How Did the Musical "Annie" Come to Be?
One of Broadway's most popular musicals, "Annie," has a long history. With its origins rooted to the Great Depression, a number of different formats of the story existed over the decades. From comic strips, music and a book, the musical itself eventually developed in the late 1970s and ran for a number of years. It also has the honor of being revived on and off Broadway periodically to great fanfare.
Comic Strip
Cartoonist Harold Gray created a weekly comic strip for the Chicago Tribune in 1924. Called "Little Orphan Annie," the strip featured a tough red-headed orphan who went on adventures fighting crooked politicians, gangsters and even Nazis.
The Project
"Annie" was established as a viable Broadway project in the early 1970s. Lyricist Marting Charnin teamed with playwright Thomas Meehan and composer Charles Strouse to write and coordinate the musical.
Opening
"Annie" opened on April 21, 1977, in New York's Alvin Theatre. It ran for 2,377 performances and went on tour throughout the United States, Mexico, Australia and Japan.
Success
Much of the success of "Annie" stemmed from the character herself, played by a young spunky girl, and the music that has become associated with the production. The two most successful songs are "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard-Knock Life."
Revival
Spurred on by the success of numerous film adaptations, a sequel to "Annie" was produced in 1989 and bombed. The original musical was revived in 1997 and toured multiple times over the next decade.
