Annie (1999 Television Film)

Resumés aside, how is the soundtrack? Well, McDonald might be a touch operatic and Garber a little young, but these are minor quibbles with a cast that is effective throughout (even Bates). Morton might not be the belter Andrea McArdle was in the original cast, but she's very good, and if anything the difference makes her sound like the little girl she is. Perhaps the best moment is McArdle--still sounding great at the ripe old age of 35--making a brief cameo as the star-to-be in "N.Y.C." Longtime fans of the show will notice that, in order to fit a two-hour prime-time window, the production had to leave out most of the historical context of the FDR administration ("A New Deal for Christmas," "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover"), as well as some other familiar numbers ("You Won't Be an Orphan for Long," "Annie"). This soundtrack is thus best considered a souvenir of the television production or a complement to, rather than a replacement for, the original cast recording. --David Horiuchi