Whoopi Goldberg sheds light on ‘rusty’ theatre return in ‘Annie’

Whoopi Goldberg got candid on feeling “rusty” over her return to the theatre.

The legendary actress and television personality is making her highly anticipated return to the stage. The 69-year-old star will take on the role of the infamous Miss Hannigan in the New York City leg of the Annie national tour.

In an interview with People ahead of the NYC opening, Goldberg joked about feeling a bit out of practice.

“I’m rusty, trust me,” she said. “I won’t be as rusty when you see me, but the old bones are creaking as I move.”

The beloved musical Annie, based 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 her parents with the help of billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.

Throughout her career, Goldberg has taken on many iconic stage roles, but Miss Hannigan marks her first time playing a villain.

“I keep trying to get people to make me monsters [and] villains, and people are like, ‘no,’” Goldberg shared. “So these folks said, ‘Well, we’re not gonna listen to anybody else and we’re gonna offer you this part.’”

Now, Goldberg is making good use of the opportunity to play the notorious character.

“I’m having lots of fun,” she said, adding that working alongside the talented young cast has been a highlight. “They’re all wonderful actors. They have been so open and so wonderful to me, and it makes it a pleasure to go to the rehearsals.”

The EGOT-winning star, who earned a Tony Award in 2002 as a producer for Thoroughly Modern Millie, said she finds joy in the collaborative nature of theatre.

“The thing that I can say about this, which I love more than anything, is the group feel,” she explained. “The groove of all of us working together is something I missed, where you’re all working to get it together, and actors are helping other actors.”

Performing Annie in New York City during the holidays is particularly meaningful for Goldberg, who grew up celebrating the season in Manhattan.

“We had all of New York to go and walk around,” she reminisced. “It was Gimbels [department store] and Macy’s, the windows and the Santas. And that’s what *Annie* is. It is a whole tribute, really, to New York. It is what New York is, and that is what I grew up with.”

Reflecting on the city’s evolution, Goldberg added, “A lot of those places are kind of gone. Macy’s is there, but Gimbels is gone. So it is the feel of New York during the holidays I had as a kid.”

She shared her excitement for joining the show this holiday season, “When they said, ‘We’re gonna do this during the holidays,’ I thought, ‘Well, OK. I haven’t planned anything. Let’s do that! That’s perfect!’”