Comtra Theatre

Annie

directed by Robert Hockenberry

December 2013

Role - Oliver (Daddy) Warbucks

When I was a Senior in High School, I auditioned for Annie. I was asked at the time if I would shave my head for the role of Daddy Warbucks. I said "no" even though I really wanted to play Warbucks. The actor they did cast said yes and then refused to shave his head after we were too far into rehearsals to change anything. Damn my integrity.

Anyway, this is one of the roles I've always wanted to play. Emotionally, he's everything Annie is not. He's cold, lonely and distant and it takes a poor orphan to make him realize that he has been substituting the accumulation of wealth for friendship and love.

Sure, that's easy to say. Now try to portray that on stage. I think I did a decent job showing the audience Oliver finding his humanity without making the older man/ young girl relationship creepy. 

Oliver gets to sing a lot, maybe more than Annie, which is why I find it odd that a lot of productions I've seen of Annie have a Warbucks that is not a singer. I got to sing my favorite Annie song, "NYC", and the optional "Why Should I Change a Thing?"

I even shaved my head.