Jennifer Cohen - Annie

 

 

So, when my kids were little, the go-to movie to watch when they were sick or it was raining was for some reason, Annie, the Musical. And I would watch them sitting close together, three pair of bright blue eyes watching Carol Burnett sing Little Girls, Little Girls again and again and again. And I told them, I said, “When you grow up and you go off to college and I'm all bored and lonely, I think the Flynn Theater should do the musical Annie and I could be in it because I know all the songs, like every word.” [audience laughter]

 

And so, this bolstered me into this pretend auditioning for the show that I would do for the kids when I was in the car or on the beach or in the shower, I would sing Little Girls, Little Girls. And they'd say, “Getting ready for the show, mom?” I would say, “Yeah.” [audience laughter] So, it's just like a weird family joke. 

 

So, the years just went by. And the first one went off to college, and that was horrifying. And the second one went off to college, and that was horrendous. It was the third one, senior year, and I was sitting at the Flynn Theater in January, and a woman comes to the podium and she says, I'd like to announce that in the Fall, we'll be doing the Musical Annie.” I was like, “Oh, my God, this is so weird.” [audience laughter] Right at that moment, my phone rang and I pulled it out. It was my friend from California, and her name was across the screen and her name is Annie. God, this is bizarre. It didn't stop. 

 

I went to the grocery store on my way home, and in the checkout aisle, there was this little retrospective of Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan. And then, this is all within three hours, I got home and I was exercising. I was watching the show Shameless. And you can check in Episode 2, Season 3, they refer to the Musical Annie. So, I thought, this is just weird. [audience laughter] I'm getting these signs from the universe that I should be in this show or something. [audience laughter] 

 

So, I called the kids, and I told them and they said, “Oh, mom, you got to do it. You got to do that real audition now.” Like, “Do it. Do it.” [audience laughter] And I thought being in a musical wasn't really my vibe, but I thought I'm going to be so devastated once that third one leaves it. I thought maybe this would give me something fun, because I'm pretty sure you can't sing, dance and cry all at the same time, [audience laughter] so thought that’d be pretty fun. So, I go to the audition.

 

It's the Flynn Theater. They're kind of serious, you get a number and you got to act, you got to dance, you got to sing. So, I go to the acting part and that one was okay. And then, I go to the dancing part. This lady's up there, she's like, “Step, ball, change, fan kick, pivot and repeat.” [audience laughter] And it's like, “Number 212, get your arms right.” And I'm like, “Not getting the arms right.” [audience laughter] I bump into this lady next to me. She's all mad. It was kind of a disaster. So, then I go to the singing part. 

 

You would think that 16 years might be long enough to practice that song. But I got up and was like, “Little girls. Little girls.” I was like, “Freak.” I didn't know what came next. [audience laughter] So, I went home and I called the kids and I said, “Thank you so much for that encouragement, but we're going to have to think of something else, because--” [audience laughter] I think those signs from the universe were all about me, just pushing myself out of my comfort zone. And I did that and it was funny. So good. 

 

The next day, the director called and said, “We'd like to offer you two small singing roles.” I was like, “Really? Okay.” [audience laughter] So, we started going to the rehearsals. And it worked. I came home from teaching and the home would be all quiet. It was terribly lonely. I would cry. The dog had even died. It was just horrible. [audience laughter] And so, I know it's terrible. But then in the evenings, I would get to go to my rehearsals, and it was like goofy and fun. 

 

So, then the months go by, all the rehearsals are done. It's opening night at the Flynn. It's full House. It's going to be really fun. The orchestra's going and got my weird costume on and everything. [audience laughter] There's this point in the play when I get to come to front and center, like, right in the middle. And the lights are on me, and I just get to belt out this one big line. I was a homeless woman talking to Herbert Hoover and here's my line. I said, “You dirty rat, you bureaucrat. You made us what we are to,” and then I saw them, three pair of bright blue eyes watching Annie again. And I thought, oh, all those signs of the universe. They were just all about this one really nice mom moment that I get to have seeing my kids again surprise me. So, I got all choked up and filled with tears. But remarkably, I was able to finish my song, because apparently you can sing, dance and cry all at the same.