the mommy avenger

When the movie Annie came out in 1982, I dare say every young girl in America watched it. It showcased at just about every sleepover I went to forever. So I’m sure Annie plays a pivotal role in our memories from childhood. Naturally, that transfers over to wanting to go see it at the theater when given the opportunity, and, of course, taking our kids to go see it, too. Tonight, when we went to see it performed live on the stage at Eccles Theatre in Salt Lake City, you could tell by the audience that is exactly what was happening. Generations of families were there to see the tale of Little Orphan Annie.

I have seen Annie on Broadway before, back in 2012, and then again a couple of years later as it toured. So I went into the show thinking this would be a very familiar. I was surprised to find out that it was not the show that I had seen before!

Holding onto hope when times are tough can take an awful lot of determination, and sometimes, an awful lot of determination comes in a surprisingly small package. Little Orphan Annie has reminded generations of theater goers that sunshine is always right around the corner, and now the best-loved musical of all time is set to return in a new production–just as you remember it and just when we need it most.

Annie, directed by Jenn Thompson, features the iconic book and score, written by Tony Award^® winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin. This celebration of family, optimism and the American spirit remains the ultimate cure for all the hard knocks life throws your way.

This new production was fresh and extremely optimistic, with some departures from the storyline I had been familiar with. All good changes for sure, and for those that had never seen the original, they would never know the difference. This production was fun, energetic and very sunny.

There were some standout performances in this production. First and foremost, Annie, played by Rainier “Rainey” Treviño was exceptional. Her voice was strong and carried so well. When she was on stage you felt her presence and understood why she was the lead role. She was very good!

The audience loved to hate Miss Hanigan, played by one of the veterans of this tour, Stefanie Londino. She did a fabulous job creating her character and for fans of the movie back in the 1980s, the closest I’ve ever seen come to Carol Burnett’s rendition. She was exactly as I would want her to be for this role.

The entire cast did an outstanding job and the show was really fun. The perfect introduction to theatre for younger family members, as there are several members of the cast that are kids. To the delight of all the audience members, they also used real dogs on stage for Sandy, Annie’s dog. A big treat to see them perform, as well!

The new spin on the production really carried a heartwarming and sunny outlook and I have to admit, it was really nice to see. It was just a feel-good show that everyone in the family could enjoy. It was a great way to enjoy quality entertainment and just be uplifted.

Annie is in Salt Lake City for an extremely limited run–just this weekend! So grab your tickets now while you can to see this favorite, enjoy some wonderfully familiar tunes that you will want to sing along with, and take a break from your day-to-day. It’s also a really great Mother’s Day gift idea to go spend time at the theatre together!

To learn more about Annie, purchase your own tickets for this weekend’s remaining shows, and to explore Broadway at the Eccles current and upcoming seasons, visit them online. It is my favorite entertainment to be found in Utah!

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are our own*}