Andrea McCardle opened her show at the Metropolitan Room with “N.Y.C.,” one of the hit songs from the Broadway musical Annie, the production she starred in when she was just thirteen. Now in her forties, McCardle has become a star on the cabaret circuit, even in the slow days of August attracting an enthusiastic crowd. With her big voice and stage presence, however, Broadway will always be where she belongs. Until the right production for her comes around (producers, are you listening?), we can be grateful we get to spend these special evenings with her up close and personal.
And the Metropolitan’s early show on Saturday, August 8, was personal for McCardle. Besides her parents and a close friend celebrating a birthday, three young performers who had appeared in their school production of Annie, came to see their mentor perform. Annie remains a popular production for schools and McCardle often conducts Annie workshops for young people. She had taken the time to see this local production, something, she told the audience, she rarely does, and not only praised the trio, but also called them up on stage to sing with her the Annie anthem, “Tomorrow.”
Through her musical selections, McCardle’s inspiration became clear: Judy Garland and her daughter, Liza Minelli. McCardle reminded the audience that her first major role after opening the London production of Annie, was to star as a young Garland in the TV movie, Rainbow. Besides “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” she lent her voice to “The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis (she starred in a regional production), and “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart.” Her tribute to Minelli included a rousing rendition of “Cabaret” and a soulful take on “Maybe This Time.”
McCardle, fit and glamorous in a tight-fitting black dress, spent two years as Belle in Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast. She sang the title song she never got to sing in that production. Confessing that she would love to tackle the part of Mama Rose in Gyspy, following the Tony Award-winning performance of Patti LuPone in the recent revival, she lent her all to “Some People.”
Playing Annie was a defining moment for McCardle, coming when she was just a child. Even though she is older (Martin Charnin’s song about McCardle growing up and developing breasts brought laughs from the audience), the resemblance to her younger self—the red hair, the mischievous smile, and the distinctive vocal range—remains. To her credit, she has embraced her Annie legacy, continuing to sing the songs from the musical and encouraging younger performers, like the ones who came to see her at the Metropolitan Room. But the older Annie—whether on a cabaret or Broadway stage—is the one now worthy of our attention.
Andrea McCardle
Metropolitan Room
Monday, August 10, 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 11, 7 p.m.
34 West 22nd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
212-206-0440
www.metropolitanroom.com
$30 cover charge and two beverage minimum
