Amanda Lea LaVergne Brings Grace to ANNIE
Few musicals have stood the test of time quite like Annie. Since its Broadway debut in 1977, the show has become a cultural touchstone, delighting generations with its uplifting message of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of kindness. Based on Harold Gray’s long-running comic strip Little Orphan Annie, the musical took home seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Its heartwarming story follows Annie, a plucky orphan determined to find her parents, who instead finds a new home with billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Along the way, she melts the hearts of those around her, including Warbucks’ devoted secretary, Grace Farrell, and ultimately helps change the course of their lives forever.
With a score packed full of timeless classics like Tomorrow, Maybe, It’s the Hard-Knock Life, and Easy Street, Annie has enjoyed numerous revivals on Broadway and the West End, international tours, and multiple screen adaptations. Its universal themes of optimism in the face of hardship and the importance of community make it as relevant today as it was nearly five decades ago. Now, as Annie embarks on its latest Australian tour, the production welcomes Broadway’s Amanda Lea LaVergne in the role of Grace Farrell.
Amanda Lea LaVergne is no stranger to the stage, having built an impressive career spanning Broadway, Off-Broadway, and major regional productions across the United States. She has performed in some of Broadway’s most celebrated theatres, appearing in Grease, The People in the Picture, and the 35th Anniversary production of Annie. She made her Australian theatrical debut in 2019 as Lisa in Jekyll & Hyde in Concert, and is thrilled to be gracing our stages once more!
Grace Farrell is such a poised and intelligent character. What aspects of her personality do you relate to the most?
Amanda: I easily relate to her attention to detail (sometimes to the extreme) and her immense loyalty and care for those around her. I am someone who thrives with my planner and to do lists and I hold close my inner circle of family and friends.
What’s your favourite moment in the show for Grace, and why?
Amanda: It changes with every run of the show, but two moments stand out. At the top of “NYC,” Oliver Warbucks begins describing the magic of New York. I immediately get the same feeling I had as I got off the plane when moving to New York. It transports me to what that dream of possibilities felt like. And there is a moment in the second act that Grace has in this production that we didn’t have on Broadway. I get to reprise a little of Tomorrow back to Annie. It is such a gentle and still moment that carries both heartbreak and hope.
Annie has been such a beloved musical for decades. What do you think makes this production stand out?
Amanda: We have new choreography from the talented Mitchell Woodcock and this production has been updated with the use of projections and images to enhance this timeless story.
What’s it been like working with the young actresses playing Annie?
Amanda: Nothing keeps you locked into the moment like working with kids. Our Annies are a bottomless barrel of curiosity and fearlessness and they bring so much joy and excitement to the role. And while they are sharing the role, they are unique in the way they bring their own Annie to life.
You’re performing in Annie alongside your husband, Anthony Warlow! How has that experience been for both of you?
Amanda: It really is a dream come true. We have been working in shows on opposite sides of the world on and off for the last 10 years. And now we are revisiting the show that introduced us in the first place, in a country that I have fallen madly in love with, while also getting to do the simple things like having coffee in the morning together.
How do you approach rehearsals and performances when working with someone you know so well? Does it change your process in any way?
Amanda: Anthony and I are both research nuts and do loads of work on our character’s backstory before ever showing up to the rehearsal studio. Doing that together feels as if it has enriched what we are bringing into the scenes. Because of our respect and trust for each other we have more room to explore these characters that we are revisiting years later.
You’ve had such a versatile career in musical theatre – how does playing Grace compare to some of your past roles?
Amanda: Grace has a stillness about her that most of my roles haven’t had. There are no big tap dances, belting 11 o’clock numbers, or flips across the stage to hide behind. So finding the confidence and the power of just ‘being’ is a challenge I am thrilled to take on.
Are there any particular challenges or joys in taking on a role in such a well-known show?
Amanda: The challenge in playing any well known role is finding a way to balance “the way it is always done” and bringing your own skill set into the character. But the joy is finding the honesty in the storytelling and being the custodian of someone so beloved.
Why should audiences come and see Annie?
Amanda: There are so many reasons to come to Annie but at the end of the day I think it boils down to this. We can all use a reminder that hope connects us all.
Annie is playing now at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, before arriving in Melbourne from July.
For tickets and more information, visit anniemusical.com.au
