“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” the saying goes — and somehow, six of us from the Toronto Star, all on different schedules, managed to plan a trip to the Stratford Festival.
It started with a message from arts critic and culture reporter Joshua Chong about an upcoming discount ticket offer. That was all the push we needed.
After some back and forth, Chong — our most seasoned theatre-goer — secured tickets for Annie and spots (at least for most of us) on the Stratford Direct bus. Not everything aligned perfectly: we sat in different rows and had to split up for the ride home. But that just made it feel more like an adventure.
Scrambled morning
Of course, getting there was its own comedy of errors.
Chong ended up taking an Uber to the departure point after realizing the TTC was down. I’d worked late the night before and was still chewing a breakfast sandwich as I dashed out the door. City Hall reporter Ben Cohen had moved the day before and hadn’t unpacked his kitchen yet. “So I forewent breakfast,” he said.
Staff reporter Nathan Bawaan walked, but regretted it halfway. “The humidity was making me rethink some things,” he said.
Staff reporter Kevin Jiang skipped his morning coffee — a bold move. “Luckily, I was invigorated by the power of theatre,” he added.
Former Star intern Hayden Godfrey arrived, and we knew we’d pulled it off — we were actually all there.
First impressions of Stratford
As we got closer to Stratford, the scenery changed — the trees were taller and there was more green space. Once we pulled into town, the architecture changed too, with late Victorian and Edwardian homes that made it easier to picture a bygone era.
“Simply adorable,” Godfrey said.
Bawaan, who’s from the West Coast, said he’s already planning a return visit. “To explore the town and lake more,” he added.
Cohen put it on his bucket list: “We didn’t have much time to explore, so I’m sure it has many virtues left to uncover.”
Jiang was sold: “It’s a picturesque little town straight out of a Hallmark movie — cute buildings, lush gardens. It’s a town I’d like to retire in.”
For me, it was a nostalgic return — the last time I’d been to Stratford, I was racing in a dragon boat as a teenager. Coming back with friends felt like closing a loop.
Lunch time
We didn’t have time for a real sit-down meal before the show, so we grabbed food at the Festival Theatre Café. Results were… mixed. We pulled out chairs at one of the many tables that lined large windows that look out at pretty gardens and sat down together to dig in.
“I packed nothing but my empty stomach, which was soon occupied by a cold BLT wrap,” said Jiang. “It cost $14 and filled me with sadness. But I finally got my coffee, so not all was lost.”
Bawaan noted a nice touch, a chocolate bar at the concession stand I bought to share, designed to look like show tickets.
Unexpected moments
The show itself brought a few surprises.
“I had only watched the movie version of ‘Annie’ from the ’80s a few times when I was growing up, (so during the play), when little orphan Annie walked into a cabinet meeting at the White House and broke out into a reprise of ‘Tomorrow’ that inspired FDR to create the New Deal, I was gagged,” said Nathan, “I guess five-year-old me didn’t fully grasp who the man in the wheelchair was.”
“The theatre was larger than I would have thought,” said Cohen.
Chong, used to seeing opening night performances packed with critics and donors, appreciated the more relaxed vibe. “I was particularly surprised by the number of young families and small children in attendance. It certainly changed the vibe of the show.”
“Theatre, for all its glory, tends to attract an older crowd,” said Godfrey, “so I was thrilled that there were many young families and groups of younger theatregoers, as well.”
One quirky moment stuck with Jiang: “There was this moment at the end of the intermission when a gaggle of musicians went out onto the terrace where we were and tooted their trumpets, as if to announce the entrance of a king. “Sadly, no king appeared — it was only to signal the end of the intermission — but I did feel marginally like royalty shuffling back into the theatre.”
Favourite parts of the trip
Beyond the show itself, everyone had a standout moment.
“Introducing the Stratford Festival to my friends who’d never been there before. It really is a gem of a town and one of this country’s great theatre centres,” said Chong.
“I’ll most remember the distinctly school-like atmosphere of our entire trip. We chatted excitedly on the bus to the theatre, all ate lunch together in the lobby café and conferred afterwards to share our thoughts about the production. If ever there was a time and place to escape from everyday life and indulge in artistic bliss, this was it, and I had a blast doing it,” said Hayden.
“The singing was terrific,” said Cohen, “and the acrobatic performances by some of the cast, I thought, were quite something.”
Mini reviews of Annie
“The child actors were phenomenal, especially Harper Rae Asch, the lead actress,” said Jiang. “But I was unexpectedly charmed by the villains. Laura Condlln, who played Miss Aggie Hannigan, was perfectly over the top, and I think I fell in love with Mark Uhre’s rendition of the rascal Rooster.”
“One of the joys of experiencing a classic work for the first time is noticing all the ways in which you have seen its influence all your life without knowing it,” said Cohen. “Of course, any hip-hop fan will recognize the orphan’s lament, ‘Hard Knock Life,’ as a reprise in the Jay-Z song of the same name. But I did not realize ‘leapin’ lizards!’ was Annie’s catchphrase. Goodness knows when and where I heard someone say it before, but I certainly had. And now I know its origin, which is somewhat satisfying.”
“The dancing and choreography from the ensemble was so good. Especially from the girls playing all the orphans. I was amazed they could do all those flips and jumps at such a young age,” said Bawaan.
“This was my second time seeing this production. I loved it just as much as the first time. The cast, especially the children’s ensemble, is formidable. And Donna Feore’s acrobatic choreography still continues to wow me,” said Chong.
“The Stratford Festival’s ‘Annie’ was stellar; it was heartfelt in all the right places, featured tremendous acting from performers young and old, and had all of the Broadway grandiosity that we’ve come to love in classic musical theatre,” said Godfrey. “The Festival Theatre’s intimate setting made it a wonderful viewing experience.”
