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Don't share with Paul Mason Barnes your fancy theories of reinterpreting "Annie" for modern times or dressing it in renegade set design.
The guest director for Pioneer Theatre Company's upcoming production of this holiday musical staple knows to leave well enough alone. "Why would we, or anyone, want to do something a little different or new when it's solidly built as it is?" Barnes asks. "Why reinvent the wheel when it's so well-written, and has been so successfully performed over the years?"
Marketing is rife with case studies in which classic products were overhauled, with disastrous results. Remember the new Coke?
"Annie" had all the hallmarks of a classic when it opened on Broadway in 1977, Barnes reasons, so there's no reason to tamper with it now. Would anyone add rouge to the Mona Lisa? Or make the sun set in the east, rather than the west?
Theater aficionados may roll their eyes at the musical's sunny demeanor, its blatant attempts to tug the heartstrings with an orphan as central character, and its too-cute-for-words pairing of a little girl and her dog.
The fact that "Annie" endures, Barnes said, speaks more powerfully to the human need for optimism than the fashionable requirements of cynicism. If the musical's heartfelt message about the nature of family doesn't conquer the front lines, its blitzkrieg of belt-worthy songs by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin most surely will.
All that's needed is the right cast — in the PTC version, that's 30 members strong — and an appetite for logistical challenges.
"At least seven children — in our case we've got 11 —and a dog," Barnes said. "And lots of set changes means the action must be as fluid as possible."
And, of course, the lead. In 11-year-old Los Angeles native Sami Staitman, Barnes said he's found just the right driver for this musical vehicle. "She clearly had the vocal capacity we needed right from her first audition," he said.
Staitman, who often finds herself in Park City thanks to her grandparents' condo there, said Annie's appeal is that few other characters reach out so directly to an audience. "I like using my imagination to make connections with all those people sitting in the dark," Staitman said. "It's really cool and makes it all worthwhile."
"Annie" is one of the few musicals, too, in which an animal gets not just a starring role, but a chance to add context to the play's themes of rescue and finding a home. Mikey, a dog taken from a Connecticut shelter and trained by William Berloni Theatrical Animals, plays Sandy. He was an understudy for two years before taking the role in regional productions of the musical nationwide in 2007, said trainer and actor Brian Michael Hoffman.
"It's the real 'Annie' story offstage," Hoffman said. "It's life imitating art."
Actor Larry Cahn, who plays Oliver Warbucks, said the musical's Great Depression parallels to the current Great Recession lend heft to its message of optimism in the face of spirit-crushing doldrums and economic strife.
Tapping that spirit in the right proportion is key. "When I tell my actor friends I'm playing this role, most of them are jealous," Cahn said. "They know I'm going to have a great time, on all levels."
Barnes notes that the production's history has its subversive side, especially when contrasted against the political convictions of Harold Gray, the Illinois native who created the "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip.
Gray was an ardent foe of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal programs, yet the show ends on a celebratory note of his efforts to end the Depression with the song "New Deal for Christmas."
"It's very easy for people to be cynical about this show," Barnes admits. "But listening to the cast sing 'Tomorrow' last week, I told them that if there was ever a time people need to hear this, it's now."
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Bet your bottom dollar
Pioneer Theatre Company presents "Annie."
When • Dec. 2-23. Mondays-Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m., with additional 2 p.m. matinees Dec. 21 and 23.
Where • Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East on campus of University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Info • $36-$62; tickets half price on Monday and Tuesday for K-12 students; call 801-581-6961 or visit pioneertheatre.org to reserve.