Annie

Babirra Music Theatre continued on their practice of producing top class shows at the Whitehorse Centre on Saturday night. Everything about it had class.

Dominating the production was the Daddy Warbucks of Zac Brown. I’ve often heard Warbuck’s songs badly sung as they are almost unsingable, but he coped with ease. He also showed pathos and timing that drew the audience in. I’ve never seen the role played better.

The title role is a trap for young singers, who are tempted to push their chest voice dangerously high. Anita Karabajakian had no problems, negotiating the songs with no sense of strain and her bright personality was not overdone.

As the three villains, Nicole Kapiniaris (Miss Hannigan), Harrison Wall (Rooster) and Kate Spruce (Lily) were all over the top and very funny. Lauren McCormack was excellent as Grace Farrell.

Casting went for quality rather than quantity with a small group of orphans, as their dancing and singing was very tight.

The sets were impressive, and judicious use of a scrim made for quick scene changes, allowing the action to flow.

Annie is one of my least favourite musicals. Evolving from a comic strip, the characters are all two-dimensional. Apart from a couple of songs by the title character, the songs are unmemorable. However, Babirra put up a strong argument for its continued survival.

The season deserves to be sold out.

Graham Ford