The full cast of the upcoming Broadway revival of the beloved tale “Annie” has recently been announced. A talented cast of adult and child actors will join previously confirmed young actress Lilla Crawford as the favorite red-headed orphan, Annie.
Playing the evil director of the orphanage, Miss Hannigan, will be two-time Tony Award winner Katie Finneran. In her audition, Finneran was seven months pregnant, dancing around in high heels pretending to be “sloshed on bathtub gin and homicidally enraged by children,” which brought praise from director James Lapine. “She kind of knocked our socks off,” he told New York Magazine. “She’d really done her homework.” Lapine valued Finneran’s comic timing, and thought she would be right for the part because of her unusual “take on the character as a washed-up flapper with sex appeal, rather than a hopeless battle-ax.”
The beloved Daddy Warbucks will be played by Anthony Warlow, who is no stranger to the stage or the role. Warlow is currently playing Warbucks in a Melbourne production, and also played the role in 2000. The rest of the adult cast features Brynne O’Malley as Grace Farrell, Clarke Thorell as Rooster Hannigan, and J. Elaine Marcos as Lily St. Regis. The rambunctious kid roles of Pepper and Molly will be played by Georgi James and Emily Rosenfeld, respectively. The orphan group also includes Junah Jang as Tessie, Taylor Richardson as Duffy, and Tyrah Skye Odoms as July.
In the role of Annie’s beloved pup Sandy, the production chose a two year old terrier mix, named Sunny, from a pound in Houston, according to the The Huffington Post.
The beloved tale tells the story of a fiery red-headed orphan who aims to find her parents, but gains a billionaire as an adoptive father instead. This popular musical opened on Broadway in 1977, winning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and played 2,377 performances before it closed in 1983. A Broadway revival, a West End production, and multiple national and international tours followed the original production. There have been two film versions of the story: a big screen motion picture in 1982, and a made-for-TV movie in 1999. The original even spawned a sequel, “Annie Warbucks,” which played off-Broadway for a short time.
This revival will be directed by James Lapine, who is best known for writing and directing the original production of the musical “Into the Woods.” The music and lyrics are by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, and the book is by Thomas Meehan. Under Lapine’s direction, and with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, this revival is expected to be quite a success.
The show also features an extensive production team. The team includes scenic designer David Korins, costume designer Susan Hilferty, lighting by Donald Holder, sound design by Brian Ronan, projection designer Wendall K. Harrington, Todd Ellison as music director, and orchestrations by Michael Starobin.
“Annie” is set to begin previews on October 3 at the Palace Theatre, with an opening night set for November 8, 2012. For more information about the production, visit http://anniethemusical.com/.
