The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to annouce the new U.S. National Tour of ANNIE opening on Tuesday, October 28th and running through Sunday, November 2nd at the Benedum Center. ANNIE is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.
Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time, this production of ANNIE will be a brand new physical incarnation of the iconic Tony Award®-winning original. ANNIE has a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. All three authors received 1977 Tony Awards® for their work. Choreography is by Liza Gennaro, who will incorporate selections from her father Peter Gennaro’s 1977 Tony Award®-winning choreography.
The original production of ANNIE opened April 21, 1977 at the Alvin Theatre and went on to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Cast Show Album and seven Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin). The show remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits ever. It ran for 2,377 performances after it first opened, and has been performed in 28 languages and has been running somewhere around the world for 37 years.
The beloved score for ANNIE includes “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.”
This brand new production features a 25 member company: in the title role of Annie is Issie Swickle, a 9-year-old actress from Davie, FL, making her tour debut. Gilgamesh Taggett will star as Oliver Warbucks. In the role of Miss Hannigan is Lynn Andrews. Also starring in the tour are Ashley Edler as Grace, Garrett Deagon as Rooster, Lucy Werner as Lily and Allan Ray Baker as FDR. Sunny, a 4-year-old rescue terrier mix, stars as Sandy. The Orphans are played by Angelina Carballo, Adia Dant, LillyBea Ireland, Sydney Shuck, Lilly Mae Stewart and Isabel Wallach.
Lily Emilia Smith will also join the cast in an ensemble role and as the understudy for Grace Farrell. Smith is thrilled to be performing in her first National Tour. Her regional credits include Jellylorum in the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's production of CATS, Ensemble member in WHITE CHRISTMAS at Syracuse Stage, and young artist with the 2013 Glimmerglass Festival. Smith is a Pittsburgh, PA native, Mount Lebanon High School graduate, and a proud Syracuse University drama graduate.
Tickets ($23-$75) are on sale for all performances.
The performance schedule is:
Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Friday at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, by visiting TrustArts.org, or by calling 412-456-4800. Group tickets are on sale now, call 412-471-6930 or email Groupsales@TrustArts.org to purchase. To purchase a subscription to the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, call 412-456-1390 or email Subscriptions@TrustArts.org.
