Saturday, July 07, 2012
Preview: Rising star gets to learn from the veterans in CLO production of 'Annie'
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Very early in the Pittsburgh CLO production of "Annie," the optimistic orphan meets up with the adorable dog Sandy and launches into her big number, "Tomorrow," which is interrupted by a brief encounter with a New York policeman.
From there, it's full speed ahead for 12-year-old Johanna Loughran, in her first starring role on the Benedum stage, and a chance to watch from the wings for 72-year-old Paul Palmer, in his 33rd season with Pittsburgh CLO.
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3 comments:
I saw Annie. It was a good performance, it was not amazing. Johanna Loughran, just as the article stated, was great. She, unfortunately, was given an unimpressive backdrop and tech production. Loughran has a set of pipes on her and she can definitely act. The rewriting of the play and the horrible lighting/sound/set did not do well to flatter her skill. The tech crew did a better job of lighting the nose-bleed seats than they did her skill. Loughran deserved much more than she was given and I hope to see her somewhere big one day. For starting off, she did well with what she was given and she has definitely proved herself. In the future, Johanna will shine once she has a strong tech crew behind her, lighting her way to the top.
When I saw Annie this past week, the aspect of the show that left me with a lasting impression was how amazing Johanna's voice was. At intermission, both my friends and myself were praising how wonderfully she sang. In addition to her great performance, I loved all the other girls playing the orphans who amazed me with their choreography and angelic voices. This was definitely the best performance I have ever seen of the show, and I would credit that mostly to Johanna's performance as Annie.
I went to see Annie this past week, and the highlight of the show was definitely Johanna as Annie. From her first note in Maybe to her last, held out note in Tomorrow, to the very end of the show, her voice was simply breathtaking. Unfortunately, the rest of the production was not. There were some spotlight flops, noisy scene changes, and late sound cues, but it was all forgotten once Johanna Loughran opened her mouth and began singing. Her voice was filled with passion and I could easily tell that she had found the character's true emotions and easily conveyed that through her singing. I would definitely consider her a rising star, and I can't wait to see what her next projects will be.
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