'Annie Live!' worked a little too hard but mostly delivered a good-luck night
CNN
After last year's "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical" -- a dual threat as both a critical disaster and a ratings flop -- NBC returned to more fertile territory with its latest holiday presentation, "Annie Live!" Incorporating a live audience, the show more closely approximated the energy of a theatrical experience, with its main flaw stemming from trying too hard to please.
Having a crowd actually watch the show helped overcome one of the raps on this format over the last decade, mounting some memorable shows but struggling to capture the unique qualities of an in-person setting.
On the downside, the audience (one suspects with a degree of coaching) sounded a bit too appreciative and enthusiastic, applauding during numbers and carrying on as if this "Annie" was frankly a better show than it is or was.
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