See 'Annie' at Lincoln before 'Tomorrow'

“Annie” opened to an almost full house at the Lincoln Theatre Saturday. The play has a great cast, is well directed and has singing and dancing and a live band. After getting applause, laughs and whistles throughout, it ended to a standing ovation.

It is much better than cotton candy, though like it, it is all fluff, sweetness, light and artificial, a direct descendant of the comic that birthed her. But it is much better for you than cotton candy.

Only our oldest old timers will remember the original “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip which brings a comic strip perspective of broad, superficial humor and caricature of characters to the theatre. Not only are issues black and white, they are shallow. It is no spoiler alert to say the bad guys get caught.

Don’t try to resist Annie (Kendal Turner or Melia Grey), the irrepressible, optimistic 11-year-old who belts out “Tomorrow:” “The sun’ll come out / Tomorrow / So ya gotta hang on / ‘Til tomorrow / Come what may.”

She is one of a dozen orphans in the New York City Municipal Orphanage at the play’s opening. None of them want to be there, especially under the watchful, evil eye of Miss Hannigan (an energetic, scheming Sydney Brady), who tells the kids never to lie, but lives a life of mean-hearted deceit and sexual repression.

Life is tough in 1933, the Depression still growing. Annie escapes, finds a dog – a trademark of the comic strip – cons a cop and stumbles into a Hooverville, a homeless encampment. Everyone is struggling, but all share soup and the song “Hooverville.” It is one of 14 songs. Most of them include dancing, whether it is the orphans, the homeless, or President Roosevelt and his cabinet.

Annie has her solos and dancing duets with Daddy Warbucks (the deep-voiced David Lorente). The munitions manufacturer has a heart of gold. Here, if not in the comic, he wants to adopt Annie after she is recruited to his estate for a Christmas visit by his assistant, Mrs. Greer (Becky Ray; also Frances Perkins). She too has a heart of gold and dances as well as sings.

There is a lot of history, and a spoof on how the New Deal got named. The politics are different from the strip created by Harold Gray in 1924 but attend the production knowing that comics and some plays are not real life.

The point of the performance is to sing and dance, mostly in ensemble, with Annie and Warbucks getting their own numbers.

The most fun is their going on Burt Healy’s (Clarence Holden, also FDR) radio variety show to plead for Annie’s parents to claim Annie and a $50,000 check. The show includes a ventriloquist (Bob Taylor) and his dummy (Kellan Meadows), in a brief but amazing role as “Wacky Doll,” coming to life, running around on stage, and then collapsing into doll-hood on his master’s knee.

All is going to end well, with “A New Deal for Christmas,” this being a comic strip musical. But, in this world, remember: “Tomorrow! / You’re always / A day / A way.”

Matthew Bianconi and Abigail Hanson are the able directors keeping the 33-member mostly ensemble cast on the go. Choreographer Jenn Johnson got adults as well as kids of all ages moving in unison. Dave Cross is the music director and conductor of the 14-person band. The production crew in support is as numerous as the cast. Great support!

Thomas Meehan wrote the book. Martin Charnin wrote the lyrics. Charles Strouse composed the music. “Annie” premiered on Broadway in 1977.

Annie” plays Thursday-Saturday through Dec. 15 with a Sunday, Dec. 9 performance. Tickets and times https://www.lincolntheatre.org/performance/annie. Tickets are $15 on the 6th and 13th community nights.