Show People with Paul Wontorek Interview: "Annie" Broadway Icon Andrea McArdle

Andrea McArdle is a straight-shooter, which makes her guest appearance on Show People with Paul Wontorek a must-see. The original star of Annie opens up about the effect of the iconic role on her career (not great), explains why she should be considered to play Miss Hannigan in the forthcoming revival (she learned from the best, Dorothy Loudon) and offers her own casting choice for the title role. The newly single McArdle, back in New York co-starring with daughter Alexis Kalehoff in the new musical Greenwood at NYMF, also chats about censored You Tube clips, dream roles and why she can't lie about her age. It's an action-packed Show People, so click on and enjoy!

[@DorothyAnneDouglas]

I love that she's so honest. I'm tired of those Broadway people who try and beat-around-the-bush. She isn't trying to be mean and she is just telling her honest opinion.

[@littlesongbird1]

Exactly and lets not forget when they did the 20th Anniversary of Annie and fired Joanna Pacitti, Andrea had no problem calling out the producers on how she felt it was wrong and she and other former Annie's protesting but not going to see the show.

[@WHATTHEBUCKSHOW]

I watch this. A lot.

[@singer34109]

Me too. I quote some of her one liners in real life all the time.

[@drawntotrouble]

It’s interesting to see how far Paul Wonterek has come as an interviewer. Here he seems so nervous and unskilled at putting his guest at ease. It must be hell having someone focus entirely on a show that she did 40-some years ago.

[@paulberthelot5665]

Love her and her voice. SO talented. I did think calling the girls who did choose to participate in the doc or tour the show "wannabes" was really harsh. Does she think anyone who tours with a show vs being in the original one on Broadway is just a wannabe?

[@matthewbennett9928]

Well she was just saying the girls in that talking memory don't speak for everyone and I don't speak for her or for anyone involved in the original Broadway production. It may have been harsh but she gave her brutal honest opinion and I respect that. If you want her in any interview she's always brutally honest and doesn't sugarcoat anything she says exactly what she thinks and whether you agree with her or not that's something I have to respect her for.

[@purplepeopleeater6880]

There's no shame in being a wannabe...or a has been for that matter

[@formerlyduped2429]

But she did not tell the truth. SJP, Allison, Robyn, Danielle, Kathy Jo from the OBC were in it and several in national tours. Julie Stevens toured and was the last Pepper on B-way.

[@1969DMA]

Life After Tomorrow was actually good, and many of the people interviewed were on Broadway, including 3 of the original 5 Broadway Annies (plus the original Annie who was replaced before it made it to Broadway). You can't bash a documentary about not telling your story if you don't allow yourself to be a part of it! Overall, the documentary was pretty balanced - showing the positives and negatives of childhood stage performers. It almost sounds like she's pissed she didn't think of it first.

[@jordanstibal8834]

She sounds pissed that she wasn’t included.

[@fredd8556]

I'm late to the party - but you're so right. I just watched the documentary. You get to see Kristen Vigard who created the role of Annie at the Goodspeed Opera House and went on to become McArdle's understudy; Sarah Jessica Parker who was the 3rd Annie on Broadway, and Allison Smith who was the fourth!

[@thewonderfulworldofderek6087]

Kid's it's in 1977 Ainne put you in since show

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I also loved Andrea McCardle in a remake of Annie with Alicia Morton as Annie and Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan.

[@michaelbuckley]

Watching for the 22,000 time! Inedible!

[@sweeney60]

when she talks about the documentary about former annies, did you get the sense that she was in denial?

[@sallysimpson7]

@sentryguns123 she claims that Julie Stevens the woman who produced "Life After Tomorrow" was never on Broadway...total lie. she says most of these women will never be on Broadway ....again lies. I could list every name in LAT that were on Broadway, but that's silly. There are a LOT. She claims instead they were on "Bus and Truck" tours, that is a specific type of tour. Most weren't, but even those that were have incredible merit. They were all on official national tours.

