Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Brad Bening and his daughter, Ashley, appear in the upcoming 'Daddy Warbucks,' presented by San Jose Children's Musical Theater.

Father, daughter teaming up to play in 'Annie Warbucks'

By Bob Aldrich

For Brad Bening, San Jose attorney, Los Gatos resident and sometime actor, playing Daddy Warbucks with the San Jose Children's Musical Theater is an opportunity to reprise a familiar role and also a chance to be onstage with his 13-year-old daughter.

Ashley Bening, a student at C. T. English Middle School, has a dual role in the production of Annie Warbucks, a sequel to the smash hit Annie, which opens Dec. 5 at the San Jose Civic Auditorium; Ashley plays a maid and one of the orphans.

In real life, "Daddy" Bening is the older brother of movie star Annette Bening, who's married to another film star, Warren Beatty. The Bening siblings both appeared in Bay Area theater productions before Annette zoomed to Hollywood fame.

"She comes to visit me every now and then," Brad Bening said. "In fact, she hopes to be here to see me perform in this show."

It's the second time Bening has taken on the role of the bald multimillionaire who comes to the rescue of beleaguered Little Orphan Annie, a character that stems from a long-running comic strip. Bening starred as Warbucks in SJCMT's 1994 production of the original Annie.

"I couldn't resist taking the part when my daughter was going to be in the show," he said, referring to the musical currently in rehearsal.

Fourteen-year-old Emily Krolak of Los Gatos, who also was "Annie" in the 1994 show, plays the little orphan again in the sequel. Emily is one of three youngsters who alternate in the lead role. The others are Megan Woodruff and Chelsea Stock, both of San Jose.

In Annie Warbucks, the sequel, "Daddy" has to find a wife, or Annie is doomed by child welfare to return to the orphanage. The score is by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin; Thomas Meehan wrote the book.

Bening appeared in college shows at San Jose State University and later was on stage with San Diego Civic Light Opera in My Fair Lady and Showboat. "Then I took a 15-year hiatus from the theater to go to law school and set up a law practice," he said. "It was 13 years before I set foot on stage again, playing Daddy Warbucks two years ago."

His sister, Annette, "didn't make it when she tried out for the [San Diego] Civic Light Opera," he said. "I guess she was too young and immature at the time." That was before Hollywood discovered her.

Bening expressed admiration for Kevin Hauge, artistic director of San Jose Children's Musical Theater, who guides the new show. "You should see him get 50 little girls to turn their heads just so," he said. "I couldn't do it with two."

"Annie Warbucks" plays at the San Jose Civic Auditorium Dec. 5-8 and Dec. 11-15. For ticket information and show times, call the box office at 288-5437 or 998-BASS.