By Andrew Poretz . . .

Andrea McArdle first shot to fame at 13 as the lead star of Annie on Broadway in 1977. She is now part of the Legends in Residency series at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, which features monthly appearances by McArdle, Lillias White, Donna McKechnie, and Lorna Luft through June 2026.

McArdle’s Broadway on Demand has a unique premise: club co-owner Michael D’Angora circulates through the audience with two red buckets, one for stories and one for songs. Lucky patrons draw a selection, and McArdle either tells the story or sings the song – both to great effect. It’s also fine to ask a question, or even request something outside the buckets: on this particular evening, she was never at a loss.

She is accompanied by the excellent pianist and musical director Steve Marzullo, who recently served as sole accompanist for John Lloyd Young in a show this writer reviewed for another publication.

McArdle proves an engaging storyteller, at once vulnerable and funny. Her voice remains strong, seemingly untouched by time. Aside from a few creases here and there, she looks and sounds remarkably like the ingénue audiences remember. Though the setting is warm and intimate, she performs in full “Broadway” style, singing “to the balcony,” drawing the audience into a vivid Broadway memory. Combined with the warmly told stories and the presence of friends and fellow performers in the room, the evening often feels less like a formal show and more like a lively, generously sized house party – one to which everyone is fortunate to have been invited.

An early request for Sondheim’s “Being Alive” had her “starting with an 11 o’clock number at 9:45,” followed by a powerful rendition of this classic from Company.

The evening also marked 49 years since the first preview of Annie. One audience member asked how she landed the role, while an old friend requested her funny “Howard Johnson” story. Later, recalling an encounter with Harry Connick on a plane, she related how he said that he and his daughter loved the cast album, then asked why she belted “Maybe” (Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin), a lullaby. McArdle explained that Annie was among the last shows performed without body mics, relying instead on floor mics, so everything had to be projected. She then sang the song with sweetness and feeling – though no one drifted off.

It also turns out that the concept of “child wranglers” can be traced back, at least in part, to McArdle’s early Broadway experience. During an intermission, Frank Sinatra managed to lure her next door to Jilly’s, his favorite restaurant on 52nd Street, causing her to be late for her second-act entrance. At the Laurie Beechman, she delivered a knockout performance of “If He Walked Into My Life” (Jerry Herman) from Mame.

Audience member Mark Hartman, a noted Broadway musical director, requested “Meadowlark” (Stephen Schwartz) from The Baker’s Wife. It is a longtime favorite of McArdle’s mother and is closely associated with Liz Callaway, who introduced it. “So forget Liz Callaway,” McArdle quipped.

Jazz and cabaret star Nicolas King, also in attendance, requested “A Change in Me” from Beauty and the Beast (Alan Menken/Howard Ashman and Tim Rice). King, himself a former child performer, was the longest-running “Chip” in the show. McArdle’s was the longest-running “Belle,” though the two did not appear in the same production.

Naturally, no Andrea McArdle show would be complete without “Tomorrow” (Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin) from Annie, which she delivered as the closing number. Earlier, she shared how a complaint to Carol Channing about always having to sing the song led to a memorable piece of advice. Channing, far from feeling burdened by “Hello, Dolly!”, embraced it as her signature song, with gratitude – a perspective that completely reframed McArdle’s own relationship with the number.

A standing ovation brought her back for an encore and one final story. “Always include a Billy Joel story,” she said, before closing the evening with Joel’s “You’re My Home,” from his 1973 Piano Man album.

This was a terrific evening at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, offering a rare and intimate opportunity to spend time with a Broadway legend.

For more information about Andrea McArdle, visit https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/andrea-mcardle. Her next appearance in this series is scheduled for May 15.

For more great shows at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, visit https://www.thebeechman.com.

Photos: Andrew Poretz