Not giving anything away, I'm wondering why it only ran 200 performances off-Broadway.

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I have never seen a production... and on this forum, Jamey is really the one to ask about Annie Warbucks, as he is its ceaseless champion... but I spent a fair amount of money on the CD once, used from Amazon, and really regretted it. In my opinion, there are not enough strong, memorable musical numbers (although Donna McKechnie sings a terrific performance), and, without giving anything away, Act II largely retreads themes from Annie

I prefer the songs-and-narration from Carol Burnett regarding the short-lived Annie 2 in terms of Annie sequels, although that show, too, was not without its problems. 

Ok, Jamey - come to Annie Warbucks' defense! :)

Iv'e listened to the CD, so you can give me you full opinion.  

According to Wikipedia it failed to make it to Broadway because a major investor backed out.  They lined up another investor but couldn't get it into a Broadway house within the time frame required to be Tony eligible.

Well Love Never Dies has a group of plot eleminents that most pepole have a problem with. Did the same thing happen to Annie Warbucks? 

The gossip I have heard was that when Lauren Gaffney (Annie) was replaced by Kathryn Zaremba her father pulled all of his money out of the show. 

Like what happened to Joanna Pacitti?

I don't believe the Pacitti family had any money in the show nor did the Kissinger family.

It is a cute story!  I think there are some memorable songs in it (Somebody's Gotta Do Something" is one).  

ONLY 200 performances??  

Annie 2 was REALLY dark!  Annie locked in a trunk, presumable to die?  Singing about how Warbucks will come to save her?  THAT was the stinker!

More later.  

Given how much the creators of Annie the musical hated the 1982 film it's ironic that their Annie 2 included Punjab and the Asp (who were in the film and not the stage version).

Here's a link to the synopsis of Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's revenge

If done as more than ethnic stereotypes, Punjab and Asp would lend a lot to the show in terms of world-building. Warbucks can be a dangerous man, and he has dangerous men working for him.

Ok, I grant the scenario is kind of a downer, and yet, that's probably the best song from Annie 2. And it's an element of peril very true to the comic source material, and very absent from Annie on stage. As I always say, I like that Annie on screen in 1982 was in some real danger before all was said and done. Maybe that's just me.

Annie Warbucks explores the romantic tension between Warbucks and Grace with songs like (Grace) "It Would Have Been Wonderful" and (Warbucks) "A Younger Man".  Warbucks et al foil a plot for him to get married, but marries Grace anyways. Warbucks tells Annie how much he loves her when he sings "When You Smile".  Annie invents the Tennesee Valley Authority with the song "Somebody's Gotta So Something".  Annie sings how she sings "I Always Knew" that things would work out.  

I always think it would be a clever idea to do Annie THIS year and have the same cast and do Annie Warbucks next year.  You could pre-sell AW in the preshow for Annie.  

I have heard that theatre companies have done Annie, took a dinner break and did AW the same NIGHT (THAT is a lot of theatre).  Other people have said they have done Annie and invited the same audience back the next day to see AW (It would have been a ticket-bundle).

Troika Productions is about to go on the road with Annie, which will make it hard (impossible?) for Comm. Theatre Companies to license Annie.  

One of the first gut-wrenching nightmares I have experienced trying to get cast as Warbucks happened when The Schaumburg (IL) Park District decided to stage Annie WITHOUT securing the rights!  IMAGINE THEIR SHOCK when MTI REFUSED to give them the rights.  The director told me she would cast me as Harold Hill in Music Man if/when she couldn't get the rights to Annie.  When she coudln't get the rights for Annie, she setteld on Annie Warbucks. THEN, she asked me if I would play Santa in her wacky Christmas Children's Show.   THEN she cast some guy to play Warbucks who only auditioned because his wife strong-armed him into auditioning.  She tried to  "made it up to me" by offering a role that comes on half way through the second act and sings one song.  ARE YOU SURPRISED? 

Mike is probably sorry he asked me to comment on this thread now, but it is an incident that will go memoirs someday.  

Annie Warbucks, while it is no "Annie" is a cute story!  


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