Annie Live! (2021 TV Movie) User Reviews

Great Live Performance

[kaylix · 8/10 · 3 December 2021]

Live productions are hard. The imperfections are what make Live theater exciting. When scenes are performed to perfection Live theater sings.

Some reviewers (marci) simply don't understand theater.

Don't let these reviews fool you

[pqdbqg · 8/10 · 3 December 2021]

While it seems there are some folks in the comments wanting nothing more than traditional white casts in a white show they seem to be missing the classic tale of Anne. The new version of Anne is refreshing with its cast full of diversity giving an age old story new light. While some notes were a bit pitchy you would only imagine as much trying to perform after the pandemic shut down Broadway. The casting choices were fantastic! Don't steal this little girls thunder by being blinded by your own ignorance.

Anyone who loves musicals and adores the story of Anne will love this brand new take of a classic. Well done!

Not great, but fine

[mysense-14488 · 7/10 · 3 December 2021]

First complaint is that in the comic strip upon which the musical is based, none of the characters had eyeballs, yet here, they all did. Why couldn't the producers come up with something for actors with eyeballs, instead of...

If you really think the point of the story has anything to do with Annie's hair or skin color, I feel very sorry for you.

I think the "over the top" interpretation. Of Miss Hannigan started with Carol Burnett. It's a little much for me, but that's just a matter of taste. (Hey, for me, one of the highlights was catching the stagehands skirt across the back of stage--different strokes for different folks.)

Different versions have accented different parts of the story; this is hardly my favorite. More fleshing out of the plot to kidnap Annie to get the money and Miss Hannigan's sudden act of conscience would bring more sense to the story.

All that said, it does project the optimism that's the point of the play. It's not that hard to sit back and enjoy (unless you rely on the captioning, which, done live, rather than from the script, was late, and often truncated).

A live performance of Annie is always welcome!

[TxMike · 2 December 2021]

This is a continuation of a tradition. Annie is a time-tested story and knows no skin color. It is at its core surviving and making something of a non ideal situation. Little Orphan Annie, a real American success story.

My wife and I really enjoyed it. The production numbers were good, all the singing was passable, some excellent. They seemed to feature Daddy Warbucks a bit more, no doubt because of who was in the role. The young actress that played Annie was a good choice. The other kids, dancers and acrobats, were all excellent.

Live on NBC. Good production!

It's not even over

[bloodflower-39999 · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Reviewing now only to bog down the nasty comments an hour in on a 3 hour live performance. Gentleman your racism is showing and the show so far slaps. They are preforming a live musical and the color or someones skin today should keep a role from going to the right preformer. I'll be reporting the first "review" as it was a poster not even an hour into this event. Everyone and anyone should have the ability to play a role. Give the cast a chance. I am enjoying myself very much. Signed an old theater kid.

Outstanding ensemble

[kayger-27279 · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Celina Smith and Taraji P. Henson are outstanding, as is the ensemble. The choreography and dancing are excellent. Megan Hilary and Tituss Burgess are so fun!

Flawed, but enjoyable

[diana_kelley69 · 6/10 · 3 December 2021]

Ms. Hannigan severely over acted, and unless my ears deceived me, farted as she sat on the couch (I rewound that 5 times to confirm). I've always been a Harry Connick, Jr. Fan, but his acting left a lot to be desired. Annie herself was super cute, but I'm not a fan of scream singing. None of the actors had chemistry. Regardless, a fun watch, and kudos to the ensemble for the live performance!

It was a dud.

[teachinglegend · 3/10 · 4 December 2021]

Celine, the lead, in real life is the right age, but she looked too old. I'm sure she was hired because she has a HUGE voice. Unfortunately, her songs are belted out without texture or sensitivity. Yelling out a note and being able to hold a note longer than most singers doesn't lead to a valuable musical experience for the audience. Taraji, playing a role meant to be overacted, overacted the role to an embarrassing degree.

Harry Connick mailed in his part, and he and Celine had zero chemistry. I have always enjoyed this musical, but in this case I couldn't wait for it to end. These "live" broadcasts usaully do not work so well. The best thing about this live production is that it wasn't as bad as The Little Mermaid live production.

