ONLINE PROGRAM ANNIE THE MUSICAL
book and lyrics by THOMAS MEEHAN
music by CHARLES STROUSE
lyrics by MARTIN CHARNIN
based on Little Orphan Annie by permission of THE MEDIA TRIBUNE SERVICES, INC
directed by JAYME ARMSTRONG
ANNIE THE MUISCAL is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the Internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under copyright law.
presented in partnership with OCL Studios.
SHOW SUMMARY
Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including "Tomorrow."
With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone's hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations... and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.
RATING: G | 6+
Read more about show ratings and recommendations >
FROM THE DIRECTOR JAYME ARMSTRONG
In 1924, just a few years prior to the Great Depression, a comic strip about a plucky 11-year-old red headed orphan debuted in The New York Daily News. The charming title character’s unique brand of eternal optimism immediately captured the hearts of Americans. By 1937, Little Orphan Annie had become the most popular comic strip in the United States, inspiring several film and stage adaptations. The critically acclaimed Broadway musical opened in 1977 and has since inspired thousands of productions worldwide.
What is it that makes Annie so successful? Historically, Annie has a knack of surfacing right when we seem to need her most, sharing her heartfelt message of positivity: no matter how bleak things may seem, they will improve. Annie has the incredible ability to change the perceptions of those around her by sharing her genuine hope for a better tomorrow. Perhaps this is why the lyrics of her signature song, Tomorrow, have such staying power and Annie has withstood the test of time.
2020 has been a challenging year and the impact of COVID-19 has been felt drastically by arts organizations and artists alike. New performance mediums must be navigated with safety as the top priority. The commitment StoryBook Theatre has made to protecting all participants is truly inspiring. As you enjoy watching Annie from the comfort of your home, you will notice a subtle shift in the production color palette as our story unfolds. This shift is reflective of the positive impact Annie’s endearing spirit has on her surrounding world. Positivity breeds positivity. At a time when we are witnessing great political divide, bullying, intolerance and unrest, this is something from which our present world will always benefit.
Annie’s universal themes have never been more relevant. We can all make effort to be a little kinder, a little more understanding, and a little more hopeful. After all, the sun will come out tomorrow and there is always opportunity to start fresh with each new day.
I hope our production brings as much joy as we experienced creating it. We can’t wait to share stories in person again when the time is right.
Wishing you and your family a joyful, healthy holiday season. Thank you for supporting the Arts.
Production Inclusion Statics
64.3% FEMALE/NON-BINARY
REPRESENTATION
78.8% ON STAGE
43.5% OFFSTAGE
26.8% BIPOC
REPRESENTATION
27.3% ON STAGE
26.1% OFFSTAGE
21.4% LGBTQIA2S+
REPRESENTATION
15.2% ON STAGE
30.4% OFFSTAGE
42.9% MARGINALIZED REPRESENTATION
36.4% ON STAGE
43.5% OFFSTAGE
ABOUT THE CREATORS THOMAS MEEHAN, CHARLES STROUSE AND MARTIN CHARNIN
Bios and images source: MTI Theatre International, mtishows.com
ABOUT THE SHOW
INSPIRATION
Annie is based on Harold Gray's popular comic strip, Little Orphan Annie. The comic strip premiered in the 1920s in the New York Daily News, and became one of the most widely read strips in the 30s and 40s. Lyricist-director, Martin Charnin, received a book of Little Orphan Annie strips for Christmas in 1971 and started to imagine a musical comedy based on the lead character.
Charnin campaigned the idea to colleagues, Charles Strouse, a two-time Tony-winning composer, and Thomas Meehan, a short story writer for The New Yorker magazine, and they soon jumped into the project. Although the show was only written in fourteen months, it took nearly four years to get on Broadway due to a lack of interest from producers.
PRODUCTIONS
Annie had its world premiere on August 10, 1976, at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Kristen Vigard was the first actress to play the title role, but the producers soon decided that Vigard's genuinely sweet interpretation was not tough enough for the street-smart orphan. After a week of performances, Vigard was replaced by Andrea McArdle.
The production moved to the Kennedy Center in Washington and later opened on Broadway to immense success. On April 21, 1977, the original Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre – now the Neil Simon Theatre – and starred Andrea McArdle as Annie, Reid Shelton as Daddy Warbucks and Dorothy Loudon as Miss Hannigan. Produced by illustrious film director, Mike Nichols, the original production closed on January 2, 1983, after an astonishing 2,377 performances, making it the third-longest running musical of the 1970s. Annie spawned four different national tours and dozens of international productions during its Broadway run.
The original West End production of Annie premiered at the Victoria Palace Theatre on May 3, 1978. The show closed on November 28, 1981, after 1,485 performances. A twentieth anniversary Broadway revival played the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in 1997; a highly publicized contest to find a new Annie was sponsored by the department store, Macy's. The revival closed on October 19, 1997, after 14 previews and 239 performances.
The most recent Broadway revival, which originally featured Lilla Crawford as Annie, began previews on October 3, 2012, and performed 487 shows through its run.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES
-
Annie was made into an Oscar-nominated feature film in 1982, starring Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters and Tim Curry.
-
In 1999, Annie was remade into a TV movie, starring Victor Garber, Kathy Bates, Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming.
