It’s been a nerve-wracking year.

The country is divided. Americans say they’re pessimistic about the future, even those who voted for a change in the White House.

Could a little girl be just what we need to make us more optimistic about our future and see that we always have tomorrow?

The Encore Theatre seems to think so and is offering the perfect Christmas musical that just might provide a little lift in our spirits, Annie.  Director Daniel Cooney draws together an excellent cast, combining seasoned stage veterans to young performers giving seasoned performances.

The musical version of Harold Gray’s classic and long-running newspaper comic strip Little Orphan Annie tells the story of how the spunky 11-year-old Annie gets rescued from an abysmal orphanage to find happiness in the home of a billionaire as the country was struggling through the Great Depression. With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Thomas Meehan, and lyrics by Martin Charnin, Annie is a singing, dancing, funny show with just enough social commentary to remind us of that other divisive time.

At the center of it all is Annie. Ellen Gruber takes center stage with flaming red hair and an effervescent smile. The 10-year-old diva is in fine voice on the winsome and aspirational “Maybe” and, of course, on the show-stopping “Tomorrow”, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the sun will come up tomorrow. The song shows up a couple more times.

Annie has lived in a girls' orphanage since she was born. The orphanage is operated by nasty, despairing, heavy drinking Miss Hannigan. Encore couldn’t have cast a more perfect Miss Hannigan than the veteran Sarah B. Stevens. She snarls, she gets drunk and morose, and is conniving—all of it is hilarious. Stevens also brings out Hannigan's unhappiness. Despite her nastiness,  the orphans always seem to outsmart her.

The orphans are excellent to a person, the young girls are in sync, playing off each other like professionals. They’re funny and they can dance and stomp to the musical's second most famous song “Hard Knock Life.” Choreographer Amy West has the girls in perfect rhythm and they seem to enjoying every minute of it.

The cast is large and several cast members play two or three roles and never miss a beat.

David Moan plays the self-made billionaire Oliver Warbucks. He brings a stalwart demeanor and a strong singing voice to the successful but lonely industrial titan. Moan and Gruber play off each other well.

Rochelle Scudder is also an excellent singer as Warbucks' assistant, who is quietly in love with her boss.

The villains of the piece in addition to Stevens’ Miss Hannigan are Shaun White as Rooster Hannigan and Mariah Colby as Lily St. Regis. They are in cahoots with a scheme to get a reward by pretending to be Annie’s long-lost mom and dad. The three actors do a vaudeville song and dance to “Easy Street.”

Finally, there is George. George plays Annie’s dog Sandy. He has played Sandy in other productions.

Oddly enough a fairly large part of the musical addresses the Great Depression as a commentary about problems in the 1970s, when the musical was first staged on Broadway, and seems even better suited for now. One scene shows a Hooverville and a song of despair, and another scene has Annie leading Franklin Roosevelt and members of  his cabinet in a rendition of “Tomorrow.” Dan Morrison plays a very jovial FDR from his wicker wheelchair.

One of the points made is that the Republican-Libertarian Warbucks and the liberal FDR come together to help Annie and also come together to find common ground on how to get people back to work.

Hugh Gallagher has written theater and film reviews over a 40-year newspaper career and was most recently the managing editor of the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers in suburban Detroit. 

"Annie" will continue at The Encore Theatre, 7714 Ann Arbor Street, Dexter, through January 12. For tickets and information, call 734-268-6200 or visit theencoretheatre.org.