Loved The Musical

[lauracosom · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Glad to see shows that have talented and diverse cast members that represent all types of people. It's about time we see cast members that look like America.

Bearded Guy

[metallica7620 · 6/10 · 3 December 2021]

I highly enjoyed watching the bearded guy show up in almost every scene in a different role. Also this was one of the best live productions that NBC has done.

Not worth my time

[alatterell · 1/10 · 3 December 2021]

I've been a fan of Annie since the show first hit the stage in the 70's with Andrea McArdle in the lead role. I've seen it live, the movie. And many other interpretations. This is by far THE WORST! I don't even know where to start...the over the top over the top interruption of Ms. Hannigan, the bad acting of Annie (although she has a good voice) - the spunky, independent nature of the character is completely lost, The flatness of Grace and ridiculous interpretation of Daddy Warbucks by HCJ. His character is supposed to be a hard edges uncaring business man who's heart is eventually warmed by the spunky little girl...didn't happen AT ALL! It was choppy and with out any cohesive rhythm . Wow- how can you take a beloved musical and butcher it like NBC has done. Shameful.

ANNIE LIVE!

[bgrogan-67766 · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

I loved the old Annie movie, but I am enjoying this new diverse production! Loved the NYC scene! Grateful for live theater even if I am watching from home. Cudos NBC!

Too Many Changes

[Englishcandle · 6/10 · 5 December 2021]

Annie, a favorite theatre production and movie, I was onboard to watch the Live TV version. I was sad to see so many script changes in this version. They lost the Annie "sparkle". We muscled through, but found it a little difficult. Beautiful voices, great dancing and some good acting but not stellar across the board. I actually felt it was the Director adding and deleting script, along with taking humerous moments for Annie and making them emotional. Needed to be more uplifting.

I'm happy to see a racially diverse cast. I did wonder why Annie did not have a red wig. Titus did not do the role of Rooster well. I loved Harry, Taraji, Nicholle and the rest of the adult cast. The children did a great job.

Overall, I gave 6 out of 10 as I felt the director caused many of the lackluster issues, as the rest of the cast portrayed based on his direction. That said, if you are an Annie fan it is worth watching.

Absolutely love!

[cjmoviereviews · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Really enjoyed watching this considering I don't watch musicals - they picked the perfect Annie and bald Harry Connick is the daddy Warbucks we needed.

Talent wins

[kirkfrederic · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

I love Broadway. The talent level is always inspiring. "Annie" is no different. The cast is fantastic, especially the kids. Overall production quality is high. Well worth watching.

Dance 10, Looks 3

[rigokurt · 3 December 2021]

Aside from some excellent dancers, especially those young girls doing leaps and walk-overs, I didn't think much of this. It felt like a high school production. Did we really need 4 productions of Annie. I'd love for them to do Mame with Cher. Now that would be something to see.

Another fun take on a Broadway war horse

[cherold · 7/10 · 4 December 2021]

I see a lot of reviews here saying, "not as good as the original movie" but there have been 3 movies before this and what they have in common is none of them manage to score as high as 7. This, I think, is the fault of the play itself, which has almost no story or tension and is held aloft entirely by an excellent score that gives itself to fun production numbers.

I probably liked the 80s version better, but not by a lot Celina Smith is a very likable Annie and unlike a lot of people here I thought Tariji P. Henson's over-the-top performance as Ms. Hannigan was hilarious (how can you not love the Little Girls number?). The only real weak performance is a bland Nicole Scherzinger.

Annie will never be a great musical unless someone adds a decent plot to it, but it's a fun trifle and this version handles the fun well.

The Ensemble was beautifully choreographed and a joy to watch. However...

[cmac-02047 · 1/10 · 3 December 2021]

The Ensemble was beautifully choreographed and a joy to watch.

However, I found myself plugging my ears during parts of the production due to off-key performances. Actors that are amazing in TV and movies were not, in my opinion, cut out for singing Broadway. I was looking forward to seeing Nicole Scherzinger and Taraji P. Henson, 2 of my favorites. I just don't think they were particularly great in their roles here.

Excellent!

