The Newest Adaptation of Annie, Premieres in Theaters This Christmas

I grew up a musical theater nerd, and like most young aspiring theatrical ingénues, I was first inspired to step out on stage and into the spotlight, the first time I saw the Broadway classic, Annie. As a kid, I believed only adults were capable of being exceptionally talented actors and singers, due to many years of experience, and while some actors do begin while still children, the ability to deeply connect with and trigger sincere feelings of sympathy and empathy within an audience was something that could only be properly honed, with training and time. I was entertained by McCauley Culkin in Home Alone and could recite all the lyrics to Kriss Kross’ Jump, but a Whitney Houston or ballad or a Michael Jackson music video from the mid 1980s/1990s, would simply take my breath away. I was impressed by their controlled precision and their ability to simultaneously balance creative perfection with liberated expression, but most of all, I admired the manner in which their performances touched audiences and inspired people. To put it simply, I looked up to these older artists, hoping that one day I could grow up and be as talented as they were, with it never occurring to me that child could genuinely possess such exceptional talent and be just as influential as any adult.

However, my opinion changed first time I heard this bright eyed, curly haired, little orphan belt out the infamous lyrics, “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow”, alongside Daddy Warbucks and President and Mrs. Roosevelt. One weekend, my mother rented the 1982 movie adaptation, starring Aileen Quinn, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, and Carol Burnett, for my sister and I. We ended up keeping the VHS at our house for months, watching it so frequently, that we wore the tape out. We memorized all the songs and dance routines and would constantly attempt to recreate all the scenes in our at home performances, just in awe of this ensemble of little girls bursting with raw talent.

It was probably around my seventh birthday and my six hundredth performance of It’s a Hard Knock Life, that my mother enrolled me in my first after school acting class, and this early, concentrated introduction to the creative arts triggered the chain of events that ultimately led me to where I am today. It sounds silly, but it was those early experiences with Annie that really motivated me to seek out creative calling, because it made me realize inspiring change and possessing the ability to truly move people were not privileges reserved exclusively for adults, because genuine talent has no age.

*source: http://cdn2.crushable.com/

Produced by Jay-Z and Will Smith, the newest adaptation is set in modern day Harlem, and stars Quvenzhané Wallis, as Annie, who already has an Oscar nomination under her belt from her performance as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild. The cast also includes Cameron Diaz as the villainous foster mother Mrs. Hannigan, Jamie Foxx as William Stacks (the Oliver Warbucks figure), and Rose Bryne as Mr. Stacks’ assistant, Grace Farrell. The film also includes a more contemporary spin on the original Annie soundtrack, with music produced by Sia and Greg Kurstin. The formal theatrical release is December 19, a perfect, relaxing pre Christmas treat the whole family can enjoy. I can only hope that this new version of Annie will inspire the next generation, as it inspired me.

*source: thehappytype.com

*source: eonline.com

Check Out the Trailers Right Here!

*source: youtube.com

*source: youtube.com

Fun fact- before her now famous role as the curl haired fashionista Carrie, on Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker got her start playing Annie on Broadway. Here she is at age 14, singing Tomorrow, on the Bob Hope special:

And I’m not the only one who has found creative inspiration from the sassy, kind hearted orphan who over came the odds, by following her gut. Remember this?

And don’t forget Curly Girlies, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile- (Or Miss Jessie’s)!

*source: http://www.billboard.com/

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