Annie - Theatre Three | 9.13.25

Theatre Three of Port Jefferson is currently presenting the timeless musical classic “Annie” from September 13 to October 19th. With a book by Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics from Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin (respectively), “Annie” takes the title character from the popular “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip and puts her right on stage in this delightful musical for the entire family!

You first meet Annie (delightfully played by Erin Risolo) at an orphanage singing “Maybe” and you know you are in for a treat! Risolo delivered this song perfectly and set the bar for the rest of the show. We soon meet the rest of the girls at the orphanage and are treated to “Hard Knock Life,” where the girls sing about the challenges they face under the supervision of Miss Hannigan.

Erin Risolo, Julianne Greaves.

Funny little aside here - years before I knew anything about “Annie” I heard the Jay-Z song “Hard Knock Life” and always thought it was cute that he employed some children. I will never forget the first time I saw this show and heard the song! I thought the musical took it from *him* and I remember thinking “wow, how interesting” and quickly realized how wrong that thought process was.

Anyhoo - Miss Hannigan (played by Julianne Greaves) was a blast! I've seen this show quite a bit over the years and I’ve often thought Hannigan can be played a little over the top or cartoony - and that is not what we got here. Sure, she's mean and she's a drunk. Fun stuff, yes - but Greaves made her feel relatable and it was refreshing. Even though she's the main antagonist in this story, her interactions with the girls are curiously endearing.

Very special shout-out to the littlest orphan, Molly (played by Sadie Mathers) who will warm your heart anytime she steps forward!

Sadie Mathers, Erin Risolo.

Now, while there were many moments that Risolo shined, I think that “Tomorrow” was her finest. It is certainly the most recognizable song in the show and isn't easy for many adults to sing and she navigated through with confidence and poise. What a voice! Greaves gives little time for us to revel in that moment, as she quickly follows with “Little Girls” and knocks it out of the park, again refusing to fall victim to a cartoonish rendition but still capturing Hannigan’s humor and frustration. I can't say enough good things about it! Vocally she was strong and on point while making me chuckle throughout. No notes! Just fantastic.

We then meet the very elegant Grace Farrell (played by Samantha Fierro) who works as secretary to the affluent Oliver Warbucks. She informs Miss Hannigan that he is looking for an orphan to spend Christmas with in his home. Once she sees how poorly Miss Hannigan treats Annie, she chooses her and brings her to the Warbucks mansion. As she is showing her around the house and introducing her to the staff they dive into the effervescent “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” and Fierro’s vocals are on full display and sound as smooth as butter.

Oliver Warbucks (played by Chris Dufrenoy) returns and isn't too jazzed that Grace chose a girl and does little to hide his distaste. He instructs Grace to bring her to the movies - seemingly in an attempt to occupy and get rid of her - but when Annie exclaims that she has never really seen New York City, he has a change of heart and decides to show her the sights in the appropriately titled song “N.Y.C.”

Shortly after, we finally meet Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis (played by Will Logan and Heidi Jaye) who drop by the orphanage to visit Miss Hannigan.

That’s right, you guessed it - Hannigan siblings!

Rooster and Lily see Grace leaving the orphanage after delivering the news that Warbucks has decided to adopt Annie. Miss Hannigan is annoyed over the thought that Annie will be living a life better than hers and shares these gripes with Rooster and Lily and they decide to take advantage of the situation and celebrate with “Easy Street” - which will have you smiling and laughing throughout. The chemistry between these three is apparent and is a joy to watch!

Julianne Greaves, Will Logan, Heidi Jaye.