[sasw-63325 · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

This was worth every minute of my time. I loved the 1981 movie Annie and every rendition on Broadway and film since. This version didn't disappoint. Pure talent! Well done!

Overcoming Inherent Issues

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 3 December 2021]

This latest of the live TV productions is a remake and, as such, should be evaluated via three elements: the original work; the performance of that work; and the technical aspects of the live performance.

The original musical composition is not a favorite of mine (or many others). As Daniel Fienberg wrote for "The Hollywood Reporter", " with a couple of good performances, one can ignore that 'Annie' is crazily front-loaded and just keeps doing reprises of its three best songs to kill time in its second act."

It also has a leading role that combines earnestness with often-strident vocalization. And it also over-indulges the personal politics of its creator, lionizing FDR, but---if we are to believe the "Annie" storyline---we should really blame Annie herself for years of government overreach, centralization, and spending like there is no "Tomorrow".

Those things being said, how might we evaluate this live performance of the musical? To start with something positive, the singing was strong. The choreography and dance performances were stellar. And most of the acting was noteworthy. Taraji P. Henson played Miss Hannigan brilliantly. Celina Smith, as Annie, showed a great ability to emote. Harry Connick, Jr. Had Daddy Warbucks crooning like Old Blue Eyes---something seldom seen in the role. Really, the performances did elevate the production above its mediocre bones. I especially enjoyed the performance of the orphan Molly, played by young Felice Kakaletris, which added color to the group numbers.

As for the technical aspects of the live performance---which can be a challenge---there were too many on-camera cameras to overlook the glitches that distracted the eye. A considerable lapse in the audio marred a solo by Harry Connick, Jr., but it was fixed before it ruined the number.

I was confused by the presence of the modern-day children at the beginning and end of the performance. What was the purpose of this anachronistic distraction? And let other producers note the annoying audiences of some live productions; the one for "Annie" seemed distractingly partisan and cheered for unspectacular things like cartwheels.

On balance, this live special overcame some of the drawbacks inherent in the musical (and a plethora of commercials), but gave back some of that ground through technical gaffes.

I gave it a try.

[Pvt_Ed · 4/10 · 3 December 2021]

I was really hooked by all the ads in the past few weeks. I was looking forward to watching. I even managed to reserve judgement on the weird casting and diverse cast. At 7pm THE SCREAMING STARTED AND WOULD NOT STOP.....

I switched to CBS at 9 when Bull came on so I missed the last half hour.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

[Kat_1203 · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

I don't usually write reviews, but I had to say it's sad that some reviewers gave bad ratings due to "skin color" or Annie not having "red hair". Skin or hair color does not take away from any story line. It's time people accept change and understand that we live in a world filled with diversity. Now back to the play. Honestly, this is one of the best live "TV" plays I've seen! The little girl who plays Annie and the rest of the cast did a phenomenal job! As a woman who attends lots of plays - I'd watch this again (even though it's still not over)!

Certainly one of the best NBC live productions in a while!

[stargazer-04946 · 7/10 · 3 December 2021]

Taraji P. Henson does an amazing job as Mrs. Hannigan and ( in my opinion) could rival Carol Burnett as the best! The young actress for Annie did an outstanding job too! All the actors sang very well.

The downside to this live production was that they did tweak the story in one major way at the end which I personally didn't like and left the story very anti-climactic. (This is the reason I gave it 7 stars)

The new songs were really entertaining though and made up for the plot change.

Overall Annie Live! Was a very great production that I would love to watch again!

Sandy was the best cast member

[ndreicer · 2/10 · 3 December 2021]

Annie could sing, but little personality. Miss Hannigan overacted and Daddy Warbucks wasn't tough-seemed liked Mr. Rogers. Very mid cast. So disappointed, really looking forward to it.

Don't let the saboteurs win

[giftsbymig · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Show is still going on for the first time so not sure how it can get the lowest ratings when it has been stellar so far.

As for Annie not having the iconic red hair, that does not alter the performances. I bet a red headed boy wouldn't meet with their approval, either. Close minded folks will never give this show a chance. I'm guessing they haven't bothered to even watch it. So sad. Talent is talent no matter what package it comes in.

Great show, great cast. Enjoy it.