We took the kids to see "Annie" this weekend when the national tour came through Anchorage. It was a blast. I have so many memories of the show as a child myself.

I remember being a middle school student when "Annie" came to LA and my dad was helping to lead a high school field trip to see it. My friend Stephanie Salts and I got to skip school, go on the school bus with my dad and all those high schoolers, and see "Annie" at the Shubert Theatre. I remember we also stopped at Olvera Street for lunch on the way and it seemed quite exotic at the time.

I also remember when the San Bernardino Civil Light Opera announced that they would be performing "Annie." I was just the age to audition for an orphan and I harbored great dreams of appearing in a regional production. I didn't get to audition (those drives to San Bernardino for late night rehearsals would have been trying I'm sure) but I remember that Laura Daniels, a girl I performed with in various plays and singing engagements, did audition and got a part. Oh, how I yearned to sing "It's a Hard Knock Life" with my mop and bucket, too!

You can never start early enough in indoctrinating your children as to the joys of the broadway musical. It was great fun to see the kids enjoy the singing, the acting, the storyline, the dancing. Christopher is at an especially fun age for this kind of stuff, and Cate was already a huge fan of "Annie" from watching the movie version. It was a truly fun day.

The only problem? When I told Christopher the next day to get his shoes on, and hurry with getting his backpack ready he replied "Yes, Miss Hannigan" with a devilish smile on his face. Rotten kid. :-)