Annie
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Book by Thomas Meehan
Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Book by Thomas Meehan
Directed by Sue Price Johnson
Musical Direction by Dave Aldis
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan.
In the early 1930’s, Annie is a fiery young orphan girl who must live in a miserable orphanage run by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Her seemingly hopeless situation changes dramatically when she attempts to run away to find her parents, is returned to to orphanage, and then is selected to spend a short time at the residence of the billionaire businessman, Oliver Warbucks. Quickly, she charms the hearts of the household staff and even the seemingly cold-hearted Warbucks cannot help but learn to love this wonderful girl. Warbucks decides to help Annie find her long lost parents by offering a reward if they would come to him and prove their identity. However, Miss Hannigan, her evil brother, Rooster and his girlfriend, Lily, plan to impersonate those people to get the reward for themselves which puts Annie in great danger.
The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre). It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical’s songs “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” are among its most popular musical numbers.
In the early 1930’s, Annie is a fiery young orphan girl who must live in a miserable orphanage run by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Her seemingly hopeless situation changes dramatically when she attempts to run away to find her parents, is returned to to orphanage, and then is selected to spend a short time at the residence of the billionaire businessman, Oliver Warbucks. Quickly, she charms the hearts of the household staff and even the seemingly cold-hearted Warbucks cannot help but learn to love this wonderful girl. Warbucks decides to help Annie find her long lost parents by offering a reward if they would come to him and prove their identity. However, Miss Hannigan, her evil brother, Rooster and his girlfriend, Lily, plan to impersonate those people to get the reward for themselves which puts Annie in great danger.
The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre). It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical’s songs “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” are among its most popular musical numbers.
