NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� is about to break two ironclad rules of show business 鈥� never work with animals or children.
The actor and TV host is slipping into the terrifying role of Miss Hannigan when lands in New York City for the holidays.
鈥淚鈥檓 having the time of my life,鈥� the EGOT-winning Goldberg says between rehearsals as she readies to tell the tale of a spunky young orphan with her dog Sandy set during the Depression.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ho can we cast in that iconic role that would be right artistically and right for a large venue and right for an audience?鈥� And it just felt like she was the right person,鈥� says Carolyn Rossi Copeland, who is producing the new tour.
Goldberg will help lead the show at The Theater at Madison Square Garden from Dec. 11-Jan. 5. The tour has a deep connection to the first version of the hit show: It is being directed by Jenn Thompson, who at the age of 10 stepped into the role of Pepper in the original Broadway production.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really beautiful journey. I have a lot of ghosts I got to exorcise and revisit and reclaim,鈥� says Thompson, who for the new show has chipped away at the layers of productions and charted a course back to the original production.
鈥淚t had changed a lot over the years. It had gone through many revisions and alterations and it wasn鈥檛 even a conscious mission when I started but that鈥檚 where we ended up 鈥� kind of back at the beginning.鈥�
Goldberg laughs when she says she signed on before realizing how much was going to be required of her. 鈥淚鈥檓 rusty. I鈥檓 old,鈥� says the 鈥淭he View鈥� co-host.
鈥淚 got in the middle of it and I thought, maybe this is more than I can handle. And then a little voice said, 鈥楻eally? You know, if you said this is more than I can handle to anyone, they would laugh you off the stage because it鈥檚 not.鈥� It鈥檚 exactly what I can handle.鈥�
Hannigan is a gin-swilling orphanage head who calls her charges 鈥渂rats,鈥� denies them hot mush and threatens 鈥測our days are numbered.鈥� She has two great songs 鈥� 鈥淓asy Street鈥� and 鈥淟ittle Girls.鈥�
The musical contains musical gems like 鈥淭omorrow鈥� and 鈥淚t鈥檚 the Hard Knock Life.鈥� which earned him and songwriter Charles Strouse a Tony for best score in 1977, are playful and moving: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e never fully dressed/without a smile鈥� and 鈥淣o one cares for you a smidge/when you鈥檙e in an orphanage.鈥�
鈥淚 love the dark side of it," says Thompson. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of joy and there鈥檚 a lot of rage and they are in conversation with each other. And it鈥檚 what makes it a great musical in my mind."
鈥淎nnie鈥� has been adapted many times for the screen, including a 1982 film version, another in 1999 and one in 2014 starring Quvenzhan茅 Wallis, and a live TV version in 2021 on NBC with
The tour after the new year will head to Maryland, Alabama, Illinois, sa国际传媒icut, Florida, Indiana, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Wisconsin.
The musical was born in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration and the creators have said they were seeking to offer some hope. 鈥淚 think it is a story about survival and choosing the light when you are in the dark,鈥� says Thompson.
The musical first premiered on Broadway in 1977 and was revived in 1997 and 2012. The 1977 original show won the Tony Award as best musical and ran for 2,300 performances, inspiring tours and revivals that never went out of style. It last played New York on Broadway in 2012-14.
鈥淭he original show was just endowed with so much hope and optimism and the comedy in it was honest,鈥� says Copeland. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really back to its roots. There鈥檚 no gags and gimmicks.鈥�
Others who have played Hannigan include Carol Burnett, Kathy Bates, Dorothy Loudon, Nell Carter, Katie Finneran, Jane Lynch and Henson. Goldberg says she's stayed away from watching any versions 鈥渟o I wouldn鈥檛 copy other people.鈥�
Goldberg has a long history with New York theater, producing such shows as 鈥淪ister Act,鈥� 鈥淴anadu鈥� and 鈥淭horoughly Modern Millie,鈥� as well as performing in 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom鈥� and 鈥淎 Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 sound like she says. "I don鈥檛 sound like Nicole Scherzinger. I don鈥檛 sound like anybody. I don鈥檛 sound like I just sound like me. And for 鈥楢nnie,鈥� it鈥檚 the right sound.鈥�
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
