The idea of creating a musical based on Harold Gray's "Little
Orphan Annie" comic strip originated with lyricist/director
Martin Charnin. Playwright Thomas Meehan and composer Charles
Strouse were initially skeptical of the idea, but Charnin quickly
won them over with his enthusiasm for the project.
The story revolves around Annie, an 11-year-old orphan who
longs for her parents to rescue her from the Municiple Orphanage
and its mean-spirited matron, Agatha Hannigan. When billionaire
Oliver Warbucks stumbles upon the little orphan and decides to
adopt her, he must first deal with Miss Hannigan's oportunistic
schemes.
Annie opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977.
The New York production ran for 2,377 performances, making it
the third longest running musical of the 1970s. In 1982, the
movie version was released starring Albert Finney, Aileen Quinn,
Ann Reinking, and Carol Burnett.
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