Edition: U.S. / Global

The New 'Annie 2' Looks for Well-Heeled Friends

Published: February 13, 1991

The bar was open, the drinks were served and the crap game was about to begin. The stakes were higher than a sidewalk game's: potentially $4.5 million. But what was at stake was whether bets would be placed on what almost everyone in the theater agrees is usually a roll of the dice: whether a musical will come up 7 or 11, or snake eyes.

It is called a backers' audition, where potential investors are invited to see excerpts from a show in the hope that they will be impressed enough to ante up. It has happened thousands of times in the history of Broadway, but this time there was a twist. The Broadway musical was "Annie 2," the sequel to the 1977 megahit "Annie." Yes, the same "Annie 2" that was budgeted at $7 million, flopped in Washington in January 1990 amid a whirlwind of publicity and never made it to Broadway.

But now the show's producers say they are offering a "new, improved and thoroughly delightful 'Annie 2.' " And so half a hundred people climbed two steep flights of stairs Monday evening to sit in a long, narrow room at the Coffeehouse Club on West 45th Street and watch a handful of Broadway producers, composers, authors and performers show and tell them why, in a time of war and recession, they should invest their money. 'They Wanted Fun'

"I believe in this show," said Roger Berlind, one of its producers, standing in a corner of the room as the potential sources of money arrived, and drinks and hors d'oeuvres were served. "This is a happy, upbeat family show. The other," he said, referring to the first "Annie 2," "for whatever reason, was conceived as the reverse of 'Annie.' It was hard edged and had dark moments. It was not what the audience wanted. When they came to something called 'Annie 2,' they wanted fun. I think this version delivers it."

Thomas Meehan, who wrote the book for the original "Annie" as well as for "Annie 2," was also optimistic. Producers and creators are, of course, almost always publicly optimistic.

"I honestly, deep down, think we've got it right," Mr. Meehan said, standing by the piano as the show's composer, Charles Strouse, whose Broadway credits include "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Applause" as well as the original "Annie," played selections from the latest version.

"Up to this point, I think we've solved 90 percent of the problems," Mr. Meehan said. "The first time, we wrote the wrong show. Now I think we've written the right show. It's the story of a child looking for parents. In 'Annie,' she finds a father. In 'Annie 2,' she finds a mother."

Martin Charnin, the lyricist and director of both "Annie" and "Annie 2," stood at the side of the bar and noted that the audience consisted of "the usual suspects." Profiling an Angel

Most of those invited have a track record, or potential track record, as Broadway investors. Among their characteristics are a love of the theater, including the thrill (or agony) of opening night, and lots of spare cash.

"We'll take you through the whole play," Mr. Charnin said, adding that the presentation would last about an hour and 10 minutes and include about a dozen songs. "It's a musical about family. You are invited to respond as if you were in the theater, with laughter and applause."

The show was played on a staircase leading up from the side of the bar, with the characters sometimes at the foot, sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the top. Mr. Charnin narrated, summarizing the plot, leading into bits of dialogue and lots of songs.

Lauren Gaffney, the show's new Annie, sang and danced and led around her loyal dog, Sandy, portrayed by Chelsea. Harve Presnell re-created his Washington role as Oliver Warbucks, Annie's billionaire father, and Raymond Thorne did the same as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Other cast members included two sprightly youngsters, Lisa Molina and Natalia Harris, who portrayed singing and dancing orphans. The Target: A Fall Opening

There was much applause, and much laughter, and at the end a lot of congratulations. What was not clear was whether the applause and the laughter and the congratulations would metamorphose into cash.

"We hope to open on Broadway in the fall," said Mr. Berlind, a veteran producer whose recent credits include the last two Tony Award-winning musicals, "Jerome Robbins's Broadway" and "City of Angels," the former a financial flop on Broadway and the latter a financial success. "The budget is $4.5 million. We have about $1.4 million left over from the Washington production, from investors who left their money in. If they still decide to stay, we need about $3.1 million more."

The original "Annie" ran on Broadway for almost 6 years, a total of 2,377 performances. It cost $800,000 and made a profit of $20 million, including a $9.5 million movie sale. When "Annie 2" was officially announced in mid-1989, and all during its rehearsal period in New York, its creators, producers and investors envisioned a similarly happy fate.

But nothing worked. When it opened in Washington, the critics lambasted it. Changes were made: new material was added, and so were new orphans. But it was not enough. The producers decided to save whatever of the $7 million that was left and not go to New York. Instead, they said, they would work on the show from May to July in Chester, Conn., at the Norma Terris Theater of the Goodspeed Opera House and refinance it for another Broadway try. The original "Annie," they noted, had begun at the Goodspeed. Demise of an Archenemy

And so they did. New songs were composed. The book was rewritten, so much so that Annie's archenemy, Miss Hannigan (played in Washington, as in the original production, by Dorothy Loudon), was eventually eliminated. Ms. Gaffney was chosen to replace the Washington orphan, Danielle Findley, who had been selected in a much-publicized search.

And now, more than a year after the Washington debacle, they were back in New York.

Monday was the first of three backers' auditions. The second was held last night, same time, same place, and the third is scheduled for tonight. Among those invited were representatives of the three major Broadway theater owners, who in addition to providing venues can also provide production money. On Monday, Jack Viertel, the creative director of Jujamcyn Theaters, showed up to have a look.

"I first saw the show in Washington," Mr. Viertel said before the presentation began, "and when I saw it again at Goodspeed I thought they had done a lot of good work. These are important artists putting together a show. The fact that they had difficulty doesn't mean that they can't do it." No Hasty Decision

Mr. Viertel cautioned, though, that backers' auditions could be misleading. "It's easy to convey that the songs are sprightly and that a show has energy," he said. "That can be deceiving. It's sometimes hard to see the soul of a show at a backers' audition. That's why if I have any interest in it at all I want to see a full script and take time to think about it."

Meanwhile, the producers of "Annie 2" will wait while others decide if they will provide aid and comfort to this particular orphan.

"I hope you enjoy it," Mr. Charnin told his guests when the evening began. "And I hope we hear from you."

Photo: "Annie 2," the sequel to the 1977 hit musical, auditioned for potential backers yesterday. Harve Presnell as Daddy Warbucks and Lauren Gaffney as the new Annie performed a song from the show. (Ruby Washington/The New York Times)