by NYBroadwayTours | Sep 20, 2026 | Blog, Broadway
LEAPIN LIZARDS! Everyone’s favorite spunky optimistic fiery redheaded orphan is heading back to Broadway next year!!! The legendary family favorite musical Annie is set to launch a brand new revival in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of its Broadway debut!! The new production is directed by Tony winner Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary). More additional details on the start time, theater, creative team, and casting will be announced at a later time.
In case anyone doesn’t know, set in NYC during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, ANNIE tells the classic story of a young orphaned girl, who spends Christmas at the house of the wealthiest man, with hopes of finding her lost parents. Along the way, she dodges a fraud plot and outsmarts the cruel, drunk, and abusive matron of the local orphanage, and her evil sidekicks. Based on the comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE by Harold Gray, it features a beloved score by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, plus a book by Thomas Meehan. Notable songs include IT’S THE HARD KNOCK LIFE, LITTLE GIRLS, NYC, YOU’RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE. EASY STREET, and of course the show’s signature song TOMORROW.
Annie was originally first conceived in 1972 by Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan who wanted to create a musical adaptation based on Harold Gray’s comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE. After re-reading some of the comics and not being able to find any perfect material they wanted. The team along with Charles Strouse decided to create an original storyline. The main characters from the comics that made the musical of course are “Annie”, “Oliver Warbucks” and the dog “Sandy”. When coming up with the original story, the trio had 2 separate locations for the story to take place….. The downbeat mood of the then-current Nixon era / Vietnam War and in New York City during the Great Depression. Thomas Meehan’s idea of ANNIE in The Great Depression really reminded him of his personal experiences during that time. He also noticed that the character of “Annie” herself was a 20th Century American female version of the titular orphan characters created by Charles Dickens including Oliver Twist. Just like in Dickens’ stories, it would deal with the mystery of the abandonment and unknown parents of “Annie” as consistent with a strand of mysteries in Dickens’ tales. Several bits of material had to be trimmed out. Eventually Thomas Meehan would later restore it for his novelization. From there, the team began hard at work on the show.
The show had its World Premiere debut in 1976 at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut.
The early reviews were mixed to negative. During the process between Connecticut and arriving on Broadway, scenes were cut. New dialogue and songs were re-written. In addition, several parts were recast including the titular role of “Annie” herself. The original actress who played the title role was Kristen Vigard. In case anyone may not know, she was randomly fired from the show due to the producer’s decision that “her genuinely sweet interpretation was NOT tough enough for the street-smart orphan”. She was replaced by understudy Andrea McArdle, who previously played one of Annie’s fellow Orphan friends “Pepper”, and it all changed her life forever!!
ANNIE finally made its Broadway debut in 1977 at Broadway’s Alvin Theatre (currently the Neil Simon Theatre). It later transferred to 3 other Broadway houses…. The ANTA Playhouse (now the August Wilson Theatre), the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, and the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin Theatre).
With much improvements, ANNIE went on to become a smash hit. Critics lauded the musical for its infectious optimism, catchy score, and heartwarming performances. It was celebrated as a refreshing, nostalgic throwback to classic 1950s and 60s musicals, standing out amid the edgier productions of the decade. The entire cast all received positive praise. For Andrea McArdle and the girls playing orphans, they become the “It” rock stars of Broadway. It was one of the first major shows that attracted more younger children to see Theater. It was a commercial hit!!
The musical ran for 6 YEARS playing 15 PREVIEWS and 2,377 REGULAR PERFORMANCES.
Under the direction of Martin Charnin and choreography by Peter Gennaro, the cast was led by…..
Andrea McArdle (later Shelley Bruce, Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith and Alyson Kirk) as “Annie”,
Dorothy Louden (later Alice Ghostely, Dolores Wilson, Betty Hutton, Marcia Lewis, and June Havoc) as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Reid Shelton (later Conrad John Schuck, Harve Presnell, Keene Curtis, and Rhodes Reason) as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Sandy Faison (later Anne Kerry, Katherine Boule, Lynn Kearney, and Marcy Braken Phillips) as “Grace Ferrell”,
Robert Fitch (later Gary Beach, Guy Stroman, and Richard Sabellico) as “Rooster Hannigan”,
&
Barbara Erwin (later Annie McGreevey, Dorothy Stanley, and Rita Rudner) as “Lily St. Regis”.
