Top-notch performances make ‘Annie’ truly sing

I've seen maybe a dozen productions of "Annie," but I think the Super Summer Theatre/Stage Door Entertainment version, now at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, is the first time I've ever thought of Oliver Warbucks, played here by Chris Mayse, as the main character.

That's not to say the other performers aren't up to snuff. Many are excellent. But most of the roles in this tale, about a Depression-era tycoon who is determined to adopt an orphanage girl, are, rightly, one-note.

Mayse makes the most of the only character that has a strong dramatic arc. In the beginning, the actor seems all-business, a tad callous, but always dignified. When he meets Annie, Mayse doesn't turn all gooey on us. He shows us the gradations of the deepening emotional spell. And by the time everybody's cheering how wonderful Annie is, Mayse, while exuberant, still displays that layer of reserve. Mayse carries himself with the confidence of a legendary businessman. And you feel that while, at the end, he's capable of love, he'll always have trouble demonstrating affection.

Mayse handles his songs with surprising power. He's not, technically, a singer, but has a wide range and knows how to put over a song.

While director Terrence Williams makes the most of Mayse's gifts, he makes sure the character doesn't upstage the other lead roles. In the title slot, Jessica Ruettiger belts out "Tomorrow" like there's no today. She's equally adept at communicating the vulnerability of ballads. You fall in love with her, without being pushed into it. As the amusingly monstrous head of the orphanage, Miss Hannigan, Anita Bean, executes dozens of bits with perfect timing; yet, we still somehow get a sense that there's a human being beneath all the shtick (as frightening a thought as that may be).

Glean Heath, as the sleazy con-artist Rooster, is nimble and strangely likable. With all his fancy wheeling and dealing, you keep wishing the poor guy could get a legitimate break. And Williams has seen to it that the huge cast overflows with talent. You never know when someone is going to wow you.

I find the script nauseatingly sweet. But America disagrees with me. And Williams has done expert damage control: He has upstaged the saccharine with expert comedy, song and dance (by Amanda Kraft). The show almost makes me want to be a nicer guy.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.