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What do Sarah Jessica Parker, Alyssa Milano, and Molly Ringwald have in common? They all began their careers as child actresses appearing in the hit musical Annie.
 Life After Tomorrow is a personal journey of filmmaker and co-director, Julie Stevens, who played one of the orphans in the Broadway cast and National Tour. With partner, Gil Cates, Jr., the filmmakers spoke with over 40 women who played orphans in the show during its original run on Broadway, from 1977-1983. The film explores the life-changing repercussions of child performers in Annie as many orphan cast members revisit their experience in the show, their childhood, family support structure, what happened when they left the show and tried to resume a “normal” childhood, and what they are doing today.
Life After Tomorrow is not only a “Where Are They Now” glimpse back at the careers of some talented children, but is also a cautionary tale for any parents considering putting their child into show business. The film also visits with the creators of Annie (writer/lyricist Martin Charnin and composer Charles Strouse), fans, agents, adult cast members and a new generation of Annie orphans. With a Broadway cast and four national touring companies, Annie ran for over five years and 2,377 performances on Broadway. With seven little girls in each cast, thousands of children got their start in show business through this musical. Life After Tomorrow offers insight of what the Annie experience was like and how it shaped the lives of the young women who have gone on to both performing and non-performing careers.
Former orphans appearing in the film include MSNBC anchor Dara Brown, actress Sarah Jessica Parker, recording artist Joanna Pacitti, Emmy award-winning actress Martha Byrne and songwriter Danielle Brisebois. (And since I was one of the Broadway pianists for the show, there's even a short word from me!)
For some, Annie marked the beginning of a fruitful career in show biz. Many were able to use the opportunity as a springboard to related careers in entertainment. For others, the incredible experience at such an early age was enough of a taste of show business to last a lifetime. Some girls found themselves struggling with feelings of loss and frustration with having their show business careers end so abruptly. As one cast member in the film remarks, “I feel like my career could not have peaked at ten!”
Life After Tomorrow, will be premiering on Showtime in December. It will have its first airing on Christmas Eve at 8 pm, followed by an encore airing on Christmas Day at 12:00 noon. |
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As many of you know, for the past 26 years I’ve been hosting a showcase for singers I call Spotlight Night.
During the last two decades these shows were mostly performed at “Danny’s Skylight Room,” a cabaret in the theatre district with the rare distinction of being a first-rate cabaret facility as well as a popular piano bar and fine restaurant. However, Danny’s is shutting its doors at the end of the year. But Spotlight Night showcases will go on... somewhere!
I announced the final “Open Microphone/Party” performance in the past two e-Newsletters, and ten wonderful performers showed up at Danny’s to perform on December 1st. Thank you Alex Greenzeig, Terri Troiano, Emma White, Christy Paysen, Andrianna Prast, Adrienne Visnic, Catherine Donnelly, Amanda Wallace, Joe Delezynski, and Eric Brown for adding your fantastic performances to the evening. Professional photographer Georgann Gelsi took photos of every singer, and award-winning technical director Brandon Voight once again worked his magic with lighting and sound. Everyone had a great time, even a group of tourists from Seattle who just happened to find out about the show and wanted to experience Danny’s. They didn’t know any of the singers personally, and were just there to have a blast — and they did!
I was especially flattered that so many agents, managers, and casting directors were in the audience. I know some valuable contacts were made for several of the performers.
After over 300 performances at Danny’s, it will be hard to start over in a new venue. But we will! More details will follow as they become available. Spotlight Night showcases are a valuable aspect of singing training, and offer experience in front of an audience. This can be a big help in subsequent auditions and performances, and perhaps a way to try out material before doing a full scale club act. Also, Spotlight Nights provide an excellent showcase for agents, managers, or casting directors to see and hear new singers. Even students currently in Broadway shows have enjoyed the chance to get up in front of an audience as "themselves".
I'd like to add a special "thank you" to all of the performers, audience members, and Danny's staff who have contributed to many years of successful shows. |
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Those of you who know me are aware that I’m a firm believer in reading.
It's a fact: the more knowledgeable you are, the more respect you’ll earn from your meetings with directors, agents, teachers, and casting directors. I’ve learned a great deal from books about musical theatre history, biographies of performers, composers, producers, and other working theatre professionals.
Here are some current favorites, with clickable links. |
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TIME STEPS: Donna McKechnie began her love affair with dance as a child in Detroit. At fifteen, she ran away from home to join a touring dance troupe, and in 1961, she was cast in the Broadway smash hit How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She soon won acclaim as Michael Bennett's show-stopping muse in Promises, Promises and Company. In 1975, with her Tony-winning performance in Michael Bennett's masterpiece, A Chorus Line, McKechnie vaulted to stardom as a unique Broadway "triple threat" who could do it all — dance, sing, and act. |
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RAISING A STAR: Nancy Carson, a children's agent who has worked in the industry for more than twenty-five years and has guided the careers of such celebrities as Britney Spears, Mischa Barton, and even a young Cynthia Nixon, dishes the facts on what it takes to break your child into the entertainment industry. The first parents' guide to getting kids into the business written by one of the industry's top children's agents, Raising a Star is a complete step-by-step guide that will help parents navigate the murky waters of show business. From how to find the right representative to what producers and directors are really looking for in children today, Nancy Carson offers practical advice and anecdotes culled from her years of experience. |
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I COULD HAVE SUNG ALL NIGHT: By the time she was 11, she performed in professional choruses in Los Angeles and, learning she had perfect pitch, set upon a career as a singer. By the late '40s, she toiled at MGM, but not always in front of the camera. Producers discovered her particular talent for dubbing, in a voice perfectly matching a musically challenged star's-a note, a phrase, an entire song. For child wonder Margaret O'Brien in The Secret Garden, Nixon "ghosted" a Hindu lullaby. A major assignment came when 20th Century Fox hired her to blend her voice with Deborah Kerr's when the latter sang in The King and I. Assignments followed to cover a distant Natalie Wood in West Side Story and a lovely Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. The Sound of Music, at last, offered Nixon an onscreen role as a singing nun, and her career, which had already included major roles in musical theater and opera, gained momentum. |
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