[@letsrock1729]

9 years late....but yes, total lies. I'm willing to bet she'd never even watched LAT when this interview took place. Don't honestly know what was wrong with her.

[@MrRockinChair65]

I was there. Opening night at the Goodspeed Orera house, and opening night on Broadway..love ya Andrea....still have a pic of you and me at the after show night on the river...you were 12, I was 11 and smitten, lol Love and prayers...I know you seem to want to forget those times, but I'll never forget em =)

[@sallysimpson7]

I'm afraid Andrea is outright lying when it comes to many of the things regarding the documentary "Life After Tomorrow". Julie Stevens was absolutely on Broadway in Annie, that's easy enough to look up for anyone. And many of the others in the documentary including Allison Smith and Sarah Jessica Parker were as well. I'm not sure what Andrea is trying to prove here. This is rather painful to watch. I have always loved her.

[@asparagus72]

@sallysimpson7 I don't know what she's trying to prove either. Julie played Pepper on Broadway in the 80s. There were even a couple of members from Andrea's cast in the documentary, including Robyn Finn who played Pepper, and Kathy-Jo Kelly who replaced Janine Ruane as July. Jennine Babo, Karen Schleifer, and Randall Brooks from Sarah's cast were also in it.

[@formerlyduped2429]

Sarah Jessica Parker was in it, Allison Smith, the 4th Annie, and Danielle Brisebois. Andrea has become very egocentric although I do admire he singing skills

[@broadwayarchive]

She's honest. I like that about her. If Patti Lupone said any of this, you'd all be cheering her on. Just saying..

[@Stevebaby123]

Love her. Down to earth and has an opinion. Best of luck to her.

[@Sleightman3D]

When I was a kid, I fell in live with the voice of Annie on the record my parents brought home from the play. Now here she is all these years later having a conversation that is more fit for a private business meeting. She comes across as both self important and desperate. Her demeanor is incredibly off-putting and it's sad. She makes a point about the magic of 'having people want you,' then proceeds to turn off the viewer. She needs a manager or publicist to teach her about making people want you through humility and not over selling yourself. Still love her voice/music though.

[@karenhart8001]

I have 2 words for you...Philly Girl. She comes across as a Philadelphia native. Not self-important and desperate but "I don't suffer fools gladly". You can take the girl out of Philly but you can't take the Philly out of anybody :) I met her last week and I have never met a more gracious "star" in my life. She made me feel like I was the most important person in the room, took the time to take pictures with me, and I was extremely impressed by her.

[@robertadouglas9498]

barney cd

[@anthonyL1995]

I saw Life After Tomorrow when it first was released. I thought it definitely painted a cautionary tale for child stars in general not just Annie. There is a tip that many actors are given. Do not leave New York (or Hollywood) to do a tour. If you are gone for six-nine months everything in the city changes. So, these little girls who were 8-13 years-old at the time were going around the country probably mostly middle America not playing venues where producers, directors, or agents would see you. They were selected out of cattle call auditions. At the end of the day that show back then and even now sold out venues based on the name alone and if you add some TV star on as Hannigan or Warbucks that is who is selling those tickets on tour. So, those little girls didn't necessarily have formal training of any sort going into the roles and all those producers (which were not the Broadway producers) cared about was that they knew their lines and could get from point A-Z within the two acts of the show. It was the mid to late 70's when she played Annie. Dorothy Loudan hated children. They did a cast reunion recently as of 2020 where Andrea only briefly discusses Dorothy's attitude. It is obvious if you look up videos that her and the second Annie have a very good friendship that has lasted the decades along with other original orphans and that includes SJP. It was a different time in general. She's only done Broadway a handful of times since Annie. Her voice is incredible and still is to this day. Idk if she just doesn't have an agent or what the issue is. It's possible she came from money or married rich and doesn't have to rely on acting at all. Regardless, I don't begrudge her for having a completely different experience as the original headliner of the Broadway and West End versions of a show as apposed to Orphan number 12 who played Annie for six months until she started to develop on tour.

