Stage Review - Annie (Kitsap Forest Theater)
Stage Review - Annie
Presented By: Kitsap Forest Theater - Bremerton, WA
Show Run: May 25 - June 15, 2025
Date Reviewed: Saturday, June 07, 2025
Run Time: 2 Hours, 15 Minutes (including a 15 minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
There are two “knowns” when it comes to attending a show presented by the Mountaineers Players at Kitsap Forest Theater. First, you’re going to get your steps in, the climb down to the seating area and back up isn’t the least strenuous in the world, and it’s recommended that, unless you’re in good shape, you take both very slooooow. Secondly, what you’re going to see performed is family entertainment that fits just about perfectly in an outdoor space, is designed generally well, and is performed with a good amount of quality. What isn’t known, of course, is what the weather is going to do. If the “June Gloom” hits, expect cloudy skies and cooler weather, and with the slight possibility of rain. If it’s noticeably absent, as it seems to be this year, it’s likely to be sunny and on the warmer side, as it was this past Saturday when I took in their production of the classic musical Annie, directed by Trina Williamson and featuring Madeleine Rose as everyone’s favorite orphan. The other theatre-goers and I were treated to beautiful weather, the shade eventually covering the entire audience, and a performance that was nicely done, with some very good individual and ensemble performances. The show, which runs through June 15, is a nice way to spend an afternoon outdoors, watching a show, and enjoying the beauty of nature at the same time. There is one more weekend to catch Annie at Kitsap Forest Theater, so if you’re looking for something that will entertain you, in one of the most picturesque spots to see a show in a family friendly and relaxed environment, then Annie has got you covered.
Productions from this group are always fun and feature actors of all ages, from talented adults who are well known in the local theatre community, to younger aspiring thespians, all of whom come together (in this case) under Trina’s solid direction, along with a creative team that includes choreographer Guy Caridi and music director Linda Kappus. The sets for these shows don’t vary so much from year to year, a result more of the terrain than anything else, but for Annie, designer Danette Lam (along with constructors Jim Johnson and George Pledger) represents Miss Hannigan’s orphanage and Oliver Warbucks’ mansion very well while taking advantage of the breadth of the main performance area and the upper area of the space, connected to the lower by stairs. For the orphanage scenes, the background is the New York City skyline, tall buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, and a separate set piece of the Empire State Building, and an additional component, a facade constructed to represent the doorway to the building where Annie lives at the beginning of the musical. The stairs are covered with a black piece of fabric that resembles a street that cuts through the buildings that rise adjacently to it, and various pieces are brought in for these scenes, as they are for those set in other locations. For the scenes in the Warbucks mansion, the background that contains those New York City landmarks is folded to bring the outside in, to the great room in the living space of the business magnate. The themes of the set pieces fit well within the overall motif of fun and frivolity that is the hallmark of the company’s family friendly musicals, and while the out of doors setting drives much of this aspect of the design, it also presents a challenge related to sound. Area microphones are used to pick up the vocals of the actors, and generally do a nice job, though it’s difficult to overcome the hiccups that the technology presents, and the cast does so well in their performances, it’s a shame when the technology lets them down. Thankfully, it’s not too often, and doesn’t do anything to take away from their performances.
And those performances are very good. Trina and Linda have done some good work with the wide range of talent on display, as does Guy with his choreography, again allowing each group to succeed in the delivery of his dances, being challenged, but not too much that makes them look like they’re stretching themselves too far. Musically, the cast is delightful, and that begins with Madeleine in the lead role, showing why she is someone to watch on the local stages (and beyond) in the years to come. Her Annie is sweet, positive, and absolutely lovable, and Madeleine plays her with confidence as well as a wonderful vocal ability. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance in Saturday’s matinee, she is truly a shining star, and in the show’s marquee number, “Tomorrow”, Madeleine is pure joy. She’s also surrounded by a talented supporting group; Cat Chiappa is a solid Miss Hannigan, showing once again her penchant for playing the villain well, as she did in last season’s Matilda as Trunchbull, the hammer throwing headmistress at Crunchem Hall, Tod Harrick is a Warbucks who is sympathetic, but with questionable motives in so much as his finances go, Kristopher Jones and Shannon Johnson are the villainous brother and sister-in-law of Hannigan, who aren’t above doing whatever it takes to make a buck, and Beaven Walters is a stunningly good Grace, Warbucks’ assistant. There’s a fine line in a show like this, a villain must be evil, but not so much so that he or she is frightening for the younger members of the audience. Cat, like she did last season, walks that fine line with an uncanny balance. Musically, she’s good on her own with “Little Girls”, which provides devilish insight into Hannigan’s real feelings about her orphans, but she’s at her best in “Easy Street” with Kristopher’s Rooster Hannigan and Shannon’s Lily St. Regis. In the latter, the trio produces some excellent harmony while dancing and dreaming about living where money isn’t an issue. Tod as Warbucks is also good in the musical aspects of his role, but his best work is in the way he portrays the character. When it comes to vocals, though, there’s no topping Beaven Walters, her soprano is enchanting and can be heard in a few places throughout the show, “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here”, “You Won’t Be an Orphan for Long”, and “I Don’t Need Anything But You”. Her’s is the kind of voice you want to hear more of, though Grace, as an ally of Annie’s and a loyal assistant to Warbucks, is a good role for Beaven.
Other performances of note include Michael Sterling as radio host Bert Healy, and the Boyland Sisters (Danielle Priest, Valerie Foster, and Ariel Doyle) who sing backup on Bert’s radio show, and are very good. Another memorable performance comes from Evie Brotherton, who plays the Star-to-Be, and in the number NYC does a standout job of encapsulating through song the hopes and dreams of so many who come to the city to make their dreams come true. There’s also the ensemble as a group, including the 13 or so orphans, who perform exceptionally well in “Hard Knock Life” with Madeleine’s Annie. It’s in that number, as well as “Easy Street” and its reprise when Guy’s choreography is on full display. On the creative side, the costumes from Amy Fancher (design and construction), Anne Marie Fall, and Alex Rosner are, as they were in last year’s Matilda and The Sound of Music the year before, more than up to the mark, and given that these costumes go through more in one weekend from the elements than most costumes do in a full run indoors, the fact that they hold up as well as they do is an achievement.
Annie is one of the most popular musicals being permed on a regular basis. It’s been estimated that the show is performed anywhere from 700 to 900 times each year in the US alone, and it’s no wonder. This musical is suitable for the entire family, it’s full of hope and love, and it stretches the definition of family from those you’re born into to those you find along the way. The Kitsap Forest Theater production of Annie contains all of what makes their shows work so well, and with a cast that acts, sings, and dances with a high level of quality and with its combination of adults and younger actors, Annie another in a string of shows from this group that are enjoyable for everyone in an environment that seems like it’s made for an afternoon out at the theatre. For the older folks, the walk down and back up doesn’t get any easier with age, but if you take it slow, it’s well worth it for what awaits at the end of the trail.
The Kitsap Forest Theater production of Annie runs on stage in Bremerton through June 15. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.foresttheater.com.
Photo credit: Gala Lindvall and Trina Williamson
