Kids and animals onstage in a daffy and heartwarming musical comedy? Depending on whom you talk to, this could either be a horror show or a holiday delight.

Typically, I lean toward the latter — one can only take so much sweetness in one sitting. However, Annie, especially this unashamedly endearing new tour directed by one of the musical’s originators Martin Charnin, relentlessly reminds you that you’re never fully dressed without a smile.

And smile you do — my face literally hurt by the jubilant curtain call.

And, quite ironically (at least, in my case), it’s all about the kids and the dog that carries this first-rate production. Charnin goes back to the basics — having directed more than a dozen productions of this beloved musical over the past 35 years, he knows exactly what strings to pull to make the show zip right into the heart. This isn’t some revisionist, modern Annie (that version is hitting movie theaters in December). This is a full-scale production of the Annie we all grew up with. Read the full review on The Huffingon Post >>