“As the spunky, fresh-faced, mop-topped orphan, Harper Rae Asch is a marvellous Annie. Her vocals are impeccable, and she dances effortlessly, embodying the comic book character perfectly. Her timing and spirited delivery are spot on. This rising young star is one to watch…

Surprisingly, some adult performances don’t measure up to the electricity of the ensemble.

As Daddy Warbucks, comedic favourite Dan Chameroy is perhaps too boisterous as the billionaire benefactor with an occasional soft side. Jennifer Rider Shaw’s Grace Farrell sings beautifully but is unremarkable overall, given her star-making performance as Velma Kelly in 2022’s Chicago. There isn’t much connection between the two, given the script’s clear romantic undertones.”

“Annie is a musical that fetishizes extravagant wealth at a time when masses of people are homeless and starving. If you can somehow set that nasty aspect of the story aside, the Festival has made the musical into a lively spectacle…

Harper Rae Asch has a remarkable strong voice as Annie and a winning personality. She has no trouble putting across the numbers but perhaps her finest moment is her singing of “Maybe”, where Feore has Asch emphasize Annie’s wistfulness to contrast with the rather relentless spunkiness she is otherwise saddled with…

Mark Uhre and Amanda Lundgren makes a great pair as the grifters Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis. Uhre has Rooster boil over with energy and Lundgren has Lily exude tacky sensuality. The pair puts across the jazzy tune “Easy Street” with fine singing while conjuring up an aura of danger.”

“Harper Rae Asch is perfect as Annie. Her singing voice is amazingly powerful for one so young and her acting is very professional. Her rendition of Maybe will bring a tear to your eye. You will chuckle at the look on her face when she’s accused of being a drunk and a liar…

The eight little girls in the dance numbers are all excellent, some performing seemingly impossible acrobatics. Early in the evening on opening night, their energetic performance of Hard Knock Life earned them a show-stopping standing ovation.”

” This play represents another kind of utopia, one that lies wrapped in its plot. It’s the idea that a little girl can have actual influence on patriarchal power structures. It’s the idea that politicians might prioritize tomorrow’s voters rather than today’s.

It’s mostly women who do the work of showing us how a utopia like this might look. How Jennifer Rider-Shaw can sing like that and dance like that while wearing shoes like that will inspire awe in the feet of anyone who has ever worn heels.”

“Feore has assembled an incredible cast of actors, singers, dancers, and dog(s) who put on a show that expertly balances the saccharine optimism and sentimentality of the well-known story with delicious humour and spectacle, resulting in a delightfully entertaining night at the theatre that audiences of all demographics will enjoy…

What strikes me about this show are the parallels between the time the characters of ANNIE were living in in 1933 and the time we are living in now. From the political climate, to income disparity, to foreign threats, there are many themes that hit close to home. I have frequently heard from fellow theatregoers that the Arts have been an important escape from daily stressors, so there is something touching about characters reflecting hope and optimism back at us in a show where they are facing a lot of those same stressors.”

“…when Annie is in motion – when Feore’s ensemble flips, leaps and side-aerials across the Festival Theatre stage, with Burton’s orchestra tooting away in the background – the musical is one of Stratford’s best.

But Feore’s emphasis on dance breaks sometimes comes at the expense of Annie’s non-musical scenes, of which there are many within Thomas Meehan’s script. On opening night, the show’s dialogue felt surprisingly stiff, particularly between Annie and the adults onstage – while the dancing and singing alone are worth the cost of admission, Feore’s army of adult triple-threats occasionally seemed to be down a threat on Tuesday.”

“[Laura] Condlln eats it up as the villainous Miss Hannigan, stumbling around the stage with a bottle of alcohol in hand. If she’s not slurring her vowels, then she’s spitting out her consonants at those “rotten orphans.”

[Dan] Chameroy is fantastic as Warbucks (not bald in this production), transforming from a guarded businessman into a big, ol’ softie after Annie enters his life. As his assistant Grace Farrell, Jennifer Rider-Shaw captures her character’s gentle warmth…

For some audiences, “Annie” will be too schmaltzy. It’s a musical that wears its heart on its sleeve, relentlessly pushing its message of optimism. But in this deeply cynical moment we’re living in we could all use a bit of that right now.”

“…this revival of Annie is in the hands of Stratford’s resident musical genius, Donna Feore and her choreography is the true star of the show…

Laura Condlln is comic bliss as Miss Hannigan. She chews the scenery, the projections, and the props and does it all with supreme mastery.

Feore was fortunate to find Harper Rae Asch for her Annie. She is pert, pretty, and poised and already in possession of a substantial belt. Feore has prepared her for a career, should she want one.”

“Whether you lived through the Great Depression or find yourself navigating through modern day complexities, we are reminded that our outlook impacts everything.

Annie brought the spark on its opening night, the musical reminding an audience that youthful, fierce determination to find the good, supersedes a hard scrabble upbringing, even sans mom and dad…

Annie is no easy feat on stage, but Harper Rae Asch (Annie) and the cast (including the beautiful pooch Sandy) excelled in a big musical hit for the Stratford Festival from director and choreographer Donna Feore.”