Inspired by “Little Orphan Annie,” the 1924 comic strip by Harold Gray, “Annie” is a heart-warming story, filled with adventure and laughs that defines what family truly means. One of the longest running shows in Broadway history and the winner of seven Tony Awards, “Annie” returns to the Westchester Broadway Theatre stage through Sunday, Sept. 10.
Gabriella Uhl as Kate; Nora Kennedy as Pepper; and Maureen Henshaw as Duffy. In basket, Haylie Shea
Christiano as Molly. Photos/John Vecchiolla
“Annie,” one of the world’s best-loved musicals, is set in 1933 in New York City during the Great Depression. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the orphanage, she escapes to the wondrous world of NYC where she finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy. Notable musical numbers include “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You,” and “Tomorrow.”
Peyton Fishman, of Irvington, and Kaylin Hedges, of Valley Cottage, star as Annie in alternating performances. Michael DeVries is Daddy Warbucks, the billionaire business man. You may remember him in “Wicked” and “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway. Susann Fletcher is Miss Hannigan, the cold-hearted orphanage owner. She starred as Louise Seger in WBT’s production of “Always… Patsy Cline.” Warbucks’ secretary and love-interest, Grace, is portrayed by Celeste Hudson, who was seen in “Show Boat” at WBT. Miss Hannigan’s con-artist brother, Rooster, is played by Adam Roberts, who appeared on Broadway in “Pippin” and “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” The role of Lily, Rooster’s petty-thieving girlfriend, is played by Aubrey Sinn, who starred as Maria in WBT’s production of “The Sound of Music.” John-Charles Kelly plays President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A lively group of local girls play the orphans in “Annie”: Anika Bobra, of Armonk; Tahlia Ellie of Short Hills, New Jersey; Haylie Christiano and Ruby Griffin, both of Valley Cottage; Maureen Henshaw, of Carmel; Nora Kennedy, of Tappan; Molly Lyons, of Wappinger’s Falls; Sasha Murray, of Chappaqua; Lucy Neureuther, of Harrison; Ella Stanley, of the Bronx; Lauren Sun, of Rye Brook; and Gabriella Uhl, of Cornwall.
Featuring: Robert Abdoo, Kelly Black, Laura Cable, Joseph Cullinane, Jesse Lynn Harte, Carl Hulden, Ryan Alexander Jacobs, Kelsey Self, Rochelle Smith, Roger Preston Smith, and Billy Clark Taylor.
Sunny, a 7-year-old terrier mix, will play Sandy the dog. He was rescued from a kill shelter and appeared in the 2014 revival of “Annie” on Broadway, and in the national tour. He was the subject of a NBC special entitled “Annie’s Search for Sandy.” Sunny follows in the line of great Sandy dogs rescued and trained by Bill Berloni.
Directed and choreographed by Mary Jane Houdina; musical director is William Stanley; assistant director/choreographer is Robert Abdoo. Rochelle Smith is the dog handler.
Steve Loftus is the technical director. Costume design by Suzy Benzinger; costume coordinator is Heather Carey; set design by Michael Bottari and Ron Case; lighting design is by Andrew Gmoser; sound design is by Mark Zuckerman; wig and hair design by Shannon Harrington. The production stage manager is Victor Lukas; assistant stage manager is Duane McDevitt; and properties are by Grumpy Props. Lisa Tiso is the associate producer.
Show times through Sept. 10 are: Wednesday, Thursday and some Friday matinees: lunch at 11:30 a.m. and show at 1 p.m.; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings: dinner at 6:30 p.m. and show at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees: lunch at noon 12 and show at 1:30 p.m.; Sunday evenings: dinner at 5:30 p.m. and show at 7 p.m.
For reservations, call 592-2222 or visit BroadwayTheatre.com. For group reservations, with discounts for groups of 20 or more, call 592-2225. For luxury boxes, for private parties of six to 22, call 592-8730. Enjoy dining and theatre in an elegant private box. Additional features include an expanded dinner menu, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, private powder room, and luxury box reserved parking.
Ticket prices: dinner and show range between $56 and $84 plus tax, depending on the performances chosen. Beverage service and gratuities are not included in the ticket price. Discounts are available for children, students and senior citizens at select performances. Also check the website for ongoing special offers. For more information, visit BroadwayTheatre.com.
