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Life Lessons
December 6, 1998

W.C. Fields was wrong. "He said never act with children and animals, but there's a lesson to be learned from children," says John Schuck.

After sharing the stage more than 700 times with little orphan Annie and her foundling pooch, Sandy, the veteran actor should have a Ph.D. in that realm of study. He's starring as Daddy Warbucks in the 20th anniversary touring production of "Annie," which comes to Hancher Auditorium from Dec. 8 to 13.

He spoke with The Gazette from his hotel room in Atlanta, a mid-November stop on a yearlong tour that will crisscross the country through May. Schuck, who's best-known for his TV stint as the sergeant on "McMillan and Wife," says working with children "reminds you of why you became an actor in the first place."

"It's fun and makes you feel joyous to do it. After many years in the business, it's possible to become jaded and cynical. I'm not," he quickly adds, "but when (the kids) are out there kicking, singing and having a good time, there's a good lesson to learn from that."

Back in his prime-time TV days, Schuck had a full shock of dark, wavy hair. Those days are gone, thanks to aging and "Annie."

Now 58, he still sports the occasional mustache. "That seems to be the only thing that's growing these days," he says with a hearty laugh, "not that I'm totally bald, but nature's having some sort of attrition."

For the stage, he's giving nature a helping hand. "Every morning I lather up the entire cranial area and have at it with a razor. I kind of like it. My longhaired days are over."

He first shaved his head for Daddy Warbucks back in 1980, and after a year of shearing, his hair grew back nearly straight and very fine, instead of curly and thick.

His understudy on this tour has given up on shaving his head. "It's been so long since I missed a performance that he's grown his hair back," Schuck says. By now, those locks should be stubble, as the lead player was planning to sit out a performance in Milwaukee over Thanksgiving so the understudy could step into the role for his hometown crowd.

Schuck was looking forward to sitting in the audience for a change. "It should be fun. It's important for me to see the show and see why the audiences are so enthusiastic."

He says they're still avidly embracing the rags-to-riches tale of the little orphan girl who gets to spend Christmas at Warbucks' mansion and ends up stealing his heart.

Schuck also appreciates having another go-round in the role, getting back to his theatrical roots.

"Most audiences don't realize I'm a singer, so that's always a surprise," he says. "Twentysome years after 'McMillan & Wife,' there (are) physical changes, too. I'm heavier, I'm balder, but I'm also more experienced.

"Now I have a 17-year-old son, which I didn't have when I first played (in 'Annie'), so I know what having children can mean and about that need," which he says isn't just a maternal yearning. "I bring a comprehension to Warbucks now.

"Hopefully, I'm a much better singer and actor than I was 15 years ago.

"The other thing that's different: The times are different. When 'Annie' first came out, it was the end of the Vietnam-Watergate era. The economy had definitely gone south, so the message that 'the sun will come out tomorrow' struck a very positive chord. The times were as much responsible for the popularity of the piece.

"Now things are going swimmingly - materially, we're good - so the message maybe doesn't seem quite as strong, but we like to see a success story in this country, and this is a success story, for two characters at least. In Annie, we see tenacity and daring, and in Warbucks, we see how the conquest of a strictly material life left him alone and empty. Then we see him fill up as a human being" when the red-haired moppet melts his paternal heart.

The actress playing the title role has captured Schuck's heart as well.

"She's a phenomenal young lady," he says of 10-year-old Brittny Kissinger.

"We call her 'leather lungs.' It's not only a very strong voice but one of great beauty, too. I stand in awe of her.

"She's a fine actress, too, which makes my life easy."

They've been acting off each other since rehearsals began two years ago.

"She grows and grows and gets better and better, and I get better and better, too. We've had a marvelous time growing together."

He's also had a wonderful time working with Sally Struthers, who plays Miss Hannigan, the comic-relief character who snarls about the "little girls" underfoot in her orphanage.

"She's a bundle of energy, a lot of fun," Schuck says of the actress known for her perky portrayal of Gloria on the '70s sitcom "All in the Family."

The little girls don't get underfoot on the road, Schuck adds. They travel with a parent and study with a tutor. Unlike Kissinger, the kids who play the orphans tend to stay with the show about six months, then go back to their regular routines.

"Touring is unnatural," Schuck says. "It's very, very difficult (for the kids) having to separate families."

The support system is strong, and the company tries to be an extended family for the kids.

"The level of education they're getting on the road is often better than what they get at their schools. When they go back, often they're bumped up a grade."

He says the "stage mom" syndrome is not a problem, since the accompanying parents are busy shuttling the kids to classes, publicity events and the theaters, where the rules are clear.

PARENTS AREN'T allowed to attend rehearsals and have to leave the building a half-hour before curtain, then pick them up after the show. It's a system that works well for all involved, he says.

Just because "Annie" has kids in the show doesn't make it a kids' show, he says.

"It's written for adults, and it's very good for children to come, too, but I have been upset by how young some of the children in the audience are. It's a theater production that's 2 hours long. Kids 3, 4 or 5 will become restless.

"So I send out a cautionary note that parents should use good judgment. It's a waste of money (to take very young children). Perhaps they should go to something else of a shorter nature, but I do love our audiences. They're enthusiastic. It's a wonderful job, no matter how I'm feeling; it's a joy to go to work. A strong part of this production is how fresh it seems."

The unpredictable nature of live theater keeps actors on their toes and productions fresh. One memorable moment from the current tour occurred near the end of Act I.

"I was talking to the president, and when I went to hang up the phone, (the prop) collapsed. I looked at Grace (his secretary) and said, 'Get rid of all the Bell Telephone stock!' "

The worst happened during the same scene 17 years ago.

"I couldn't think of Annie's name. I thought if I could just see the marquee, I would remember it. Instead, I started calling her 'miss' and 'young lady.' That's when I called my wife and said it was time to leave the show."