The ‘Annie’ Files

Re Brian Lowry’s article “Success of ‘Annie’ May Cue Resurgence for TV Musicals,” (Nov. 10):

I’ve always believed that Robert Preston was the perfect Prof. Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” but after watching the charming and charismatic Victor Garber as Daddy Warbucks, I think he just might fill the bill as successor to Preston.

MEREDITH LINDSEY

Manhattan Beach

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After reading Susan King’s “Annie” article Nov. 6 (“Getting Back to the Heart of Little Orphan Annie”) and Lynne Heffley’s accompanying review (“ ‘Annie’s’ Hard-Knock Life in Grand Disney Style”), I could only assume that director Rob Marshall and the quoted producers had finally succeeded in accomplishing what studio heads have long joked about--making a movie without a writer.

Marshall, the producers and even the actors are credited with eliminating the “saccharine elements” of the Broadway play, making it “more emotional” and giving the character new twists. And it would appear they did it all without a writer, since none was mentioned in either article.

But when I turned on my TV, I saw that a writer was indeed credited: Irene Mecchi. Is she the same Irene Mecchi who co-wrote the current Broadway hit “The Lion King”?

CARI BEAUCHAMP

Los Angeles