'Annie' timely, but touring production on the tinny-sounding side

With America in the midst of a protracted economic crisis, it seems we all could use some of the Depression-era optimism that a certain plucky comic strip orphan exudes in "Annie" to help buck up the country's spirits.

At least that's the feeling most audiences should get with the return of this hit Broadway musical, now continuing on its extended 30th anniversary tour at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. But "Annie's" promise is only partially delivered in this non-Equity staging produced by Networks Presentations.

No doubt newcomers to this seven-time Tony Award-winning show will still soak up all of its solid storytelling and classic tunes by composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Martin Charnin. Yet many veteran "Annie" fans will note this tour's rough edges (like the partially synthesized orchestra) that prevent this beloved 1977 musical from being truly picture perfect.

On opening night, Madison Kerth (as the title redhead) was glaringly off-pitch a couple of times in her wistful introductory song "Maybe." Kerth later warmed up and sang the rest of the performance solidly, but those first impressions got her off on the wrong foot.

On the acting side of things, Kerth isn't nearly as mechanical as her fellow mob of girl orphans. Though extremely qualified for their cute quotient, these kids could really be coached by veteran "Annie" director/lyricist Charnin to be more spontaneous and natural.

As for the adults in the show, some lack the necessary comic chops to wring more laughs from Thomas Meehan's 1930s name-dropping script. It's too bad that every now and then a solid punch line doesn't soar out of the park because the performer doesn't have the veteran experience to deliver it right.

This is mainly the case with Lynn Andrews as the over-imbibing orphanage caretaker Miss Hannigan. Andrews is clearly very talented and sings marvelously, but her youthfulness often peeks through in flashes of Lisa Gennaro's bursts of choreography (to the detriment of Miss Hannigan's embittered and beaten-down-by-life persona).

Luckily there are other solid performances that stand out in "Annie."

David Barton commands the stage with the necessary authority and drive of the billionaire Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, while Traci Bair's clear soprano voice and cheeriness makes her ideal as Warbucks' personal secretary, Grace Farrell.

Also making strong character impressions are Zander Meisner as Miss Hannigan's scheming ex-con brother Rooster (particularly in the sassy number "Easy Street") and Jeffrey B. Duncan as the patrician President Franklin D. Roosevelt (who gets laughs with the Act II reprise of the big hit song "Tomorrow").

On the production side of things, Ming Cho Lee's handsome sets are comically askew for the orphanage scenes and full of fun details in his traditional painted backdrops (these sets effectively differ from the 20th Anniversary tour "Annie," while Theoni V. Aldredge's original award-winning costumes have been recreated). Yet the touring staff really should have ironed out the very noticeable wrinkles of the backdrops - particularly in later scenes within Oliver Warbucks' 5th Avenue mansion.

A timeless show like "Annie" is bona fide family fare and certainly feels more relevant nowadays in these difficult economic times. But it's too bad that so many elements in this current "Annie" tour prevent it from being shown off to its best effect.

"Annie" Rating: #9733; #9733; #189;Location: Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago; (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com Showtimes: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24Running time: About 2 hours, 40 minutes with intermission Tickets: $20-$75 Parking: Area pay garages Rating: For all agesFalse512324Miss Hannigan (Lynn Andrews) bosses around the orphans in "Annie," coming to the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. False <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Video</h2><ul class="video"><!-- Start of Brightcove Player --><div style="display:none"></div><!--By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and Cfound at http://corp.brightcove.com/legal/terms_publisher.cfm.--><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script><object id="myExperience62595458001" class="BrightcoveExperience"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="width" value="300" /><param name="height" value="255" /><param name="playerID" value="18011347001" /><param name="publisherID" value="1659832549"/><param name="isVid" value="true" /><param name="@videoPlayer" value="62595458001" /></object><!-- End of Brightcove Player --></ul></div></div></div>