[.ca] Annie Original Television Sou

From Amazon.com:
The cast of Disney's 1999 television production of Annie reads like a who's who of Tony winners: Grace is played by Audra McDonald (Ragtime, Carousel, Master Class), Rooster is Alan Cumming (Cabaret), and Lily is Kristin Chenoweth (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown). Add Alicia Morton (Young Cosette in Broadway's Les Misérables) in the title role and Victor Garber (Sweeney Todd, Assassins) as Daddy Warbucks, and you have a cast that is refreshingly not driven by Hollywood box office, other than Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan. Resumés aside, how is the soundtrack? Well, McDonald might be a touch operatic and Garber a little young, but these are minor quibbles with a cast that is effective throughout (even Bates). Morton might not be the belter Andrea McArdle was in the original cast, but she's very good, and if anything the difference makes her sound like the little girl she is. Perhaps the best moment is McArdle--still sounding great at the ripe old age of 35--making a brief cameo as the star-to-be in "N.Y.C." Longtime fans of the show will notice that, in order to fit a two-hour prime-time window, the production had to leave out most of the historical context of the FDR administration ("A New Deal for Christmas," "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover"), as well as some other familiar numbers ("You Won't Be an Orphan for Long," "Annie"). This soundtrack is thus best considered a souvenir of the television production or a complement to, rather than a replacement for, the original cast recording. --David Horiuchi

overall-pleasing presentation of the ANNIE score:
This soundtrack to the ABC-Wonderful World of Disney version of ANNIE stays faithful to the musical's Broadway origins, unlike the gritty John Huston film version of 1982. The cast is largely made up of seasoned Broadway veterans, with a few newcomers. Alicia Morton heads the cast as the titled moppet, and is a wonderful singer with a lot of personality and presence. The amazing ensemble also includes Victor Garber (SWEENEY TODD, DAMN YANKEES) as Daddy Warbucks, Audra McDonald (MARIE CHRISTINE, WONDERFUL TOWN) as secretary Grace Farrell, Kathy Bates ('Misery') as Miss Hannigan the addled orphanage mistress, Alan Cumming (CABARET) as Rooster and Kristin Chenoweth (WICKED, STEEL PIER) as Lily St. Regis. Apart from a truncated Overture, the score plays out pretty well with a faithful nod to the original orchestrations by Philip J. Lang (Doug Besterman and Danny Troob are among the new orchestrators credited here). And Broadway fans will get a huge kick out of Andrea McArdle's cameo as the Star-To-Be in the "NYC" musical sequence (McArdle was the original Annie on Broadway and in London). On the whole a very satisfying new version of ANNIE. .

Garber Great:
I Love Annie and the original Annie from broadway is here to It's a classic.....

Annie is the best:
This version of Annie is the best ever. I love the soundtrack and listen to it everyday. Alicia Morton is the best she sings beautifuly and is deffinetly worth your money.

• Maybe (Annie)--Alicia Morton
• Hard Knock Life--Alicia Morton, Marissa Rago, Danelle Wilson, Nanea Miyata, Lalaine, Erin Adams, and Sarah Hyland
• Hard Knock Life (Reprise) --Marissa Rago, Danelle Wilson, Nanea Miyata, Lalaine, Erin Adams, and Sarah Hyland
• Tomorrow (Annie)--Alicia Morton
• Little Girls--Kathy Bates
• I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here--Audra McDonald and Alicia Morton
• NYC--Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Alicia Morton, and Andrea McArdle
• NYC (Reprise/Lullaby)--Victor Garber
• Easy Street--Alan Cumming, Kathy Bates, and Kristin Chenoweth
• You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (radio version)--Jerry Whitman, Bobbi Page, Linda Harmon, and Edie Lehmann-Boddicker
• You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (cast version)--Danelle Wilson, Marissa Rago, Sarah Hyland, Erin Adams, Lalaine, and Nanea Miyata
• Easy Street (Reprise)--Alan Cumming, Kathy Bates, and KristinChenoweth
• Something Was Missing--Victor Garber
• I Don't Need Anything But You--Victor Garber and Alicia Morton
• Maybe/Tomorrow (Reprise)--Audra McDonald
• Little Girls (Reprise)--Kathy Bates
• Finale/I Don't Need Anything But You (Reprise)--Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, and Alicia Morton