[@letsrock1729]

Nobody is begrudging her for having a 'completely different experience'. What people are taking issue with is her apparent attitude that only HER experience matters. Which is simply just not true.

[@zebrastreet9993]

let's rock! she definitely went overboard here but I can kind of understand her distaste for the documentary and how it played up the negatives. She feels protective of the show and its legacy and feels the doc did a disservice to it. I can understand that.

[@chrismcevoy2503]

She was great in Rainbow as Judy Garland.

[@MrSwannny]

I liked Life after Tomorrow and I think it should be shown to every child (and their parents) in the entertainment business.

[@derekllewellyn6663]

Life after tomorrow

[@derekllewellyn6663]

Documentary about biography history channel all about Annie 1977

[@s.j.johnson1961]

Not a flattering interview. Not only is she going to tell you that Life After Tomorrow is trash, but she’s going to claim it was all about her (“my story”), insult other Annie actors (“wannabes”) AND state that these actors were not on Broadway (“and never will be”), when in fact several of them were and played the same exact role she did (Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith, for example). I always liked her, but not anymore. She’s just rude.

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I loved Andrea McCardle in Rainbow as Judy Garland.

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I love Andrea McCardle.

[@jc6594]

Happy 55th Birthday Andrea McArdle

[@sallysimpson7]

@asparagus72 yes exactly. it makes me sad that she would feel the need to do this. Andrea is a very very talented performer. i see no need for her to put others down. i actually saw her Cabaret show years back. she was very sweet and gracious with her fans. i wish she could be the same about her fellow thespians

[@karenhart8001]

Y'all crack me up...To all those folks bitching about what she said in the interview...When you have the talent that she does you can talk...Until then move along...nothing to see here. She didn't want to be in the documentary because she knew it was going to be negative...The later casts from the OBC had different experiences, and even the creators of the show wish they never did this documentary.

[@letsrock1729]

The documentary wasn't 'negative'. It was an honest exploration of the impact of having this kind of experience as a young girl. I too had this experience and very much related to the documentary. My experience had a huge impact on me. For some time afterwards, it was a 'negative' impact (understandably, as going back to 'real life' after doing something this fantastic at such a young age is equivalent to the shock of being slapped round the face). Now, however, it's all 'positive' and I'm truly grateful to have experienced it. The documentary was excellent!

[@1969DMA]

I also have to say that she sounds incredibly condescending to performers in national tours (some of those performers are actually better than the Broadway performers - and many HAVE been on Broadway). I guess she's right. All the good stuff on youtube really is taken down. This does not paint her in a very flattering light.

[@reblnugent]

She still has a kidish sound about her speaking voice, its so cute because you can still see the little 12 year old Andrea in her

[@SusanScrapPassion]

I actually saw Andrea as Annie on Broadway. We are the same age. She still has a great voice. I also remember her on a soap opera on tv prior to that role. I am saddened to see this very bitter woman who still has so much to offer. I have a feeling her attitude has a lot to do with whether she is cast in a role or not. No one wants to work with a know it all. Experience and being wise is a very different thing from being angry. I hope she changes her ways while there is still time to play the roles she is speaking about.

[@matthewbennett9928]

I don't think she's being angry I think she's just being brutally honest. She knows more about the business than a lot of people do cause she's been in it for such a long time.

[@sweeney60]

i think she probably had a negative experience too and pretended everything was okay to survive it and is now in denial about it cause she had to be in denial back then.

[@littlesongbird1]

Or she could have had a different attitude. Many performers don't dwell on a part: it's just a job. She did Annie and then she moved on to other things. Aillen Quinn also enjoyed her time on stage and in film as Annie but moved onto other things and looks back at is as a fun time in her life that she enjoyed and then moved on from.

[@wednesdayaddamsxx]

I'm going to see her as Dolly in Hello Dolly in two weeks!

