Annie
Annie can refer to a South African playwright, or to the famous Broadway musical of 1977.
Contents
Annie the Afrikaans playwright (fl. 1920s)
See the entry on Annie (pseudonym)
Annie the musical (1977)
A Broadway musical, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and the book by Thomas Meehan. It opened at the Alvin Theatre New York on April 21, 1977, running for 2,377 performances, making it the third longest running musical of the 1970s. [1]
The original text
The play was based on the comic strip, "Little Orphan Annie", created by Harold Gray in New York in 1924. It was drawn after Gray approached Captain Patterson, owner of the New York News, with an idea for a comic strip about a boy called "Little Orphan Andy". Patterson said there were enough comic strips about little boys but he would be interested in one about a little girl. The result was "Little Orphan Annie". In August, 1924, it was printed for the first time in the New York News. Almost immediately it was also picked up by the Chicago Tribune and became enormously popular. Subsequently, it was syndicated in hundreds of newspapers nationwide. In the 1930's, Ovaltine sponsored a popular children's radio programme based on the comic strip, and a very popular song with the same name was composed. After Harold Gray died in 1968, the comic strip was drawn by various artists until April, 1974, when the the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate, Inc., began offering re-runs of the old, original Harold Gray stories from the 1930's.
Translations and adaptations
In 1982, the movie version was released starring Albert Finney, Aileen Quinn, Ann Reinking, and Carol Burnett.
Performance history in South Africa
1979: The first South African production was by Joan Brickhill starring three young girls - Ashleigh Sendin, Diane Dupont and Memory Fick – rotating the title role, Claire Johnston playing a supporting role, Joe Stewardson, Judy Page and Brickhill herself. It ran at His Majesty’s from November 1978 to March 1979. Murray Woodfield, Michael de Pinna and Peter Abri also starred in the show.
January 1986: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society in collaboration with CAPAB for the re-opening of the Port Elizabeth Opera House. Starring Francesca Bantock (as Miss Hannigan), Alan Williams (as Oliver Warbucks), Robin Williams (as Grace Farrell), Leslie Speyers (as Rooster Hannigan and a Man Servant), Phil Jackson (as President Roosevelt), Cathy Nell (as Lily), Chireen Ferreira (as Annie) and Jackie Smith (as Annie).
1990: Presented by the Arts Theatre Club at the Guild Theatre, directed by David Matheson.
1997: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society.
1997: Presented by Cape Town Opera in July 1997, directed by David Matheson.
2007: Presented by The Young Performers Project (YPP), at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Durban.
2010: Staged by the Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society, directed by Kyla Thorburn, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.
2010: Performed at the Pemads Little Theatre , Port Elizabeth in December by Port Elizabeth Musical and Dramatic Society, featuring Mark Richardson (as "Oliver Warbucks")
2016: Presented by Hazel Feldman and Pieter Toerien (October).
2025: Presented by Impact Community Theatre Company, Gqeberha at the Savoy Theatre, directed by Robin Williams.
Sources
The Rand Daily Mail, 5 October 1978 (Brickhill-Burke production).
Theatre programme, 1997.
Tucker, 1997.
Arts Theatre Club archive held by George Mountjoy.
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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