'Annie' at Wolf Trap: A Bright Ball of Energy
Thursday, June 29, 2006; Page C05
Residents of the sodden Washington area could use the reassurance proffered by Marissa O'Donnell, 12-year-old star of the endearing "Annie" at Wolf Trap. Playing the show's heroine, O'Donnell gets to deliver the famous paean to optimism, "Tomorrow": "Bet your bottom dollar / That tomorrow / There'll be sun."
The young actress belts out the number with such soaring conviction that even the folks at the National Weather Service might be inclined to rubber-stamp a favorable forecast for the rest of the summer.
 
Annie (Marissa O'Donnell), far left, and the
other orphans belt out "It's the Hard-Knock
Life" at Wolf Trap.
(Photos By Scott Suchman -- Wolf Trap)
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With gold-plated vocal cords and a jaunty stage presence, O'Donnell provides a winsome center of gravity, whether she's singing, throwing her arms around a dog or strolling wide-eyed through streetscapes and mansion chambers.
Based on a comic strip, "Annie" recounts how an upbeat orphan wins the love of a billionaire, a stray mutt and many others during the Great Depression while inspiring the New Deal to boot. With its catchy score by Charles Strouse and its blithe storytelling -- Thomas Meehan wrote the book, which is peppered with droll historical references -- "Annie" has been a crowd-pleaser since premiering in 1977, running for 2,377 performances. That Tony-winning original production was staged by Martin Charnin and he directs this touring version, which is in town through Sunday.
Some of Charnin's lyrical achievements fizzle into inaudibility in the environment of Wolf Trap's Filene Center. Fortunately, the production's other assets are at less of a disadvantage.
Alene Robertson is enjoyably despicable as Annie's nemesis, Miss Hannigan, the peevish head of the New York Municipal Orphanage. Tottering around with an air of despairing lethargy, puffing half-heartedly on the militaristic whistle that's meant to keep her parentless charges in line, this is a Miss Hannigan who's a born loser -- and she knows it.
Providing a nice contrast, an ensemble of young actresses portrays the orphans as irrepressible guttersnipes, bringing a chaotic energy to such scenes as the musical protest "It's the Hard-Knock Life."
Depicting a character higher up in the economic food chain, Conrad John Schuck does a charming, crusty turn as Oliver Warbucks, the rich-as-Croesus entrepreneur who finds himself at a loss when dealing with a small redheaded girl. Scott Willis has fine-tuned an unnervingly rubbery movement style for Rooster, Miss Hannigan's villainous brother, and he gives an almost Bob Fosse flavor to Liza Gennaro's choreography.
In the small role of FDR, Allan Baker works up some hilariously presidential cadences. And let's not forget Lola, the four-pawed performer (rescued from the Connecticut Humane Society) who fills the role of Sandy with aplomb.
Acclaimed designer Ming Cho Lee gives the sets an expressiveness that maximize "Annie's" buoyant, dreams-can-come-true momentum. In particular, he creates an atmosphere of drama in the first scene with his orphanage interior: a bleak tableau of grimy, off-kilter, cement walls and comfortless pallets. An Emerald City mystique clings to the parlor of the Warbucks mansion, decorated in a green (think dollar bills) that matches the serving staff's snazzy uniforms. Other nice touches include a plausible Oval Office; a fevered, red-hued Times Square; and a Warbucks Christmas tree decorated with antique angels.
The meticulous costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge (original costume designer) and Jimm Halliday flesh out more of the musical's fairy-tale world. That includes an old-fashioned radio studio, where a singing trio wears long, pink evening gowns for the number "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile."
For Washingtonians who, of late, have suspected that you're never fully dressed without an umbrella and galoshes, it's a cheering prospect.
Annie, book by Thomas Meehan; lyrics by Martin
Charnin; music by Charles Strouse. Directed by Charnin;
original Broadway musical staging, Peter Gennaro. Lighting,
Ken Billington; sound, Peter Hylenski; musical direction,
Keith Levenson. About 2 hours and 40 minutes. Through Sunday
at Wolf Trap's Filene Center. For tickets, call 877-WOLFTRAP
or visit http:/