Whoopi Goldberg enters her villain era in Delicious’ debut in Annie

Whoopi Goldberg may have feared that she was “rusty” after years off the stage, but her performance as Miss Hannigan in the New York run of the Annie The national tour shines like the top of the Chrysler Building.

The legendary actress and view The 69-year-old host made an excited return to the stage on Wednesday, December 11, to direct the classic musical, now playing at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. And it was a welcome return, as the audience greeted her with thunderous applause as she entered and jumped to their feet at the curtain call to sing her praises.

Of course, such a reaction would be expected from a celebrity of this caliber like Goldberg. But in this case, she earned every cheer and every second of that standing ovation with what could easily be described as a masterclass in comedy.

Goldberg soaks up every moment and gets plenty of laughs as Miss Hannigan, even though it’s him AnnieThis is a great evil. With a bottle of liquor in her hand and a pipe around her neck, she plays the orphanage owner like a drunken drill sergeant, barking orders through slurred speech and a shaky posture.

That’s part of the blueprint that the late Dorothy Loudon laid out when she created (and won a Tony Award for) the role of Miss Hannigan in the original 1977 Broadway production. And countless actresses have followed suit in taking on the role, including Carol Burnett (in the 1982 film), Katie Finneran and Jane Lynch (both in the 2012 Broadway revival), and Taraji P. Henson (in NBC’s). Annie Live! in 2021), to name just a few.

But Goldberg takes her perfect timing a step further, finding new moments for Miss Hannigan to concentrate. She overcomes the character’s many mood swings – bitter, crazy, sweet, sarcastic, flirtatious, funny – with ease, sometimes so quickly that the fulcrum itself finds itself laughing. And clean Anniedelivers one of the series’ greatest comedic moments with an offhand remark to Mark Woodard’s FDR.

Goldberg is also excellent in the musical pieces. She doesn’t miss a note and hits the jackpot in “Little Girls,” making the beloved number even more delicious. And when she teams up with Rhett Guter (as Rooster) and Isabella De Souza Moore (as Lily St. Regis) for the delightful “Easy Street,” she nails the choreography, and those moves add hilarious new levels to Miss Hannigan’s evilness .

Even Goldberg’s view Co-hosts bragged about their work after opening night.

“Whoopi has a real gift,” Sunny Hostin said on the Thursday, December 12, episode of the show. “There’s a reason she’s an egotist, right? And there is something that I see – a glow around the truly gifted, the blessed, the anointed in a particular matter – and that is what I have seen.”

“I gotta give it to you, she was great. Great,” cheered Joy Behar. “She sings, she dances… I just thought you were wonderful. And to see your legs! … How many years have we been working together? Seventeen? Okay, I never saw those legs!”

Aside from the thrill of seeing Goldberg’s lower limbs, the actress’ performance is notable for several reasons. For one thing, this comes 40 years after the debut of her self-titled 1984 Broadway show, which practically launched her Hollywood career. On the other hand, it is the first time since her brief appearance in 2008 that Goldberg has played a major role on a New York stage Xanadu.

Mostly though Annie is the first time Goldberg has gotten to play a villain. “I’m constantly trying to get people to make me monsters (and) villains, and people say, ‘No,'” Goldberg told PEOPLE in November, while also sharing her excitement about getting into the role. “So these people said, ‘Well, we’re not going to listen to anyone and offer you this role.’ ”

The experience was significant for Goldberg, who recounted view told audiences that while she loves being on the ABC daytime series, she is “first and foremost an actress.”

Goldberg said, “The older I get, the more I think I want to go back to it.”

Annie is one of the most valuable musicals of all time. Based on the 1924 comic Little orphan Annie Harold Gray’s story follows a young orphan desperate to find her parents, whose world is turned upside down when she decides to spend the holidays with billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.

Adapted for the stage by author Thomas Meehan, the musical features a score of songs by Charles Strouse (music) and Martin Charnin (lyrics) that have become musical theater staples, including “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “Maybe”, NYC , “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” and of course “Tomorrow.”

This production is directed by Jenn Thompson, an original Broadway performer.

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Hazel Vogel directs the production in the title role. She is joined by Christopher Swan (as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks) and Julia Nicole Hunter (as Grace).

Also on the tour are Aria Valentina Aldea, Eva Lizette Carreon, Anna Dillon, Kylie Noelle Patterson, Olive Ross-Kline, Nora West, Stephen Cerf, Anthony DaSilva, Savannah Fisher, Alloria Frayser, Brooke Olivia Gatto, Caroline Glazier, Ryan Mulvaney , Joel Newsome, Melinda Parrett, Lawrence E. Street, Drew Tanabe and Stephanie Wahl.

Labradoodle Kevin will play Annie’s dog Sandy, Stefanie Londino will play Miss Hannigan on tour stops outside of the NYC engagement, and Avril Kagan is a swinger who only appears in NYC gigs.

Tickets for Annie are now on offer. Goldberg’s run runs through January 5, 2025, before the tour heads to additional stops in Baltimore, Indianapolis, San Francisco and other locations.