The original production of ANNIE was nominated for 10 Tony Awards that year winning 7 including….
The top honor for BEST MUSICAL,
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Dorothy Louden),
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (for Thomas Meehan),
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (for Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin),
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (for Peter Gennaro),
BEST SCENIC DESIGN (for David Mitchell),
&
BEST COSTUME DESIGN (for Theoni V. Aldredge).
It also won top glory at the Drama Desk Awards for OUTSTANDING MUSICAL, the New York Critics Circle Award for BEST MUSICAL, and its original cast album from Columbia Records went on to top the charts & win a 1978 Grammy for BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM.
With its life a hit on Broadway, ANNIE brought the DAY AWAY around the world. It launched various companies including 3 North American National Tours all at once and a debut in London’s West End the following year of 1978.
For many young girls, the show’s music became a huge obsession. Whenever there was open call auditions announced, you can only imagine how much hell the parents had to go through….. especially those girls singing TOMORROW and screaming the big belt note at the end.
ANNIE would eventually be revived several times in NYC.
The first revival happened in 1997 commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the show. Reuniting the majority of the original creative team, they collaborated with Macy’s in launching a major open casting call tour to find that new leading lady to star in the title role. The winner was Joanna Pacitti.
However, before heading to NYC, this 20th Anniversary embarked on a mini 8-city Pre-Broadway tour. The early reviews were positive. However, things took a turn for the worse, repeating what had happened during the Pre-Broadway run of the original production. During the tour stop in Boston, MA, just 2 weeks before it was slated to open in NYC, Joanna Pacitti was dealing with a bad case of bronchitis, having to call out of several performances, doctors orders!! Meanwhile as she was recovering, the producers had a serious discussion believing that Pacitti in reality was too stiff, unreliable, and was not believable….. the Actress and the character, was an epic mistake.
Meanwhile, Brittany Kissinger, who was playing one of the orphans “July” was going on for “Annie”. She made a huge surprise impression, the producers decided to move her up to playing the role full time. Immediately, the producers went into Pacitti’s hotel room in Boston, in bed, and told her the shocking news as a 12 YEAR OLD….. JOANNA PACCITI WAS FIRED & WOULD NOT CONTINUE WITH THE PRODUCTION ON BROADWAY!!!
The termination of Joanna Pacitti, caused a big stir of controversy, making the headlines on every major newspaper. Media outrage galore!!! Meanwhile, Joanna was invited to appear on every major news & talk show to discuss the situation & share her talent with the world. In addition, Pacciti’s family filed a lawsuit against the producers of this new revival of ANNIE for more than $10-20 million.
The 1997 revival of ANNIE arrived on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre),
The production turned out to be a commercial and critical disaster!!! Plagued by all the backstage drama and mixed reviews, critics felt the production suffered from a dull staging and misguided attempts to update the classic musical.
The production ran for only 8 MONTHS playing just 14 PREVIEWS and 253 REGULAR PERFORMANCES. Once again under the direction of Martin Charnin and choreography by Peter Gennaro, the cast was led by…..
Brittany Kissinger as “Annie”,
Nell Carter as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Conrad John Schuck reprising the role of “Oliver Warbucks”,
Colleen Dunn as “Grace Ferrell”,
Jim Ryan as “Rooster Hannigan”,
And
Karen Byers-Blackwell as “Lily St. Regis”
FUN FACT: It also featured a rising Sutton Foster as the “Star-To-Be” during the NYC sequence.
That first revival was nominated and lost its only Tony nomination that year for BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL.
After the short-lived run of the 20th Anniversary revival, ANNIE went back to playing productions around the world including another West End revival and several North American Tours.
One of the National Tours included a 5 year 30th Anniversary Tour that briefly returned to NYC for Christmas. It played the Theater at Madison Square Garden for a month-long run. With its original creative team once again with direction by Martin Charnin and choreography by Peter Gennaro’s daughter Liza (keeping it alive in the family), that cast was led by….
Marissa O’Donnell as “Annie”,
Kathie Lee Gifford as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”.
