Let’s make this clear, Annie is not just for kids.
In fact, an enthusiastic orphan singing that “the sun will come out tomorrow” is exactly what jaded adults need.
The classic Strouse-Charnin musical is showing at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila (RWM) every Fri, Sat, and Sun until Dec 4. The last time this inspirational story was staged was in 1980, with no less than a young Lea Salonga playing the title role.
Set during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the story revolved around an adorable 11-year-old Annie (Isabeli Araneta Elizalde/Krystal Brimner), who was searching for her parents after living in an orphanage with a tyrinical caretaker called Miss Hanigan (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo). Her luck changed when she got invited by the rich billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Michael de Mesa) to spend the Christmas Holiday in the laps of luxury.
Adding to the charm of the story were the orphans who sing about their “hard-knock life” with enthusiasm that only children could pull off.
“The script remains the same, but it is a cast that have never played these characters before… What Michael and I made sure of was to make the staging very stylized and fresh. The material is quite dated… so we use a lot of multimedia to make it more interesting,” said Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo to Coconuts Manila. She also ssrves as the assistant director.
Indeed, the gigantic LED screen of the Newport Performing Arts Theater was well integrated into the scenic design, resulting in an interesting combination of techonology and old-school elements. The video projections created amazing depth, making Mr. Warbucks’ mansion look very opulent.
More importantly, the kids brought an unbelievable amount of energy to the production, making the classic musical such a pleasure it watch.
Launchenco-Yulo said that Krystal Brimner and Isabeli Araneta Elizalde were picked from those who auditioned in May because of their personality. They were very charming and they can hit the high notes with so much ease.
Krystal, 9, has already received an award for her performance in the 2015 movie Honor Thy Father. Isabeli, on the other hand, has displayed her artistic talents in school productions as an actress and budding writer.
Working in a production with so many kids was exhausting, said Lauchengco-Yulo, who has been rehearsing with the young cast since early this year. However, she emphasized that they were a “great bunch.”
The hardest part was trying to keep them focused, especially when they were tired.
Well, all the hardwork paid off. The acting of the kids were superb. They brought the right amount of excitement and energy without upstaging the other characters. The members of the group have developed a unique chemistry with one another, which made them even more charming.
“We treated them like professionals… The training was not difficult. We have very good kids,” Lauchengco-Yulo said.
The musical is a perfect reminder that the best thing to do in times of trouble is “stick up your chin and grin” — something that adults always have a hard time remembering, right?
Annie runs at Resorts World Manila until Dec 4 with performances every Fri, Sat, and Sun. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
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