Sunshine is Always Right Around the Corner with Annie
If you’re a fan of nostalgic movies, you won’t want to miss it when Annie comes to the Walton Arts Center stage May 5-7. Little Orphan Annie has reminded generations of theatergoers that sunshine is always right around the corner. With all of the memorable songs, including “Easy Street,” “Hard Knock Life” and the signature anthem, “Tomorrow” – one of most sung Broadway songs in history – Annie is one of the best-loved musicals of all time.
The history of Annie spans over a century, originally based on Harold Gray's popular comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The comic strip premiered in the 1920’s in the New York Daily News and became one of the most widely read strips in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Lyricist Martin Charnin bought the rights and took Annie to Broadway in 1977 with book writer Thomas Meehan and composer Charles Strouse. That production won seven Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and Best Choreography. Annie has been revived twice on Broadway – in 1997 and 2012.
In addition to Annie’s award-winning creative team and the adorable cast of talented child actors, there’s another star who always steals the show – Sandy! Trained by Tony Award Honoree, animal trainer William Berloni, the original dog that portrayed Sandy became the “longest-running dog on Broadway,” never missing a performance. Berloni still trains the rescue dogs who play Sandy on tour today – and it’s an important role! The character of Sandy is on stage for about fourteen minutes with 15 to 20 stage cues. For this new national tour, Addison and Georgie (both rescued from high-kill shelters) will play the role of Sandy.
Annie is a celebration of family, optimism and the American spirit. After nearly 50 years, it remains the ultimate cure for all the hard knocks life throws your way. Don’t miss “one of the best family musicals ever penned!” (Chicago Tribune). It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce your children to the magic of live theater! Annie comes to Walton Arts Center for five shows May 5-7 – both evening and matinee performances available. Visit waltonartscenter.org to purchase your tickets today!
