Based on the comic strip character, Little Orphan Annie, created by Harold Gray, the musical has music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan.

Lapine is the winner of three Tony Awards; five Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize with Stephen Sondheim for Sunday in the Park with George. He was most recently represented on Broadway with Sondheim on Sondheim, which he conceived and directed. His Broadway credits as a book writer and director include: Sunday in the Park with George; Into the Woods; Passion; Falsettos (book with William Finn); Dirty Blonde (by Claudia Shear and conceived with her). Broadway credits as a director include Golden Child, The Diary of Anne Frank, Amour and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Annie will be produced on Broadway by Arielle Tepper Madover, Roger Horchow, Sally Horchow, Roger Berlind, Jane Bergere, Roy Furman, Stacey Mindich, Daryl Roth and Nederlander Presentations, Inc.

The 1977 show's famously upbeat score 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 "Tomorrow."

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 was one of the biggest Broadway musical hits of the 1970s, running for almost six years and playing 2,377 performances.

See Playbill.com's August story about Lapine being in discussions to direct Annie.