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Annie
The Musical
Annie is a 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. The musical
ran for nearly six years on Broadway, 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 its more popular
pieces.
11 year old Annie is in an orphanage, presided over by Miss Hannigan,
who keeps the little girl orphans in line by bullying and threatening
them ("It's the Hard-Knock Life"). The girls are ever
hopeful that they will find parents and happiness ("Maybe")
while Miss Hannigan is unhappy with her situation. Annie decides
to escape to find her parents, running into a friendly dog (Sandy)
("Tomorrow") and the people made homeless because of
the Great Depression ("We'd Like To Thank You, Herbert Hoover").
However, she is returned to the orphanage. Grace Farrell, Warbucks'
assistant, picks her to live in Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks'
palatial home for the Christmas holidays ("I Think I'm Gonna
Like it Here").
Although initially uncomfortable with each other,
Annie and Daddy Warbucks soon come to love each other ("You
Won't Be An Orphan For Long"). Warbucks wants to adopt her,
but Annie insists that her parents will come for her. Over the
radio show of Bert Healy, and with the help of President and Mrs.
Roosevelt, Warbucks offers a reward for the parents ("You're
Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile"). Miss Hannigan and
her brother, Rooster, and his slightly ditzy girlfriend, Lily
St. Regis, scheme to pretend to be the parents and collect the
reward ("Easy Street"). When they are found out, it
is revealed that Annie's parents have died. Warbucks and Annie
become a family ("I Don't Need Anything But You").
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