Annie

THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE FAMILY MUSICAL

Book by THOMAS MEEHAN, Music by CHARLES STROUSE, Lyrics by MARTIN CHARNIN

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 bought a coffee table book called “The Life and Hard Times of Little Orphan Annie” as a Christmas gift for a friend in 1970. The clerk at the bookstore was too busy to wrap the book, so Charnin took the book home to wrap it. Instead, he read it and fell in love with the strip, and set out to secure the rights, Christmas week of 1970. The friend never got the book.

Charnin championed the idea to colleagues Charles Strouse, a two-time Tony-winning composer, and Thomas Meehan, a short story writer for The New Yorker. It took a great deal of campaigning to get them interested, but the team was finally formed in 1971, when they began to write the musical.

This cracking new production of ANNIE, the world’s favourite family musical, stars Charon Williams Ros (Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd) as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan and Neels Claasen (Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You) as Daddy Warbucks. Taryn Sudding (CATS, Sound of Music) plays Grace, with Stephen Jubber (Sunset Blvd, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, JC Superstar) as Rooster, and Delray Halgryn as Lilly. Mike Huff (Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music), Candice von Litsenborgh (Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors), Stefania du Toit, Jenna Robinson, Michelle Lane and Hope Maimane complete an all-star South African cast with a special appearance by Grant Almirall (Star of Singin’ in the Rain and Jersey Boys) as Bert Healey. The Resident Director is Anton Luitingh and the Resident Choreographer is Duane Alexander.

Following an extensive 6 month nationwide search we have found the 3 best ANNIES in the country – Emma-Rose Blacher, Lilla Fleischmann and Caitlin Dicker!

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search.

With its award-winning book and score, this stunning musical includes the unforgettable songs It’s a Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and the eternal anthem of optimism – Tomorrow.

Leapin’ Lizards! You can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it!

 

Johannesburg: The TEATRO, Montecasino – 12 October 2016 to 27 November 2016

Performances: Tue – Fri @ 8pm, Sat @ 3pm & 8pm, Sun @ 2pm & 5:30pm

Tickets: R500, R400, R300 R200. Tuesday @ 8pm & Sundays @ 5:30pm: R450, R350, R250, R150

For Group Bookings and Charities please contact Geraldine (011) 511 1988

Cape Town: ARTSCAPE Opera – 2 December 2016 to 8 January 2017

Performances: Tue – Fri @ 7:30pm, Sat @ 3pm & 7:30pm, Sun @ 2pm & 5:30pm

Tickets: R500, R400, R300, R200, R150. Tuesday @ 7:30pm & Sunday @ 5:30pm:  R450, R350, R250, R150, R100.

For Group Bookings and Charities please contact Tracy (021) 438 3301