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I could see Andrea on General Hospital as Kristina.

[@sebastianpellegrene]

The first cast as Annie was Kristen Vigard. She is an amazing talent but they didn't think she was tough enough and did not have the huge voice they needed. I can understand this after hearing Andrea Mcardle. She is a gifted singer. You cannot get around the fact that Andrea has amazing pipes. Kristen has done well for herself in the business. Andrea did say nice things about her on the Merv Griffin show witch is great but this interview is sad. I have met her and she is really nice. ???

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I would love to see Andrea on BRAVO.

[@Kurtperry41]

Real Housewives of Broadway: Andrea Mcardle Gavin Creel Sutton Foster Alice Ripley Idina Menzel

[@MrRockinChair65]

Happens when you are such a star at such a young age...tough to follow it up as an adult, and that's gotta gotta hurt. Love her still, and will never forget those days

[@littlesongbird1]

I love how she stood up for Joanna and called out not casing an 8 year old against at 12year old

[@jasonabroussard]

Just got home from ANNIE rehearsals, only to watch this interview... what are the odds?

[@twistknit1]

LAT was very depressing. Andrea was wrong that there wasn't any broadway stars. Alison Smith for example. Still... LOVE LOVE LOVE Andrea!!!!

[@chrismcevoy2503]

Andrea’s daughter Alexis is beautiful just like her mother Andrea.

[@jetson10100]

Is it just me or does she seem a bit bitter, and egotistic?

[@kevins.butler3402]

I didn't know that Ms.McArdle's daughter has become a performer..herself?

[@sgtdroxie]

I love Andrea :) She was such a charming kid . . . and what beautiful adult! I would totally go see her as Hannigan. She's AMAZING!

[@alannaborden1092]

I would love to meet her

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

I think she's saying that the people who made the documentary are trying to profit off of something they were not a part of. They were not in the Broadway version, but a small touring company version. It would be like a McDonald's Franchisee telling how McDonald's became a huge corporation, but speaking as someone from the Corporate Headquarters.

[@miapinnick697]

But Julie Stevens, creator of the documentary was Broadway alumnus

[@horselightning]

Well to be fair ,a handful of the girls joined the broadway cast later after a national touring run, some were on broadway. some went from broadway to a national touring production. You have to research each girl on the Annie page to really know who. Andrea never watched the documentary and probably just know in a broad sense that most were from the national tours. I would love to read a biography on Andrea. I thought she was writing one. Least we know how she saw her broadway run in Annie and her later work.

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

+mia pinnick So? Many of the people who appear on camera, the people actually telling their stories, weren't part of what SHE was part of.

[@horselightning]

Yes. and I agree with your original post. :)

[@snopesshop1903]

Danielle Brisebois and Robyn Finn and Kathy Kelly - all part of the film - were all in the original Broadway production.

[@alexandreprrn]

Love how she talks about Dorothy. She really was the best

[@Jammipi]

Wait , what happened to the old Annie who didn't do it ? Can anyone explain ? Thanks in advance

[@stephaniemalloy257]

She rags on that documentary because its exposes how she wrote a nasty, racist note to one of her little co-stars.

[@horselightning]

How do you know she was the one?

[@snopesshop1903]

horselightning It is the only reason why she would have so much defensive indignation towards this film.

[@horselightning]

+Snopes Shop not necessarily . A lot of people see that film as negative , as just as many see it positive.

[@sheismymom]

what did she say in the note?

[@bartonsmith6158]

Love her!

[@ovitatirac]

something's wrong w/ her i dont know what.... there's this negative aura about her, and yeah... she's bitter i think.

[@anthonyL1995]

While she has a much better singing voice, if they ever did "Sex and the City" the Animated Series then they could totally use Andrea to voice Carrie. They have near identical speaking voices.

[@kevins.butler3402]

If you're reading this..Ms.McArdle..Have to agree with you.."Rainbow"the NBC TV movie bio about Judy Garland is a piece of junk..that should not be shown again.