Conrad John Schuck reprising the role of “Oliver Warbucks”,
Elizabeth Broadhurst as “Grace Ferrell”,
Scott Willis as “Rooster”,
and
McKenzie Phillips as “Lily St. Regis”.
The most recent Broadway revival of ANNIE happened in 2012 commemorating the show’s 35th Anniversary. It played at Broadway’s Palace Theatre.
This revival earned mixed to positive praise. It was widely praised for balancing the show’s iconic sweetness with genuine emotional depth, excellent casting, and sharp choreography
It lasted for a year and a half following 38 PREVIEWS and 487 REGULAR PERFORMANCES.
Under the direction of James Lapine and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, the cast was led by…..
Lilla Crawford (later Taylor Richardson and Sadie Sink alternating) as “Annie”,
Katie Finneran (later Jane Lynch and Faith Prince) as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Anthony Warlow (later Ron Raines) as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Brynn O’Malley (later Jenni Barber) as “Grace Ferrell”,
Clarke Thorell as “Rooster Hannigan”,
and
J. Elaine Marcos (later Kirsten Wyatt) as “Lily St. Regis”.
The recent revival was nominated for 2 Tony Awards in 2013 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. However it lost both its categories.
In 2024, ANNIE returned to NYC by bringing one of its North American Touring companies back to the Theater at Madison Square Garden, for a limited run during the holiday season.
The production featured a highly praised young cast and became an epic celebration of honoring classic optimism and warmth that the musical is known for.
Under the direction of Jenn Thompson (who originated the role of the tough orphan “Pepper” on Broadway in 1977) and choreographed by Patricia Wilcox, this cast starred…
Hazel Vogel as “Annie”,
EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Christopher Swan as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Julia Nicole Hunter as “Grace Ferrell”,
Rhett Gutter as “Rooster Hannigan”,
&
Isabelle De Souza Moore as “Lily St. Regis”
Along with its success on stage, ANNIE has had an unforgettable legacy on screen 3 TIMES.
The original film was released in 1982 from Columbia Pictures. The original film is a tribute to the story with several tweaks. However, it included various changes including the story set during the 4th of July festivities (instead of Christmas). There were also several new songs written specifically for the movie by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin including DUMB DOG, SIGN, and the showstopping LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES.
The original film earned mixed reviews but was well received by audiences everywhere.
Under the direction of John Huston and choreography by Joe Layton, the original film starred….
Aileen Quinn as “Annie”,
Carol Burnett as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Albert Finney as “Oliver Warbucks”,
The late Ann Reinking as “Grace Ferrell”,
Tim Curry as “Rooster Hannigan”,
&
Bernadette Peters as “Lily St. Regis”.
It went on to be nominated for several Awards including 2 Oscars including BEST MUSIC and 3 Golden Globes including BEST PICTURE – COMEDY / MUSICAL. It did loose all the categories.
The 2nd film version was released in 1999 as an acclaimed TV Movie for Disney and ABC.
This TV movie version was well received by viewers. It became one of the most popular versions ever of ANNIE produced and seen by over 26.3 people during its initial debut becoming THE 2ND MOST WATCHED DISNEY MOVIE EVER TO AIR ON ABC.
Under the direction and choreography by Rob Marshall, this TV Movie cast was led by….
Alicia Morton as “Annie”,
Kathy Bates as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Victor Garber as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Audra McDonald as “Grace Ferrell”,
Alan Cumming as “Rooster Hannigan”,
and
Kristin Chenoweth as “Lily St. Regis”.
It was nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards including OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE. It ended up winning only 2 for OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY (for Rob Marshall) and OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION. It’s now available to watch on Disney+.
The most recent film version of ANNIE was released in 2014 from Sony Pictures. This version was produced by JAY-Z and Will Smith giving the musical a modern-urban hip-hop twist. Still set in New York City, the timeline was changed from The Great Depression in 1933 to the present day. Some of the characters were cut (including “Lily St. Regis”) and had their names and the story fully updated. In addition, all of the iconic songs were given a funny Pop, R&B, and Hip Hop sound. A new song written by Greg Kurstin, Sia, and Will Gluck called OPPORTUNITY.
