The Acting, Music, and Dance of Annie at DPAC Are Superlative!

Annie at DPAC stars Ellie Pulsifer as Annie and Addison as Sandy (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Because Rockville, MD-based TROIKA Entertainment LLC's touring production of Annie -- now playing at the Durham Performing Arts Center as part of its Truist Broadway at DPAC -- exudes all of the unbridled optimism found in every iteration of the adventures of this red-haired, 11-year-old orphan, I am sure that every audience member will exit the theater in a good mood, eagerly looking forward to "Tomorrow."

Old-timers like me remember the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," which began to grace daily newspapers in 1924 and continued until 2010. Older-timers might even remember James Whitcomb Riley's 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie." Newer-timers, of course, are aware of this award-winning 1977 Broadway musical and (among others) the 1982 Columbia Pictures movie of the same name.

As the lights dimmed at DPAC Wednesday night, this production begins with a "teaser," as the orchestra plays a six- or seven-minute medley of some of the shows catchiest tunes. Additionally, the "curtain speech" recording is delivered by Annie (Ellie Pulsifer) herself, thereby whetting our appetite even more.

TROIKA Entertainment LLC's 2022 tour of Annie, playing Oct. 18-23 at DPAC, stars (from left) Sophie Stromberg, Vivianne Neely, Valeria
Velasco, Kenzie Rees, Riglee Ruth Bryson, and Bronte Harrison (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Wilson Chin's set for the opening scene sets the bar quite high as it conveys the austerity of the Girl's Annex of 1933's New York Municipal Orphanage, where Annie and her fellow orphans live.

Rich scenic backdrops and a variety of flats and set pieces subsequently move us smoothly to several different locations as this chapter of Annie's story unfolds.

The visual feast also includes a great variety of 1930's costumes. And such details as a 48-star American flag, a vintage wheelchair, and a "proper-width" newspaper add to the verisimilitude.

Krista Curry, Nick Bernardi, and Stefanie Londino star as Lily St. Regis, Daniel "Rooster" Hannigan, and
Miss (Agatha) Hannigan in Annie (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

The liveliness with which the opening scene unfolds made me wish that we could see much more of the "orphans ensemble." However, every ensuing scene measured up nicely. Indeed, I could not have asked for any better performances of the acting, the music, or the dance.

Ellie Rose Pulsifer's Annie is as effervescent as we could ask for; and Stefanie Londino is more than equal to the task of making Miss Hannigan despicable-yet-somewhat-endearing.

Christopher Swan's Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks makes a very smooth transition from "hard-boiled" to "tender."

Ellie Pulsifer (center) stars as Annie in Annie Oct. 18-23 at DPAC (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Nick Bernardi (as Daniel "Rooster" Hannigan) and Krista Curry (as Lily St. Regis) are also quite entertaining as they manage to tip-toe the line between characters-in-a-musical and "cartoon characters."

And the supporting cast is every bit as strong.

Whether your appetite is for smoothly executed choreography (by Patricia Wilcox), lively singing, excellent orchestral accompaniment, tightly engaged acting, or the visual aspects added by lavish sets and lighting, this show offers a buffet of everything you could ask for.

So, get ready to sing along and "dance" in your seat!

Ellie Pulsifer and Christopher Swan as Annie and Daddy Warbucks (photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan's ANNIE (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20-23), directed by Jenn Thompson, choreographed by Patricia Wilcox, presented as part of Truist Broadway at DPAC, and starring Ellie Pulsifer as Little Orphan Annie (a.k.a. Annie Bennett in the musical), Stefanie Londino as Miss Agatha Hannigan, Christopher Swan as Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, Julia Nicole Hunter as Grace Farrell, Nick Bernardi as Daniel "Rooster" Hannigan, Krista Curry as Lily St. Regis, Riglee Ruth Bryson as Pepper, Sophie Stromberg as Kate, Bronte Harrison as Molly, Vivianne Neely as July, Kenzie Rees as Duffy, Valeria Velasco as Tessie, Harrison Drake as Drake, Jataria Heyward as Star to Be, Andrew Scoggin as Bert Healy, Mark Woodard as FDR, Addison as Sandy, and Georgie as Sandy understudy, plus an Ensemble including Bradley Ford Betros, Luther Brooks IV, Harrison Drake, Laura Elizabeth Flanagan, Jataria Heyward, Kevin Ivey Morrison, Leeanna Rubin, Andrew Scoggin, and Kaley Were and Swings including dance captain Kolten Bell, Carly Ann Moore, and assistant dance captain Sophie Stromberg (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/dpac_annie_digital. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvCaBadb680&t=1s. TOUR VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFaFX3Gbu9KruNmyHYcPNhQ?app=desktop. 2022-23 TRUIST BROADWAY AT DPAC SEASON: https://www.dpacnc.com/truist-broadway/season/truist-broadway-at-dpac-2022-2023. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://twitter.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/DPACLive. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. DPAC COVID-19 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/latest-updates-on-events-at-dpac/reopening-faq. THE TOUR: https://annietour.com/, https://www.facebook.com/AnnieTourUS, https://www.instagram.com/annietourus/, https://twitter.com/annieontour, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFaFX3Gbu9KruNmyHYcPNhQ?app=desktop. TOUR CAST: https://annietour.com/cast/. TOUR CREATIVE TEAM: https://annietour.com/creative/. THE SHOW: http://www.anniethemusical.com/, https://www.mtishows.com/annie, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/annie-1613, https://www.facebook.com/AnnieTheMusical, https://twitter.com/ANNIEonTour, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_(musical). TICKETS: $25 and up, plus taxes and fees. Call 800-982-2787 or click here to buy tickets. GROUPS (10+ tickets): 919-680-2787, Groups@DPACnc.com, and https://www.dpacnc.com/events/groups-services. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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