[@sebastianpellegrene]

Oh, when Annie came back to Broadway they did the same thing with the first girl cast as Annie. Replaced. Joanna Pacitti was first cast. Amazing singer. Who really knows why they replaced her. I don't believe what they say. Anyway, I believe Brittney Kissinger replaced her. Also an Amazing singer. Still I believe it was wrong. I watched this interview again and I really do hate it. I still love Andrea but she does not come off good and I don't think she cares what we think. She should.

[@broadwayboundguy]

I understand her sentiments completely, but I feel she is soooo negative. I know it's tough, what she's been through.

[@Stevebaby123]

I like her very much.

[@patsox00]

she is my cousin and i am in my school play of annie

[@sebastianpellegrene]

I watched this again and I'm not going to spend money seeing this woman perform anymore. Spoiled doesn't even say it. It's sad she comes off so mean and awkward and to go on camera and lie like she does. Many of these girls were on Broadway with her. Did she think no one would see this? What's wrong with you Andrea. Grow up and apologies to these profesional actors or wake up to no fans. This is the thing that kills careers. Joan Crawford is Mary Poppins by comparison to this falling star.

[@subbtopp]

she sounds like amy farrah fowler from big bang

[@GreatBroadwayFan]

13 dislikes? Really people, really???

[@stopcrap2]

they pulled the good ones LOL

[@brianpelaccio4092]

Julie Stevens was on Broadway, also SJP and Alison Smith (former Annies) were both in it. This whole interview makes her seem so bitter and not nice.

[@matthewbennett9928]

I don't think she's trying to be mean I think she's just giving her brutal honest opinion and I respect people who are brutal honest they don't hold back and sugar coat anything.

[@brianpelaccio4092]

@@matthewbennett9928 we both have different opinions then.

[@letsrock1729]

Completely agree with you. She comes across here as arrogant and rude. I have a personal connection to 'Annie' and have always thought so highly of her (by reputation, I didn't know her). Not anymore.

[@s.j.johnson1961]

Agreed. There were several Broadway actors in that documentary. Her reaction to it is over the top and condescending. And her reason for not doing it makes no sense. “They weren’t there”. Okay, but you were. Why not share your own experience if it was so positive? And if I remember correctly, the women in the documentary were talking about what it was like for them, not for Andrea McArdle. Weird interview.

[@brianpelaccio4092]

@@matthewbennett9928 Ok, well for everyone who isn't her bestie, she comes off as a huge B, with this interview.

[@thewonderfulworldofderek6087]

Documentary biography Tcm Intrvew Reviews New year's 1977 Annie history. Oascr awesome awards. 70s movie made mazes magic judy garland move same

[@TheBioethicist]

by "fabulous" did you mean "jaundiced?"

[@Jeannekm126]

and one thing more her daughter Alexis isn't a great singer and looks like a spoiled princess.

[@purplepeopleeater6880]

Honestly I'm not old enough to remember her in Annie in the 1970s...and this interview of hers is cringey!

[@wickedwonka9155]

She’s intense lol.

[@thewonderfulworldofderek6087]

Intrvew Documentary New house History years July garland Annie back

[@thewonderfulworldofderek6087]

1977 New show people put in kids since song's same

[@hughjasse4047]

Is she on drugs?

[@jimmystubbs3149]

Kids are bigger? ...What?

[@ARReith]

Idina isn't indelible... nope, not at all.

[@stopcrap2]

@whistlingtrixie I knew her, she changed. She acts like she's on drugs.

[@annettecropper]

annie

[@stopcrap2]

@MrRedPajamas lol

[@ILoveCarolBurnett]

Big headed much?

[@MrLightsCAMARAction]

i wouldnt lol :p

[@thewonderfulworldofderek6087]

I annie history home

[@chrismcevoy2503]

I loved Andrea McCardle in Rainbow as Judy Garland.