THE RED-HEADED OPTIMIST IS BACK

Just in time to nudge everyone into the holiday spirit, The Berkeley Playhouse is presenting Annie through most of December. This classic musical has been part of American pop culture for nearly half a century. Since the 1977 Broadway debut, the irrepressible redhead and her fellow orphans have marched through multiple revivals, a film adaptation, and what feels like a million school and community productions. Based on Harold Gray’s 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie, the show’s built-in optimism — buoyed by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin’s relentlessly upbeat score and Thomas Meehan’s sturdy, witty book — has made “Tomorrow” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life” practically national hymns.

Emma Jilizian and Maccabee 'Mac' RabkinThe NYC youth cast

Growing up in a theatre-loving household with two younger sisters, I absorbed Annie early, often, and in every imaginable form. The bar is high. And no Bay Area company handles family musicals with the consistency of Berkeley Playhouse; their casts, from ages 6 to 60-something, tend to be unabashed triple threats. Fortunately, this production clears that high bar more often than not.

Cara Impallomeni and Mira Ranchod

At its core, Annie is the story of an optimistic orphan who refuses to believe her parents abandoned her, even as she endures the grimy, shout-filled rule of Miss Hannigan at the Municipal Girls’ Orphanage. Her life changes when billionaire Oliver Warbucks invites an orphan to spend Christmas at his mansion, setting off a chain of events involving found family, staged deception, a New Deal cameo, and one loyal dog who always hits his mark.

Milo Mee

Emma Jilizian (alternating with Cara Impallomeni) has the perk, pluck, and vocal clarity needed to keep the whole enterprise afloat. “Maybe” and “Tomorrow” require both innocence and belt — qualities that too often cancel each other out — but Jilizian strikes the balance with disarming ease. Under director-choreographer Megan McGrath, the orphan ensemble (the NYC Youth cast, rotating with Star-to-Be Youth Cast) tears through the routines with charm.

Sarah BylsmaMelinda Meeng

As Miss Hannigan, Sarah Bylsma hits a smart middle ground: just menacing enough to make the kids’ terror funny without tipping into cartoon territory. Her “Little Girls,” bemoaning the plight of her never-ending responsibilities to the young orphans in her charge, has the right sour bite. Liam Cody as Hannigan’s brother Rooster and Maia Campbell as his gal-pal Lily St Regis are perfect as the sleazy “Mudge” couple who pose as Annie’s parents — these are the kind of grifters audiences love to boo.

Sarah Bylsma, Liam Cody, and Maia CampbellCara Impallomeni and Brendan Simon

Brendan Simon’s Daddy Warbucks is a credible hard-edged capitalist who softens slowly, not instantly (thankfully). Melinda Meeng brings clear no-nonsense warmth to Grace Farrell without forcing romantic sparks where none are intended. Adam Saville squeezes surprising humor out of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cameo, and Sandy — played by “Mac” (alternating with “Penny”) — remains the evening’s most reliably timed performer.

 The Star to Be youth cast

On the design end, Jenna Forder’s multi-level set does its job efficiently for the bedroom in the orphanage and the Warbuck Mansion, while the levels offer dimension to the dances. Hope Birdwell’s costumes deliver the necessary shorthand: threadbare orphans, frumpy Hannigan, spotless Warbucks dynasty — and Annie’s iconic red dress pops like a brand logo.

Sarah Bylsma, Brendan Simon, Cara Impallomeni, and Melinda MeengAdam Saville and Emma Jilizian

The one true disappointment: the orchestra, always one of Berkeley Playhouse’s secret weapons, is tucked below the stage rather than visible. Led by musical director Daniel Alley, the pit sounds terrific — with Trevor Acebo and Larry De La Cruz on reeds, Sonja Lindsay, Laura Shea-Clark, and Mike McCann on trumpets, Bonnie Maddox and Zachariah Friesen on trombones, Douglas Lippi on percussion, and Dean Starnes as associate conductor — but watching them work is half the fun.

Diella Wottrich, Melody Payne Alonzo, and Tosca Bloom as The Boylan Sisters

The house was full of families — many young girls quietly mouthing lyrics they clearly know by heart — and watching them connect with the material reminds you that Annie persists not because it’s saccharine, but because its message of hard-won optimism keeps resurfacing whenever the world feels unsteady. In unstable political times (much like The Depression setting itself), Annie’s insistence on optimism lands less as escapism and more as a reminder of how stubborn hope can be.

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photos by Ben Krantz Studio and Thomas Campitelli

Annie
Berkeley Playhouse
Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. in Berkeley
ends on December 21, 2025
for tickets ($19-$55), call 510.845.8542, ext. 351 or visit Berkeley Playhouse

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