This representation released by NBC shows the formed of “Annie Live!,” from left, Taraji P. Henson arsenic Miss Hannigan, Tituss Burgess arsenic Rooster Hannigan, Nicole Scherzinger arsenic Grace Farrell, Celina Smith arsenic Annie, and Harry Connick, Jr. arsenic Daddy Warbucks. The communicative of the spunky young orphan with her canine Sandy acceptable during the Depression airs Dec. 2 connected NBC. (Paul Gilmore/NBC via AP)
There’s a celebrated saying successful showbiz: “Never enactment with children oregon animals.” NBC is wisely ignoring that arsenic it mounts a unrecorded mentation of the deed Broadway philharmonic “Annie.”
The communicative of the spunky young orphan with her canine Sandy acceptable during the Depression volition beryllium NBC’s archetypal unrecorded philharmonic since its triumphant “Jesus Christ Superstar Live successful Concert” successful 2018. “Annie Live!” airs Thursday.
“It is simply a philharmonic astir anticipation and optimism, and it couldn’t travel astatine a amended time,” said Neil Meron, who has served arsenic enforcement shaper connected each of NBC’s unrecorded musicals.
Twelve-year-old newcomer Celina Smith has the rubric role, backed by co-stars Harry Connick Jr. arsenic Annie’s rescuer, Daddy Warbucks, and Taraji P. Henson arsenic the orphanage’s callous Miss Hannigan. Nicole Scherzinger, Tituss Burgess and Megan Hilty besides are successful the cast.
Henson admits to being tense but says she needs to be: “Nerves mean you’re live and you’re successful the moment. It’s not a atrocious thing. Nerves are good,” she advises. “Go retired determination with shaky knees and shaky hands and usage it.”
The philharmonic premiered connected Broadway successful 1977 and was revived successful 1997 and 2012. The 1977 archetypal amusement won the Tony arsenic champion philharmonic and ran for 2,300 performances, inspiring tours and revivals that ne'er went retired of style.
“Annie” has been adapted galore times for the screen, including a 1982 movie mentation featuring Carol Burnett, different successful 1999 featuring Kathy Bates and 1 successful 2014 starring Quvenzhané Wallis.
The philharmonic contains philharmonic gems similar “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard Knock Life.” Martin Charnin’s lyrics, which earned him and songwriter Charles Strouse a Tony for champion people successful 1977, are playful and moving: “You’re ne'er afloat dressed/without a smile” and “No 1 cares for you a smidge/when you’re successful an orphanage.” Strouse, present 93, attended rehearsals and hugged the caller Annie.
“The amusement was written successful the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration, and I deliberation these guys were consciously trying to bash thing uplifting astatine a acheronian clip successful the country,” said Bob Greenblatt, who oversaw unrecorded musicals during the years helium ran NBC and has teamed up with Meron to enforcement nutrient “Annie Live!”
The originative squad has gone backmost to the archetypal Broadway amusement to adhd successful songs that movie versions person cut. Meron says they are honoring the roots of the archetypal show. “We’ve fundamentally gone backmost to the archetypal Broadway mentation and much oregon little person followed the operation of that show, adding backmost songs that nary different movie accumulation ever used.”
Tony Award-winner Emilio Sosa has designed the costumes, and the choreography volition beryllium led by Tony-winner Sergio Trujillo, who says helium saw the 1982 movie mentation but different came to it similar a blank slate.
“I began to observe what a gem it is,” said Trujillo, whose Broadway enactment includes “Ain’t Too Proud” and “On Your Feet!” He adds: “It has been 1 of the astir astonishing experiences successful my vocation frankincense acold due to the fact that I person conscionable fto myself spell and beryllium carefree successful the room.”
NBC has recovered occurrence with unrecorded philharmonic events. Previous productions see 2013′s “The Sound of Music Live!,” 2014′s “Peter Pan Live!,” 2015′s “The Wiz Live!,” 2016′s “Hairspray Live!” and 2018′s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live successful Concert.” Other networks person gotten successful connected the act, with Fox doing “A Christmas Story” and “Grease Live!” and ABC’s “The Little Mermaid Live!”
Each has tried to germinate the viewing experience: “The Sound of Music Live!” was done successful a movie style, and “Peter Pan Live!” gave producers licence to beryllium much fantastical. Over time, unrecorded audiences person been added.
“We didn’t truly cognize however to bash 1 of these things, and we benignant of invented it arsenic we went along,” said Greenblatt. “Each clip we effort to look astatine the amusement and the amusement benignant of hopefully guides america to what we should bash with it.”
Greenblatt and Meron enactment that portion “Annie” is acceptable successful the 1930s, it does person immoderate parallels to today, successful presumption of economical turbulence, large authorities spending and societal isolation.
“We benignant of felt aft a twelvemonth and a fractional of this brainsick pandemic and a governmental clime that’s truly dicey and precise divisive astatine the infinitesimal that a amusement similar this would beryllium truthful invited due to the fact that it’s conscionable astir optimism and hope,” said Greenblatt. “There’s immoderate existent parallels to what’s going on. So we thought it was truly relevant.”
Henson has been definite to cheque retired each of the unrecorded musicals but missed the past 1 and hated to beryllium retired of the speech the adjacent day. “If you don’t privation to get near retired of the h2o cooler speech the adjacent day, I suggest you grounds it,” she says.
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