This 2014 film version was met with mixed to negative reviews. Notably, it was widely criticized for its reliance on “ghetto” clichés, heavy auto-tuning in the musical numbers, and awkward direction
Under the direction of Will Gluck and choreography by Zachary Woodley, this cast was led by….
Quvenzhane Wallis as “Annie”,
Cameron Diaz as “Miss Hannigan” (with new first name as “Colleen” instead of “Agatha”),
Jamie Foxx as “William Stacks” (formerly known as “Oliver Warbucks”),
Rose Byrne as “Grace Ferrell”,
and
Bobby Canavale as “Guy Dannilly” (in place of “Rooster Hannigan”).
It did also go on to be nominated for several Awards including 2 Golden Globes.
Most recently in 2021, ANNIE returned to the screen for a Live televised production for NBC.
It received largely positive reviews, earning high praise for its spectacular cast and heartwarming tone.
Under the co-Direction by Emmy nominee Alex Rudzinski and Tony nominee this year Lear deBessonet, along with choreography by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, the cast included….
Celina Smith as “Annie”,
Taraji P. Henson as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Harry Connick Jr as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Nicole Scherzinger as “Grace Ferrell”,
&
Tituss Burgess as “Rooster Hannigan”,
Today, ANNIE continues to be a popular musical performed around the world in schools, community, regional theaters, and ongoing touring companies everywhere around the world.
Who is excited for this timeless show back on Broadway?!
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by NYBroadwayTours | Sep 11, 2026 | Blog, Broadway
25 YEARS AGO!!! A day to never forget. The unexpected heartbreaking tragedy. The lives taken of the innocent souls and our epic American heroes who sacrificed their lives. Their spirit is still with us.
When 9/11 happened, that particular day took a huge major toll everywhere including our very own New York Theater scene. After the surprise destruction of the World Trade Center, Broadway shows cancelled performances for two full nights, as everyone was grieving from the tragic events.
Many people were figuring what would be the future of the world and the Big Apple. The next day on September 12th, 2001, former NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani helmed a press conference expressing ways for everyone to go back and live their lives to the fullest, even in such a scary time. One of the things that really inspired him is how the power of the Arts can make a huge impact on people’s lives even in difficult times. The first thing Giuliani spoke out about is encouraging people in New York to witness the uplifting power of a Broadway show, especially a comedy. With that in mind, he reached out to all the Theater owners (including the Shuberts, the Nederlanders, and the Jujamcyns) to get all shows running up again. Even The Broadway League agreed.
On September 13th, 2001, all Broadway shows reopened, exactly 48 hours after the attacks. Because Broadway is popular with tourists, the Audiences in all the theaters were either half-sold-out or empty crowd. Despite all of that, cast, crew, and musicians of all shows went in with their full passion giving the best performances they could. In addition, the casts of all 23 shows that reopened after the attacks, all sang GOD BLESS AMERICA and MY COUNTRY, TIS OF THEE during the curtain call.
With ticket sales not doing so well, Broadway itself was in big financial trouble, as they were relying on tourists. To really encourage tourists to still come to the Big Apple despite being afraid, the Broadway community even agreed with Giuliani that a night in the Theater is the epic medicine everyone needed despite people grieving. On September 28th, 2001, hundreds of Broadway veterans and costumed cast members from some of the “then” shows at the time all came together for a special I LOVE NEW YORK commercial. Out in Times Square, the community belt their hearts out singing Kander and Ebb’s classic NEW YORK, NEW YORK live in Times Square. It was broadcast widely on television and eventually shared in over 20 countries. Tourists got the attention from this commercial which eventually numbers in ticket sales boosted back up.
We happen to have the full length edition of that famous I Love New York commercial featuring some of your favorite Broadway stars including Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Harvey Fierstein, Faith Prince, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brooke Shields, Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and more, all singing NEW YORK, NEW YORK!
Some of the Broadway shows at the time that participated included….
The Lion King,
The Phantom of the Opera,
The 1998 revival of Cabaret,
The long running revival of Chicago,
The 2000 revival of The Music Man,
Contact,
Beauty and the Beast,
Aida,
Rent,
The Producers,
The original production of Les Miserables,
The 2001 revival of 42nd Street,
& more.
Where were you when 9/11 happened?
Who remembers this I Love New York commercial?
God Bless America!!
🇺🇸 🙏♥️
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