or animals,” says a well-known showbiz adage. When it comes to staging a live version of the hit Broadway musical “Annie,” NBC is sensibly bypassing this.
NBC’s first live musical since the spectacular “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” in 2018 will be the story of a spunky young orphan and her dog Sandy set during the Depression. On Thursday, “Annie Live!” will air.
Neil Meron, who has served as executive producer on all of NBC’s live musicals, stated, “It is a musical about hope and optimism, and it couldn’t come at a better moment.”
Celina Smith, a 12-year-old newbie, plays with Harry Connick Jr. as Annie’s rescuer, Daddy Warbucks, and Taraji P. Henson as the orphanage’s harsh Miss Hannigan. The cast also includes Nicole Scherzinger, Tituss Burgess, and Megan Hilty.
Henson admits to being apprehensive, but believes it is necessary: “Nerves indicate that you are awake and present in the moment. It isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. “It’s nice to have nerves,” she says. “Go out there and use it with trembling legs and shaky hands.”
The Broadway production first opened in 1977, and it was resurrected in 1997 and 2012. The original production, which premiered in 1977 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical, ran for 2,300 performances, sparking tours and revivals that have never gone out of popularity.
“Annie” has been adapted for the screen several times, including a 1982 film starring Carol Burnett, a 1999 film starring Kathy Bates, and a 2014 film starring Quvenzhané Wallis.
Musical highlights include “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard Knock Life.” Martin Charnin’s lyrics, which won him and songwriter Charles Strouse a Tony Award for best music in 1977, are both amusing and moving: “You’re never totally dressed/without a smile” and “When you’re in an orphanage, no one cares a smidge.” Strouse, who is now 93 years old, came to the rehearsals and hugged the new Annie.
“I think these folks were actively attempting to do something joyful during a difficult period in the country,” said Bob Greenblatt, who oversaw live musicals when running NBC and now teamed up with Meron to executive produce “Annie Live!”
The creative team went back to the first Broadway production to add songs that were deleted from the film adaptations. Meron claims that they are staying true to the original show’s roots. “We’ve basically gone back to the original Broadway version and followed the format of that show, adding songs that no other cinematic production has ever used.”
Tony Award-winning play The costumes were designed by Emilio Sosa, and the choreography will be helmed by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, who claims he only saw the 1982 film version and otherwise approached it as a clean slate.
Trujillo, whose Broadway credits include “Ain’t Too Proud” and “On Your Feet!” stated, “I began to discover what a gem it is.” “It’s been one of the most shocking experiences of my career thus far because I just let myself go and be carefree in the studio,” he continues.
Live musical concerts have proven to be a hit for NBC. “The Sound of Music Live!” debuted in 2013, followed by “Peter Pan Live!” in 2014. “The Wiz Live!” from 2015, “Hairspray Live!” from 2016, and “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” from 2018. Fox’s “A Christmas Story” and “Grease Live!” and ABC’s “The Little Mermaid Live!” are among the other networks that have joined in the fun.
Each has attempted to improve the viewing experience: “The Sound of Music Live!” was staged in a movie-style production, while “Peter Pan Live!” allowed creators to be more imaginative. Live audiences have been added over time.
Greenblatt explained, “We didn’t really know how to do one of these things, so we kind of developed it as we went along.” “Every time we try to look at the show, the show sort of guides us to what we should do with it,” she says.
While “Annie” is set in the 1930s, Greenblatt and Meron point out that it has some contemporary parallels in terms of economic upheaval, massive government spending, and social isolation.
“We sort of felt that a play like this would be so welcome after a year and a half of this horrible epidemic and a political climate that’s extremely tricky and very contentious at the moment,” Greenblatt said, “because it’s simply about positivity and hope.” “There are a lot of parallels between what’s going on right now and what’s going on right now.” As a result, we thought it was really pertinent.”
Henson had made it a point to see each of the live musicals, but he had missed the last one and didn’t want to be left out the next day. “I urge you videotape it if you don’t want to miss out on the next day’s water cooler chat,” she advises.