Annie!

Today we made it to Elisa's first Broadway show. First show and she's 4. I went to my first show last year. Yeah, that pretty much tells me she's a New York City kid through and through.  And this wasn't any show. It was Annie. I'd introduced her to the movie version sometime last year when I discovered it was on Netflix streaming. And to my delight, she loved it.  She started to request it for those lazy afternoons when we both needed a break.  At first she asked, "Mom, is this your show?" because I had told her it was a favorite of mine when I was a kid.  But pretty soon, she had co-opted it for herself.  So when my mom heard it was coming to Broadway, she mentioned to me that she wanted to make sure Elisa was there to enjoy it. I was surprised to find a discount offer** this time of year, but didn't hesitate to use it especially when I found two tickets in the second row, center for under $100 each. No, Broadway ain't cheap.  But I will admit today's performance of this classic musical made me a fan.  It was an absolutely perfect experience for both of us and that's hard to do.

The pace was quick and storyline was easy enough for Elisa to follow. I loved the costumes and the scenery. There's something about the everyday glamour of the 1930s that made the clothes move beautifully and really enhance the physical performances of the cast.  The supporting actors reappeared throughout in vastly different roles and really did a great job of making it all seem fun and authentic.  It's hard for me to not have a camera on hand for these kind of events, but since photography was prohibited, I had to take some snapshots with my mind to remember the saturated colors, the beautiful lighting and the way Annie looked at everyone with such a glimmer in her eye.  And that voice.  She was a natural, even if the New Yawk accent got laid on a bit thick at times.  It was all just really lovely. And I think Elisa was completely enraptured as well. Restaging it for a Christmastime setting was a nice touch, and though they didn't end up with Annie hanging from a bridge (Elisa's favorite movie scene--cue the drama), it was still a perfect finale.  There was the crystal Christmas tree all decked out, with house staff dressed to the nines, and Annie's rag tag bunch wearing great Varsity sweaters over their orphan apparel.  I found myself looking at the actors, especially the children, and wondering if they were having as good of a time as it seemed. And of course, the answer is probably no, but man, they did a good job of harnessing some of that Annie optimism.  How could you not love FDR belting out "Tomorrow" while he invents the New Deal? Is this why I love Annie? Is it because deep down she's really a bleeding heart who makes the cold Republican business titan a more tender and compassionate man?  Is she trying to sing us all out of the Great Depression and is there something in that message for us today? Who knows. But I'm still singing "You're never fully dressed without a smile" and humming along to the opening of "It's a hard knock life."  It was an infectious show and I'm so tickled we went.  I hope Elisa remembers this fondly for many, many years to come. Or at least until next week.

**And if you book now for shows before December 16th, use the code BBOX at Ticketmaster for a discount.