I caught the 1982 film version of Annie the other night on TV, and it got me to thinking: whatever happened to Aileen Quinn? Evidently, someone else had already thought the same thing:
This of course got me to thinking about other former Annies, like the original Annie herself, Andrea McArdle. Most theater buffs know that she has not strayed far from Broadway, appearing in the musicals Les Miserables as Fantine, Beauty and the Beast as Belle, and Starlight Express originating the role of Ashley (which I was lucky enough to get to see the summer it opened.) So, let's look back to the 1977 Tony awards to revisit Andrea in the role for which she is most well-known. The second number features a very young Danielle Brisebois as Molly.
Probably the most famous actress (now) to have played the role on Broadway was a replacement Annie in that original production: Sarah Jessica Parker, seen here in concert performing one of the show's duets . . . by herself.
Finally, in one of those "this is why I love the internet" moments, I was able to track down some video of (I think) the 2nd national touring production of Annie in the late 70s or early 80s. I don't know who played Annie and she's not in this video, but, you will see a pretty familiar face among the dancing orphans if you pay close attention: little miss Alyssa Milano as July. (Stage left through most of the number and then she finishes 2nd from stage right.)
Now, I have heard that there are plenty of "horror" stories that go along with being one of the girls from this show: stage moms, last-minute replacements, etc. - some of which is documented in the movie Life After Tomorrow (which I haven't seen yet) - but it certainly looks like they're all having fun. It's definitely fun to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment