Anna and Clara See Annie

Clara and I saw Annie today at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. I've been wanting to go check this place out ever since they opened, but the prices always deterred me. First of all, paying money to take Jason to a musical would be similar to throwing money in the trash. And to pay that much for Clara, well, I just couldn't do it. I was excited when I found out about the free promotion through the Kid's Club for Annie and assumed there'd be some sort of catch. Only certain days, wouldn't include the meal, you know, the things that normally apply to freebies. To my surprise, it was pretty straight forward. Two very FREE tickets, buffet included, to pretty much any showing of Annie during the next five weeks. We picked today. Today was the opening day, but this weekend is just too busy, next weekend is Thanksgiving and the closer we get to December 25th, the less time I am going to be able to handle sitting for long periods of time. Not to mention waiting too long might have meant missing it all together if this baby comes early. So off we went, Clara with curls and me with jewelry. We were fancy.

We both loved it!

Initial reaction: something isn't right... add my age to Clara's, double that and that was probably the average age of the audience. In fact, other than the family of the girl that played Annie, I'm thinking everyone was a good 30+ years older than me. Now I know what snowbirds do for entertainment.

The food: above average, but next time I go (yes, I would pay to go to another production), I probably wouldn't pay for the food. Maybe if it was $11 more, it'd be worth it, but when they aren't running their 10th anniversary promo, it's $21 more (well, $18 if you go to a matinee) and that's not worth it to me. I'd rather cook my own food or go out to somewhere that I can get better food for less.

The seating: we got near perfect seats. We were in the second row of tables and right in the center. Both Clara and I had excellent, unobstructed views. I think the couple we shared a table with was nervous when they saw a 3 year old walk up to the table, but they had nothing to worry about. Clara was a little peach.

The acting: very, very impressed, especially with the kids. The whole time I was thinking, This is way better than a movie. I think I'd rather do this twice a year than go see a movie once a month. Not that I ever watch movies in the theater, but still. The costumes and sets were great too. I thought it was very well done.

Clara: we don't watch movies often in the theater. I think it's a waste of money and Clara gets bored. Live theater, however, was a totally different story. Clara had the biggest grin on her face when they first lifted the curtain and was glued to the stage the entire time. It was a little hard for her not to talk to me and ask questions, but she loved it. I can't wait to take her back. (As I'm typing this, Clara climbed on a bucket and started singing and dancing and now she's saying, "I'm an orphan. I'm Annie, the best Annie.")
SOOO, I can't wait to go back. They have a "Children's Theater" that is much cheaper, especially for adults, so I'm thinking we might try that out next. Excellent entertainment.