Whoopi Goldberg was candid about feeling “rusty” upon her return to the theater.
The legendary actress and television personality is making her much-anticipated return to the stage. The 69-year-old star will play the infamous Miss Hennigan in the New York City leg of Annie’s national tour.
In an interview with people Before the NYC opening, Goldberg joked about feeling a little out of practice.
“I’m rusty, trust me,” he said. “I won’t be so rusty when you see me, but old bones are breaking as I move.”
The beloved musical AnnieBased on the 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie. by Harold Gray, tells the story of a young orphan who embarks on a journey to find his parents with the help of billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.
Throughout her career, Goldberg has played many iconic stage roles, but Miss Hannigan played the villain for the first time.
“I keep trying to make people into monsters. [and] Villains, and people are like, ‘No,'” Goldberg shared. “So these guys said, ‘OK, we’re not going to listen to anybody else and we’re going to offer you this part.’
Now, Goldberg is making good use of the opportunity to play the infamous character.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” he said, adding that working with the talented young cast was a highlight. “They’re all wonderful actors. They’ve been so open and so nice to me, and it’s a joy to go to rehearsals.
The EGOT-winning star, who won a Tony Award as producer of Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002, said she delights in the collaborative nature of theater.
“What I can say about it, what I love more than anything else, is the sense of group,” she explained. “The groove of all of us working together is something I missed, where you’re all working together, and the actors are helping the other actors.”
to perform Annie The holidays in New York City are especially meaningful to Goldberg, who grew up celebrating the season in Manhattan.
“We had to go all over New York and hang out,” he recalled. “It was Gimbels [department store] And Macy’s, Windows and Santas. And that’s what *Annie* is. It’s a perfect tribute to New York. That’s what New York is, and that’s what I grew up with.
Reflecting on the city’s evolution, Goldberg added, “A lot of those places are gone. Macy’s is there, but Jumbles is gone. So that’s the feeling of New York during the holidays I had as a kid. I spent
She expressed her excitement to be on the show this holiday season, “When they said, ‘We’re going to do it during the holidays,’ I thought, ‘Okay, okay. I Have nothing planned. Let’s do it!”