With all various versions of the musical already available, why should Annie top your must-see list this season?  It’s simple–talent, brilliant show design, and a feel-good, family-friendly story.

The show sets us in 1933 New York City and follows the adventures of an eleven-year-old orphan named Annie, from her life in the orphanage with her fellow girls under the cruel Miss Hannigan to her stay at the mansion of one Daddy Warbucks in a lucky turn of events at Christmas.  With such great focus on the orphans’ story, the cast needs several showstopping young girls, and Taylor Richardson leads the brilliant group of young actors in the title role.  With infectious energy, charming voices, and impeccable comedic timing, the girls bring together an ensemble of cast members that truly bring to life the story of the miracles of Christmas and epitomize hope and positive spirit in the hard times of the Great Depression.  The chemistry between Richardson and Anthony Warlow (Daddy Warbucks) is evident in their heart-touching scenes, and Tony-winner Faith Prince brings a hilarious take on the devious and scheming Miss Hannigan, a villain that you can’t help but want to see more and more throughout the show.

On top of the stellar cast, the beautiful design contributes to the aesthetics and brings together the show.  With innovative construction of the set of Warbucks’s mansion and outdoor scenes as pages of a storybook flipped by the cast as the characters travel from location to location, the show emphasizes the stark differences between the privileged affluent and the dire poor of the economy, post-stock market crash of 1929.

It takes the positivity and conviction of one little girl believing that “the sun will come out tomorrow” to inspire the masses and truly have people believing that change would be coming for the better.  This is the reason that Annie has been so influential and revived time and time again.  Her true optimism and positivity is nothing but a great lesson for people of all ages to share and partake in, transcending generations and decades.  Annie is, once again, truly not a show to be missed this holiday season, before curtains drop on its last performance on January 5th, 2014.

Annie is currently playing at the Palace Theatre until January 5.  Visit AnnietheMusical.com for tickets and more information!