"Annie" is my favorite stage play/musical. I saw it Saturday night, my second time seeing it on a national tour. I saw it the last time it came to Utah and I disagree that it lacked charm back then... it was just as good as this one.

You complained about the lack of more actual or intricate sets, the over-use of painted backdrops... well that's what you get for the most part on a national tour of most Broadway plays, a scaled down version. If you want the many big fancy sets you should see a play when it's not on tour, but rather permanently in one place (on Broadway or wherever) as then it's easier to accomplish as they don't have to haul all that around the country (plus many stages across the country probably aren't built to accomodate the excess).

Like you, another local reviewer complained about the length of the play on a school night... well if that was a concern maybe you should've gone on Saturday afternoon or evening like I did (or Friday night). At any rate, "Annie" is such a treat it's worth kids staying up later for it. :)

I don't think the point of the length of the show was a complaint. She was educating the public on what to expect. If I'm going to take my kids to a show, it's good to know it runs 2 1/2 hours. hat's long for a couple of girls under the age of 10.

I've seen a lot of touring broadway shows that haven't been 'scaled down' and are just as good as the shows in New York.

Some people don't have a very discerning eye, others do. I enjoyed the review (much better than the list of songs the previous reviewer would do). If all you want is glowing praise for your favorite show, maybe you should find an online Annie chatroom.