The musical had its world premiere in August 1976 at the Goodspeed Opera House, with Kristen Vigard in the title role. She was replaced by Andrea McArdle, who would go on to originate the role on Broadway in 1977.
Annie won the 1977 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as a Best Actress Award for original Miss Hannigan Dorothy Loudon. It ran 2,377 performances, closing in January 1983.
Over the next 35 years, the show would go on to enjoy multiple national tours and stagings in London and countries all over the world. It was revived on Broadway in 1997, in a production starring Nell Carter.
There have been two attempts at stage sequels: Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge opened in 1989 at the Kennedy Center, and Annie Warbucks ran for 200 performances at the Off-Broadway Variety Arts Theatre in 1993.
Annie Marquee
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Reid Shelton, Andrea McArdle and Sandy Faison in the original Broadway production
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Diana Barrows, Robyn Finn, Donna Graham, Danielle Brisebois, Shelley Bruce and Janine Ruane in the original Broadway production
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Dorothy Loudon in the original Broadway production
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Robert Fitch and Alice Ghostley in the original Broadway production
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Sandy Faison in the original Broadway production
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Dorothy Loudon, Robert Fitch and Barbara Erwin in rehearsal
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Dorothy Loudon and Sandy Faison in the original Broadway production
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Dorothy Loudon and Orphans during the show's pre-Broadway engagement
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Barbara Erwin, Robert Fitch and Dorothy Loudon in rehearsal
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Reid Shelton and Andrea McArdle in the original Broadway production
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Andrea McArdle in the original Broadway production
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Reid Shelton, Andrea McArdle and Sandy Faison in the original Broadway production
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Alice Ghostley and Orphans in the original Broadway production
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Alice Ghostley and Orphans in the original Broadway production
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Annie McGreevey, Robert Fitch and Alice Ghostley in the original Broadway production
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Shelley Bruce and Donald Craig (as Bert Healy) in the original Broadway production
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Shelley Bruce and cast in the original Broadway production
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Alice Ghostley and Shelley Bruce, with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Fedena and Jenn Thompson
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Rita Rudner, Gary Beach and Alice Ghostley in the original Broadway production
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Raymond Thorne, Sarah Jessica Parker and Reid Shelton in the original Broadway production
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Sarah Jessica Parker, Alice Ghostley and Lynn Kearney in the original Broadway production
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Sarah Jessica Parker and Reid Shelton Orphans in the original Broadway production
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Norwood Smith as Daddy Warbucks
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Allison Smith in the original Broadway production
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Allison Smith, John Schuck and Alice Ghostley in the original Broadway production
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John Schuck and Allison Smith in the original Broadway production
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Alyson Kirk and Sandy in the original Broadway production
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The original canine actor played the role of Sandy for the entire Broadway run, nearly seven eyars
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Sandy and his understudy O'Malley
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Bill Berloni and Sandy at the Outer Critics Circle Awards
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A young Sutton Foster starred as Annie with the Augusta Players
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Donna McKechnie and Harve Presnell in the 1993 sequel Annie Warbucks Off-Broadway
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Harve Presnell, Kathryn Zaremba and Marguerite MacIntyre in the 1993 sequel Annie Warbucks Off-Broadway
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Joanna Pacitti, who was replaced during out-of-town tryouts for the 1997 Broadway revival
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Nell Carter and company in the 1997 Broadway revival
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Nell Carter in the 1997 Broadway revival
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Conrad John Schuck in the 1997 Broadway revival
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Sutton Foster (standing, left) played Star-To-Be and performed in the ensemble of the 1997 revival
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Sally Struthers in the 1997 Broadway revival
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Brittny Kissinger in the 1997 Broadway revival
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Dana Zilman Harshaw, Andrea McArdle and Joey Calveri at North Carolina Theatre
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Andrea McArdle and cast at North Carolina Theatre
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Ella Nicol and Anthony Warlow in the 2012 Sydney production
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Lucille Le Meledo and Anthony Warlow in the 2012 Sydney production
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Lilla Crawford in the 2012 revival
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Anthony Warlow and Lilla Crawford in the 2012 revival
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Lilla Crawford in the 2012 revival
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The orphans in the 2012 revival
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