The Broadway Across Canada touring brand always seems to strike an interesting balance. While massive productions like The Lion King and Wicked or hot new shows like Book of Mormon and Kinky Boots will always draw a crowd, there is something about the classics that will trigger a response. Much like earlier this year when The Wizard of Oz blew into Calgary, Annie – playing a limited engagement in Calgary until Friday and then Edmonton this weekend – breathes new life into a classic.

It was easy to see the parents and grandparents smiles as they shared a show that originally opened in 1977 with a new generation of kids. Regardless of your age, the innocence and simplicity of Annie still holds up. Heidi Gray plays the title character – a baby abandoned on the steps of an orphanage with a note promising a return – delivers in the role but it is many of the additional cast that make the show. Lynn Andrew’s villainous Miss Hannigan is brilliant – instantly dislikeable but still delivered in a way that is highly entertaining. Gilgamesh Taggert’s Oliver Warbucks and Chloe Tiso’s Grace Farrell are absolutely perfect. Daniel Forest Sullivan is clearly having a blast playing Drake the butler and that transmits to the audience’s enjoyment of the show.  In many ways it is the adult characters and their development that carry the show.

The sets are beautiful – primarily painted backdrops that move effortlessly across the stage. They enhance the stage and really take you back to New York in the 1930’s.

Of course, Annie is most known for its most recognizable songs Tomorrow & Hard Knock Life. Annie has always been more about the story then big musical numbers, although songs like Easy Street brought the house down.

Whether it’s nostalgia from seeing the movie or shows as a kid, wanting to share it with your own family, or just looking for an enjoyable night of theatre, Annie delivers all these things. It’s warm, comforting and you know you will feel good at the end. Which from entertainment is the best thing you could ask for.