Thank you to Chanhassen Dinner Theatres for providing me with two complimentary press tickets, drinks, and dessert. As always, all opinions are my own, and photos are my own unless otherwise credited.
This holiday season, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is embracing the spirit of Christmas with a production of Annie. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, optimistic, red-headed Annie reminds audiences that better days are just around the corner with beloved songs like "Tomorrow."
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) is conveniently located to Minneapolis and St. Paul, and your ticket includes a Broadway-style show and table-service meal. CDT gave me complimentary tickets to the opening night performance (ticket prices range from approximately $100 for a weekday performance to $130 for a Friday evening show). Here's my review of the food and the musical.
Annie Dinner Menu Review
All tickets include a choice of entree, which is served with bread and butter as well as a side salad during evening performances. The menu for Annie features several entrees that will be familiar to frequent CDT guests: chicken Chanhassen, vegetable lasagna, and grilled top sirloin. The pear salad and macro bowl have been updated to reflect the season, and the Annie's mac and cheese is a new item for this show. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available.
I enjoyed the macro bowl I ordered during last year's production of Grease and this version is even better. It's a satisfying combination of textures and flavors, from umami-rich mushrooms to tender kale to a hearty serving of rice. The accompanying green goddess dressing has a tangy, herbaceous quality that lightens the earthier ingredients in the dish. Note that the macro bowl is gluten-free and vegan, although you can add grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon for a surchage.
Mike opted for Annie's mac and cheese, made with cavatappi tossed with Velveeta cheese sauce and bacon. He added the grilled chicken ($5 surcharge). This mac and cheese was likely added to the menu to appeal to the children who will be attending Annie (other kid-friendly entrees are chicken tenders and at matinee performances, a cheeseburger). For an adult palate, it's a bit bland—adding toasted breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, smokier bacon, and/or herbs would have gone a long way. The portion of chicken was generous, but similar to the mac and cheese, there wasn't much seasoning beyond salt and pepper. If you're looking for a vegetarian and/or pasta entree, I prefer the vegetable lasagna I enjoyed at a previous performance.
Dessert, on the other hand, was a hit. The hot chocolate cheesecake ($8) is a menu staple, but this was my first time trying it. A dense, chocolate cheesecake layer is paired with a lighter, creamier top layer, with shaved chocolate and whipped cream garnishes. Although it's definitely rich, it's not overly sweet, and the tanginess and texture reminds me of a New York-style cheesecake.
If you prefer sweeter desserts, the Reese's peanut butter pie ($8) features a delightfully peanuty mousse, with a chocolate crust and drizzles of chocolate and caramel. Because it is quite sweet, I think it's best shared—if I was attending with a group it would be fun to order one for the table so everyone could have a couple bites.
Coffee, tea, and milk are included with your meal, with alcoholic drinks, soda, mocktails, and ice cream drinks available for an additional charge. The Annie-themed specialty cocktails skew sweet—there's a Hard Knock Life Sangria, Easy Street Mule, and Miss Hannigan's Gin and Juice. I prefer spirit-forward cocktails, so my go-to is the Chanhatten ($10) which is a classic Manhattan made with Redemption rye whiskey, Angostura bitters, and sweet vermouth. Mike's favorite CDT drink is the Baker's Treat Old Fashioned ($11) made with Crown Royal vanilla whiskey, brown sugar cinnamon syrup, and Watkin's bitters. It's sweeter than a traditional old fashioned but still balanced.
The beverage menu also features retro ice cream cocktails like a Pink Squirrel and Brandy Alexander. The Grasshopper ($10) made with green crème de menthe and white crème de cacao is a fun treat, and the portion size is just right.
Dinner is served before the show starts, and dessert, coffee, and any additional drinks you'd like are served during intermission. There isn't food or beverage service during the show.
As usual, the service at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is excellent. Our server, Dustin, was attentive and extremely knowledgeable about every facet of the menu, from the sweetness level of each cocktail to the rice pilaf served with the orange roughy. Remember to tip your server based on the value of your meal ($22) as well as any drinks, desserts, and upgrades you ordered.
Annie Show Review
Annie is a musical about the relationship between lovable, optimistic 11-year-old Annie and her foster father, self-made billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Against the backdrop of Great Depression-era New York, Annie and Daddy Warbucks search for Annie's long-lost biological parents, help President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the New Deal, and thwart the schemes of corrupt orphanage administrator Miss Hannigan. Many of the songs are iconic Broadway hits, including "Hard-Knock Life," "Easy Street," and "Tomorrow." The story takes place over the Christmas season and the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres production leans into festive details, especially the lavish holiday decorations at Daddy Warbucks' mansion during the final scene.
Mike and I both went into the production relatively cold—he had never heard of the show, and although I've previously seen a stage production of Annie, as well as the 1982 film and 1999 TV movie, I hadn't engaged with the material since childhood. We were both surprised by how timely the show felt, considering that it was written in the 1970s, set in the 1930s, and based on a comic from the 1920s. Discussions of income inequality and the government's role in addressing economic hardship are threaded throughout the play, and at one point, police officers clear a homeless encampment. Although the tone of the show is predominantly lighthearted, grounding the production in the realities of the Great Depression provides genuine stakes and makes the plot more compelling. There are even a few Easter eggs for history buffs, like the presence of a sole woman in the Cabinet meeting (representing Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins) and FDR's use of a wheelchair.
The cast's depth of talent is truly impressive, from Eve Sharback's spunky depiction of Annie (all child cast members are double cast, and half of the time Annie is portrayed by Alayna Gardner). Serena Brook steals the show with her hilarious Miss Hannigan, and Danté Jamar Lamonte Murray brings a subtle poignancy to Daddy Warbucks. In every scene, the ensemble gives it their all, especially during the vibrant New York street scene. The show is beautifully choreographed, from the dancing mansion staff in "I Think I'm Going to Like It Here" that evokes "Be Our Guest" in Beauty and the Beast to the flamboyant jazz vibe of "Easy Street." (In a full circle moment, the show's artistic director and choreographer, Tamara Kangas Erickson, played an orphan in CDT's 1984 production Annie.) The live orchestra also adds a beautiful depth the show and helps convey the atmosphere of the era.
Content
Annie is appropriate for all ages, and the child-focused story and engaging production makes it a great way to introduce kids to live theater (children 5 and older are welcome at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres). That said, the show has appeal for adults, too—at our performance, there were twin girls celebrating their seventh birthday and couples celebrating their 50th anniversary.
Annie is scheduled to run through February 27, 2027. Learn more and purchase tickets via the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres website.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres provided me with complimentary press tickets, drinks, and dessert, but I didn't receive any additional compensation for this blog post.
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