STAGE

A Tomorrow for ‘Annie 2’?: In the wake of negative reviews and an equally negative audience response at the Kennedy Center in Washington last week, it’s clear that “Annie 2,” the $7-million sequel to the Broadway hit, “Annie,” is in deep trouble. Reached by telephone at his Washington hotel over the weekend, co-producer Roger S. Berlind declined to talk about the show, but he said that he and his associates were meeting around the clock. Playwright and Dramatists Guild president Peter Stone, a Broadway veteran, went to Washington last week with directors Tommy Tune and Mike Nichols to offer their opinions on how the production might be saved. Stone says he, Tune and Nichols went simply as friends and will play no role in doctoring the musical. Stone refused any comment on the show’s problems, but he acknowledged that its producers are “fighting for their lives” and added that the show has no chance of surviving on any lingering popularity of “Annie” if it can’t stand on its own merits. The production is scheduled to open in New York in March.