There’s nothing like the promise of tomorrow and no one delivers plunky optimism quite like Annie.

Even in the worst of circumstances, Annie can always find a silver lining which can be demonstrated in a moment when a homeless person complains of empty pockets to which Annie responds, ‘At least you got pockets.’

Generations have grown up with some version of little orphan Annie and her trusty dog Sandy who meets billionaire tycoon Oliver Warbucks in 1933 Depression-era New York.  It is a classic family tale for all ages with the eternal promise that no matter what happens, there is always hope.  As the intimate, sweet-sounding orchestra chimed its first triumphant, horn-infused notes of the overture from the stage highlighting song snippets of It’s a Hard Knock Life, Fully Dressed, and Tomorrow, Greater Boston Stage Company proves this steadfast musical favorite never goes out of style.

Warmly directed by Tyler Rosati with Bethany Aiken’s uplifting musical direction and Ceit Zweil’s endearing chorography, Greater Boston Stage Company continues Annie: The Hit Broadway Musical live and in person through Sunday, June 28 at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts.  This family-friendly musical classic runs two and a half hours including an intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Part of what makes Annie such fun to produce is although the tale remains the same, there is always room to perform it a little differently each time.  Having originally watched the beloved 1982 film adaptation featuring a brilliant cast including Tim Curry, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Aileen Quinn as well as the late great Albert Finney, I’ve gone on to see Annie film and stage adaptations performed in a variety of ways featuring a small and large cast.  Greater Boston Stage Company features a seemingly smaller cast but the sentiment remains the same and is no less effective.   

Katy Monthei’s layered and folded set appears uniquely illustrated by children and opens like a book playfully illustrated with markers and crayons featuring homemade drawings, rainbows, sunshine and a drawn city skyline.  However, the most striking are the orphans’ illustrations of their imagined families.  The folded set is impressive as it turns to various scenes, but can occasionally create a tighter space for the characters.

Kelly Baker’s costumes run the gamut of 1930s vintage flair featuring a wide spectrum of patterns faithful to the era including pinstripes, plaids and paisley as well as elegant coat and tails, bowler hats, mother of pearl broaches, pinafore dresses, furs and silks. 

Donning a soft curled redheaded bob, signature red sweater and weathered pinafore dress, Livia Quist portrays a little and mighty Annie with angelic features and big expressive eyes.  Quist is one of two Annies that take the stage during this musical’s run.  Quist is darling, emotive and has a talent for sadness behind a smile and vice versa.  Endearing and sympathetic, she is unlike any other Annie I’ve ever seen.  Her powerhouse vocals light up Maybe with delicate yet spunky Ainsley Moulton as Molly as well as the show’s signature song, Tomorrow.  In long braids and an earnest smile, Moulton’s Molly is mischievous roaming about in the most unexpected of places and Brianna Brien is also impressive as tough talking bully Pepper who tests Annie several times during the musical. 

Quist’s Annie shares endearing and lighthearted moments with De’Lon Grant as dapper and driven Oliver Warbucks and charming him into seeing a movie in New York City with her is a particular highlight.  De’Lon boasts textured and soaring vocals as workaholic, urgent and tough-minded New York City billionaire tycoon Oliver Warbucks as he pays tribute to his beloved city with N.Y.C. before later performing a tender rendition of Something was Missing.  Quist also shines with Michael Sáenz as a jovial FDR.

In a black haired bob and a whistle around her neck, Ceit Zweil depicts an exasperated and sassy Miss Hannigan and certainly makes the part her own.  Dramatic, smarmy and dreaming of a better life, Zweil’s skilled depiction shows a woman who may have once been glamorous, but spends her days stunned, fed up and dreaming of a better life.  Tough and street smart, Zweil is a stylish alto demonstrating a sharp vocal growl, belt and a way of turning a phrase.  Zweil shows off her strident vocals for Little Girls as the orphans demonstrate their frequently amusing knack for pushing her buttons. 

Tader Shipley warmly depicts sophisticated and determined Grace Farrell, Oliver Warbucks’s levelheaded secretary.  Shipley’s bright eyes enliven with admiration and reverence when speaking of De Leon’s Warbucks.  Grace’s breezy yet professional demeanor fits in well with Warbuck’s no nonsense moxie.  However, Shipley as Grace’s veiled exchanges and frequent battle of wills with Zweil’s Miss Hannigan are a riot.

The orphans’ version of Fully Dressed and A New Deal for Christmas is sure to make you smile. From feigned footsteps to cowbell to kazoo, sound designer Adam Smith fascinatingly rewinds the clock depicting vintage radio programs and how radio created sound effects in the 30s.  Christian David delivers lighthearted flair as jocular radio announcer Bert Healey and the gum chewing New Yorker Boylan Sisters were a treat.

Polished in a pinstriped and purple paisley suit, Mark Linehan brings pizzazz and charisma as smooth talking Rooster, Miss Hannigan’s conman brother.  With local favorite Kathy St. George as Lily St. Regis, they make an amusing, sleazy pair and with Zweil, a trio of conspiratorial adversaries with a rollicking version of Easy Street.

Wearing thick scarves, layers period hats and surrounded by newspaper headlines, a group of homeless New Yorkers delivered a spirited version of Hooverville which dials into social injustices during the Great Depression and the not so unfamiliar financial tension of today.  However, from select city shoppers to matching uniformed house staff to government officials, this enthusiastic cast enhances the joy in this classic tale and Giselle’s noticeably vibrant and knowing smile performing a variety of roles capturing this production’s uplifting spirit.

Raise your spirits with Greater Boston Stage Company Annie:  The Hit Broadway Musical continuing live and in person through Sunday, June 28 at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and tickets.