-
Rapper, Jay-Z, reworked the classic song, "Hard-knock Life," into a single titled "Hard-knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" for his third album, "Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life."
-
A modern reworking of Annie was made into a movie again, released theatrically on December 19, 2014. The film starred Quvenzhané Wallis in the title role, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and Cameron Diaz (in her final film role before her subsequent retirement from acting).
TRIVIA
-
Annie currently ranks number 25 on the list of longest-running Broadway shows.
-
Before Sarah Jessica Parker rose to fame as a television and film actress, she appeared in the role of Annie on Broadway.
-
Add Sutton Foster to the list of famous former orphans! The Tony Award-winning actress made her stage debut at the age of ten as the endearing and enduring ragamuffin in Augusta, GA.
-
Written in only fourteen months, Annie's journey to Broadway took four and a half years, and went on to play 2,377 performances on Broadway in its original run, picking up seven Tony Awards in the process.
SONG LIST
“Maybe” - Annie
“It’s the Hard-Knock Life” - Annie & The Orphans
“It’s the Hard-Knock Life (Reprise)” - The Orphans
“Tomorrow” - Annie
“We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover” - Sophie & Ensemble
“Little Girls” - Miss Hannigan
“Little Girls (Reprise)” - Miss Hannigan
“I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” - Grace, Annie & Ensemble
“N.Y.C.” - Warbucks, Grace, Annie, A Star To Be & Ensemble
“Easy Street” - Miss Hannigan, Rooster & Lily
“You Won’t Be an Orphan For Long” - Grace, & Ensemble
ACT TWO
“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” - Bert Healy & The Boylan Sisters
“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Reprise)” - The Orphans
“Easy Street (Reprise)” - Miss Hannigan, Rooster & Lily
“Tomorrow (Cabinet Reprise)” - Annie, FDR, Warbucks & the Cabinet
“I Don’t Need Anything But You” - Grace, Warbucks & Annie & Ensemble
“Maybe (Reprise)” - Annie
“A New Deal for Christmas” - Full Cast
STAGE & FILM TEAM CREDITS
STORYBOOK THEATRE
Artistic Director | JP THIBODEAU
Office Administrator | EVA STIEBER
THEATRICAL TEAM
Stage Director | JAYME ARMSTONG
Musical Director | JOEL SCHAEFER
Choreographer | ANGELA BENSON
Stage Manager | JOY HODGSON
Assistant Stage Manager | JENNY YEUNG
Assistant Stage Manager | MICHAEL LUONG
Assistant Stage Manager | MICHELLE DRESSLER
Co-Costume Designer | RALAMY KNEESHAW
Co-Costume Designer | CATHERINE HANDFORD
Hair Designer | CAT BENTLEY
Make-Up Designer | MELODY KIELEK
Costume Design Assistant | RYAN MASCHKE
Lighting Designer | JP THIBODEAU
Set Designer & Master Carpenter | RICH DAVIS
Set Decorator & Assistant | JJ PENERANDA
Stage Paintaing | LORIE MASUR
Co-Properties Designer | MIKEE AMES
Co-Properties | BRAD LABERGE
Lighting Crew | SKYLAR DESJARDINS
Graphic Design | JENNIFER MERIO
Public Relations | ALDONA BARUTOWICZ
FILM TEAM
Film Direction | JP THIBODEAU
Director of Photography | KRIS MISH
Lighting Programmer | IAN McCLELLAN
Script Supervisor | JENNY YEUNG
Location Sound | BRENDA SEVILLA
Production Assistant | ADAM FORWARD
Production Assistant | LLOYD CADAY
Production Assistant | SKYLAR DESJARDINS
Soundtrack Recording | OCL STUDIOS
Music Editor & Supervisor | JOSH GWILLIAM
Video Editor | JP THIBODEAU
Assistant Editor | GRAHAM KINGSLEY
Assistant Editor | KRIS MISH
Executive Producer | STORYBOOK THEATRE
PARTNER SHOWCASE THANK YOU OCL STUDIOS
StoryBook would like to share our complete appreciation to OCL Studios, for donating their studio time for the cast recording sessions. Thanks to their generosity, support, and hard work, our cast was able to capture their beautiful voices, and safely record the magic that is the music of Annie.
Check out OCL Studio's inspiring space.
SUPPORTERS, DONORS & CONTRIBUTORS
GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS
PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORTERS
MEDIA SUPPORTERS
DONORS, SUPPORTERS & CONTRIBUTORS
Calgary Foundation
Rozsa Foundation
Patrice Barnes
Jennifer Gerritsen
Lori Goods
Janet Gourlay Vallance
Valerie How
Jody Hubler
Preston Lee
Kevin Leiver
Maureen Moran
Hesson Persaud
Melissa Smith
Steve Thannhauser
Babs
Tricia Whenham
THANK YOU TO...
Ashley Allen
Darcie Howe
Sandy Forbes
Elayne Fisher
Rob Fischer
Cabinets by Design
Josh Bailey
Bryan Smith
Hanne Loosen
Thomas Zima
Alex Mustakas and Drayton Entertainment
Reid Fuller, Build a Booth
Rob Fisher, Cabinets by Design
Josh Bailey
Bryan Smith
Thomas Zema
Brad Laberge
Hannigan's Paint
OCL Studios
