items tagged with Annie

The Reader's chief theatre reviewer, Thom White, saw and wrote about 52 area stage productions in 2011. I saw 39 and reviewed 12. Obviously, during our second-annual breakfast chat on the Year in Theatre, there was a bit to talk about.

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's Annie feels like a show I've never seen before, even though I'd seen it many times prior to Thursday night’s performance. While the musical’s characters are portrayed in familiar ways, director Patrick Stinson's work seems new, mostly because of designer Kenneth Verdugo’s sets. As odd as that sounds – the idea that a set could change the feel of an entire show – it’s true, because the design not only affects the look of the production, but also how the stage space is used, and what elements are highlighted as a result.

As enjoyable as Countryside Community Theatre’s The Wizard of Oz is, the most thrilling part is this: The witches fly. While L. Frank Baum's familiar story of the Kansas girl who’s blown to the land of Oz by a tornado has its fill of magic, Countryside adds some magic of its own by making its witches (and a flying monkey) airborne. It's a special touch to a show that, during Friday’s opening-night performance, proved to be a gratifying evening's diversion – if a long one, running three hours from beginning to end.

As we’ve come to annually expect, there was practically no end to the highlights from this past year in area theatre.

On Saturday night, I had the distinct pleasure of taking two very special young ladies - eleven-year-old Hannah and six-year-old Madison - to the theatre, since Countryside Community Theatre's Annie seemed the perfect choice to foster their love for live performance. And love it they did, calling the production "awesome" and "really good." As for me, I... didn't exactly love it, but liked it well enough.
Read More About Love & Warbucks: “Annie,” At North Scott High School Through August 1...