Maybe Far Away

Confession. I've a weakness for ANNIE. I saw the movie version as a child and there's something that resonated for me. It's a musical about abandonment, so you do the math.

I'd only ever seen the movie version. I have a memory of my parents going to see the original Broadway production when I was a young child. When I asked them if WE were going to see it, I remember they told me, "It's for adults only." (Which meant they didn't want to pay to take us kids.) I remember them bringing the Playbill back and it *looked* like an adult thing.

So, I was walking through Times Square last week (because as an adult, I now live near Times Square), and I see the new production of ANNIE is up on the TKTS board with 50% discounted tickets. Curiosity got the better of me.


It is... peculiar... being a thirty-something heterosexual male going to see a production of ANNIE alone. There were a fair number of parents bringing their children to the show. And I'm sitting there cloaked in tattoos.


It was pretty surprising seeing how much the movie version deviated from the stage version (assuming this new production hews pretty close to the original Broadway show). It's odd because I remain a defender of the movie. And while I understand that nostalgia can influence, seeing the stage version makes me admire the movie even more for how it grounded the narrative.

Still, it's quite a show. There's a reason why shows like this get revived.