It doesn’t need to be the hard knock life. Take a trip down Easy Street with one of Broadway’s brightest sources of love, laughter and happiness. Returning to Australian shores, Annie the Musical has delighted audiences worldwide for nearly 50 years, capturing the hearts of generation after generation. It’s a truly joyous adventure following the young Annie, an orphan who dreams of one day reuniting with her parents and feeling a parent’s love once more.
Annie is one of those pop culture icons you know even if you’ve never experienced it before – think the iconic red dress, the red hair, and who could forget her adorable dog Sandy. It’s a narrative I wasn’t familiar with before going into the production, yet it’s one I fell in love with near immediately. Delightful, adorable and fun are just three words to describe this adventure through New York – it sends you through the emotional highs and lows of Annie’s journey and every heartwarming beat is felt radiating through the audience. It’s a story so emotionally impactful and well-told that even if you stripped back the music and flashy dance numbers, it would hold up as a fast-moving, compelling play.
While that may be true, stripping away the musical numbers would be a crime as each one, from the upbeat to the sombre, captures and amplifies the heart and beauty of the story. Annie the Musical comes out of the gate swinging with “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow” hitting back to back and highlighting the range of this production in one 15-minute sequence. The former is the highlight of the night – an upbeat and energetic romp with incredible staging and choreography that pus the spotlight on the scene-stealing young ensemble. The latter is a ballad full of hope and optimism that does away with the fancy choreography and puts a focus on the lyrics, an impactful moment that makes you love Annie if you somehow didn’t already.
They may be the most iconic hits in here, but there are plenty of memorable moments to celebrate. The exuberance of “N.Y.C” is one of the more electrifying and full-of-character musical numbers. This is where the lighting and projections pull out all the stops to create a vibrant celebration of the city that never sleeps, combined with choreography that dazzles. The run home is full of heart with “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and “Something Was Missing” really showcasing the relationship between Oliver Warbucks and Annie.
Accompanying the musical numbers, and the production as a whole, are the beyond impressive sets and projections that immerse you in the story ramp up the quality of the musical. There’s no shortage of jaw-dropping sets as the narrative shifts from location to location. Whether it be the dark and dreary orphanage locations or the bright and lavish rooms of Warbucks’ home, each set is as beautiful and perfectly-staged as the last. Some backdrops and set designs are only used for one scene, yet they’re as grand and highly detailed as those used multiple of times. It’s this level of craftmanship that goes a long way in creating an immersive experience.
Immersive is the perfect adjective for this musical when talking about the use of projected backdrops. Through windows and behind walls, the rear of the stage is lit up with bright and occasionally dynamic backdrops that had me regularly forgetting I was seated in Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. That’s not the only time these projections are utilised – the first and second acts are introduced with projections of the sights of 1933 New York City, helping to establish a location, tone and time in history. Opening the show with a montage of the sights and sounds of New York City was unusual at first, but once you understand the way the Big Apple is a character more than a setting, it becomes a valuable addition to the production.
Performance-wise this is a unique production as the orphanage setting makes room for a very young ensemble. While Annie (Isabella Hayden) is the child at the forefront of the story, she’s accompanied by six other orphans who are the stars of the show in much of the opening act. By “stars of the show”, I mean the young cast of girls shines brighter than the already incredible adult cast. They’re the heart and soul of this musical and I was constantly impressed not only by their singing ability, but their prowess in choreography and gymnastics at such a young age. I need to specifically call out Bibiana Brudan, who plays the youngest of the bunch, Molly. Her charisma, charm and energy was infectious, and while the show is called Annie, it’s her adorable mischief that drew much of the attention early on. With a trio of actors suiting up for each orphan role, the rest of the opening night cast was made up of Sophie Isaac (Duffy), Ava Kroussoratis (Tessie), Marli Lee (Kate), Leah Cooper (Friday), Harper Pasco (Pepper) and Calliope Xintavelonis (July).
Isabella Hayden commanded a great stage presence and brought the charm, confidence and wholesome attitude of Annie to life. Her vocal talents are immense as she navigates both soft, vulnerable beats and showstopping notes with impressive professionalism. Acting alongside the leading presence of Anthony Warlow is no easy feat, but they complement each other in a way that sells us on the story’s authenticity. Having debuted in this role on Broadway in 2012, Warlow brings uses expertise as a legend of the stage to bring out the character’s most lovable fatherly qualities and moving vocals. He’s joined on stage by his wife Amanda Lea LaVergne, who brings a soft-spoken, motherly touch to the production in the role of Warbucks’ secretary, Grace Farrell.
On the other side of morality is the duo of Mackenzie Dunn and Keanu Gonzalez, who play antagonists Lily St. Regis and Rooster Hannigan. This duo being cast as lovers spelled immediate excitement from me as they dazzled in the roles of Rizzo and Kenickie in last year’s tour of Grease the Musical. Their chemistry is palpable and together they contribute to some fun and laughter-filled moments. One of Australia’s most celebrated leading ladies in Debora Krizak transforms into Miss Hannigan, nailing the character right down to her quirky and unusual mannerisms that never failed to draw laughter from the crowd. The original Yellow Wiggle, Greg Page, makes a memorable appearance as President Roosevelt. While the least physically demanding role in the production, there’s something comforting about his performance that makes him an invaluable inclusion.
It would be rude not to highlight the crowd-favourite Groodle, Daisy, who brings Sandy to life in a few brief, yet adorable scenes. It’s always a task when using real dogs in a live production, but Daisy came to perform and perform she did, hitting every mark and winning the hearts of everyone in the crowd.
Don’t wait until ‘tomorrow’, secure your seats today and experience the heartwarming delight of Annie, a musical that celebrates hope, love and generosity in a time of famish and depression. Full of fun, laughter and child-like wonder, Annie boasts the qualities that made it a timeless icon while being revived with a fresh coat of paint that shines brightly in 2025. With a heartwarming narrative and spectacular musical numbers, this is a night out guaranteed to bring the whole family together.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Annie the Musical is now playing at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne through to October 26th, 2025 before hopping over to Brisbane from December 27th. For more information and to purchase tickets, head HERE.
Reviewer attended on Thursday July 10th, 2025
Photo credit: Daniel Boud