I generally don’t like to share too many plot points in Act 2 as I think most should *want* to see how this resolves itself - but I must mention that Warbucks decides to help Annie find her real parents and utilizes his contacts to start a nationwide search (with a reward!) for her parents to come forward. This brings us to a radio special with Bert Healy (Jacob Lesko) and the Boylan Sisters (Sophia Del Carmen, Emilia Guzzetta, Haley Saunders) singing “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” - and let me tell you…this was another standout. If I can be perfectly honest, this is not one of my favorite songs. At all. However, this rendition had me smiling and thinking I might one day want to play Bert Healy myself - which is *quite* the turnaround. Very nicely done! The Boylan Sisters gave us harmonies that were so perfect you would have thought it was all one voice. Absolutely superb. I was equally impressed with “Something Was Missing” from Warbucks (Dufrenoy) in Act 2; I know this is supposed to be one of those lovely heart-warming songs but I generally find it to be a snoozer - so good on you, Chris for keeping me positively entertained!

On the creative side, there’s plenty of great things to mention as well. I’ve always been a fan of Jeffrey Sanzel’s direction and sharing those duties with Theatre Three veteran Sari Feldman (who also doubles as this production’s choreographer) was a home run. T3 always impresses me with their scene transitions - which is key in a show like this. It would be very easy for “Annie” to drag on longer than it needs to and this production solves that. Scenes flowed in and out smoothly and sharply, adding to the overall enjoyment of the show. Jeffrey Hoffman returns as well, leading the band to perfection as he always does and I especially liked some of the costume choices from Ronald Green III - particularly the green dresses and suits that Warbucks’ staff wore!

If you are looking for a feel-good night out with the family, Theatre Three’s production of “Annie” is a fantastic choice. Closing night is set for October 19th, so don’t delay on securing your seats! Tickets can be purchased by visiting/calling the box office or via their website at www.theatrethree.com. Please note that Friday and Saturday night performances are at 7pm instead of the usual 8pm, so your kiddos can “hit the hay” (as they say) a bit earlier. Enjoy the show! You won’t regret it.

Cast:

Molly - Sadie Mathers

Pepper - Olive Oakes

Duffy - Adriana Como

July - Nora Andersen

Tessie - Kathleen Arabelle Han

Kate - Ava Day Lugo

Annie - Erin Risolo

Miss Hannigan - Julianne Greaves

Bundles McCloskey - Ryan Van Nostrand

Dog Catchers - Ben Russman, Paul Schiller

Apple Seller - Haley Saunders

Sandy - Emmie Rockwell

Lt. Ward - Ted Moriates

Sophie - Sophie Carpenter

Eddie - Jacob Lesko

Grace Farrell - Samantha Fierro

Drake - Wesley Oakes

Mrs. Pugh - Sophie Carpenter

Mrs. Greer - Sophia Del Carmen

Cecile - Emilia Guzzetta

Annette - Haley Saunders

Oliver Warbucks - Chris Dufrenoy

A Star to Be - Jaden Chimelis

Man in Window - Sari Feldman

Rooster Hannigan - Will Logan

Lily St. Regis - Heidi Jaye

Bert Healy - Jacob LEsko

Fred McCracken - Ryan Van Nostrand

Jimmy Johnson - Andrew Timmins

Sound Effects Man - Ben Russman

Bonnie Boylan - Sophia Del Carmen

Connie Boylan - Emilia Guzzetta

Ronnie Boylan - Haley Saunders

FDR - Ted Moriates

Ickes - Andrew Timmins

Howe - Jacob Lesko

Morgenthau - Ben Russman

Hull - Paul Schiller

Perkins - Sophie Carpenter

Justice Brandeis - Paul Schiller

Creative Team:

Directed by - Jeffrey Sanzel & Sari Feldman

Choreographer - Sari Feldman

Music Director - Jeffrey Hoffman

Production Stage Manager - Melissa Troxler

SOUND Design - Tim Haggerty

Scenic Design - Randall Parsons

LIGHTING DESIGN - Steven Uihlein

Technical Direction - Steven Barile, Jr.

Costume Design - Ronald Green III

Properties Design & Construction - Karin Bagan

Band:

Conductor/Keyboard - Jeffrey Hoffman

Reeds - Bill Kinslow/Dave Fletcher

Trumpet - Elliot Wolk

Trombone - Diane Hoffman

Guitar/Banjo - John DeRicco

Bass - Dave Grudzinski

Percussion - Don Larsen