"Stage Preview: Subtle alterations add to 'Annie's' charm, dimension Tuesday, December 21, 1999 By John Hayes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer Twenty-two years after bolting from the funny papers to the Broadway stage, lil' orphan Annie is still dishing out bowls full of sunshine. The optimism of the little redhead is so contagious that her musical, written by Thomas Meehan and Charles Strouse with lyrics by Martin Charnin, remains one of the world's most endearing stage shows. Stage Preview: Annie Where: Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. When: 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday; 2 and 8 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday and Sunday. Tickets: $29- $55. 412-392-4900. Two recent Broadway revivals of Annie in New York and London precipitated the 100-city U.S. tour that swings through Pittsburgh this week. For the record, it is neither the New York nor the London production. This version includes the same set, props, choreography and subtle musical alterations as the popular 20th-anniversary tour. It is helmed by original director Charnin and performed by a non-Equity cast. Don't expect drastic changes: Annie is still sweet as pie and her hair's still red. But as the show has matured, Charnin has rearranged some musical elements that may be noticeable to anyone comparing the current music to that of the original cast recording. The changes are important to do in a show that has a long shelf life, says Charnin during a phone call to his London office. Realistically all shows evolve over time for a couple of reasons. The audience itself over the course of time has changed in attitude and expectations, and that has a profound influence on how [the actors] do certain aspects of a show. Patrick J. Cogan proudly boasts that he has played Daddy Warbucks in four productions and will have played the part 800 times at the conclusion of this tour. He calls Charnin's musical additions almost inevitable. Unless you know the show very well, you won't pick up on [the changes], he says from Michigan, where the cast recently finished their 105th performance. If you own the CD, there are seven bonus tracks that weren't put into the show. They are from recordings made of the backers' auditions, where Martin and the other guys sang and talked through the show for the money people. There was a song, 'We Got Annie' that was cut before the show premiered. Martin [inserted] a couple of bars from that song as sort of a counter melody in the song 'Annie.' The changes are very subtle -- things like that. But Annie is anything but subtle. 'Annie' was written when America was in a really deep funk over things like Watergate, the recession, Vietnam, says Charnin. 'Annie' was written as a rebuttal: there is a better day 'round the corner. We all become cynical as we grow up. 'Annie' is a reminder to take a deep breath, pull your socks up and you can get through it. Cogan offers a candid, if less saccharine, explanation for the show's success. It's almost sickly sweet in its optimism, he says, laughing. But God love it, it works. There's a magic to it that doesn't exist in any other piece that I know of -- maybe 'A Christmas Carol' is an equivalent piece. But the beauty of [Annie] is that the story lends itself to that. If you play the show long enough, you'll inevitably end up with that optimism and it translates to the audience. Has Annie infected the cast with its sticky sweetness? I hate to say it, but yes, says Cogan. No, really. We've been out five months now living on a bus, seeing each other day in and day out. There are 35 crew and cast members and I swear we still like each other. It's a miracle. This is my seventh or eighth national tour and I left those liking some people and sick of others. But on this tour we've made some powerful friends and have had a really good experience. Part of it is due to the people, but I think singing these songs every night has made us all -- I hate to say it -- just really, honestly happy."

"The Strand Theater goes The Full Monty Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/27/06 Patrick Cogan of Union Beach, who played the role of Harold Nichols in the professional national tour of The Full Monty, will be playing the same role at The Strand. Cogan said he has 30 years of professional acting under his belt and has done seven national tours of Broadway musicals, including a portrayal of Daddy Warbucks in the 2000 national tour of Annie. It's (The Full Monty) a story about real guys. It tells the story of every man, he said. Being an actor you aspire to be on Broadway and be the leading man, he said. This musical is full of character men, and every role is a leading role."

" 'Annie' at Wolf Trap: It's Only a Bray Away August 31, 2000 By Pamela Sommers The most affecting and individual performance is Patrick J. Cogan's expansive portrayal of Daddy Warbucks. He's got a glorious voice and an imperious grace about him. And he actually seems like a flesh-and-blood human--not a revved-up singing and dancing machine. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/08/31/annie-at-wolf-trap-its-only-a-bray-away/08f1e651-10a6-423b-944a-a3421a6ea032/"