TROIKA Entertainment LLC's previously announced new tour of the Tony-winning musical Annie will launch October 4-8 at The Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York. The production will subsequently visit more than 50 cities during the 2022-23 season.
Jenn Thompson, who at the age of 10 stepped into the role of Pepper in the original Broadway production, will direct the non-Equity tour.
Ellie Pulsifer, a 12-year-old from South Florida, will make her tour debut in the title role with Christopher Swan as Oliver Warbucks, Stefanie Londino as Miss Hannigan, Julia Nicole Hunter as Grace, Nick Bernardi as Rooster, Krista Curry as Lily, and Mark Woodard as FDR.
The Orphans will be played by Riglee Ruth Bryson, Brianna Cameron, Bronte Harrison, Vivianne Neely, Kenzie Rees, and Valeria Velasco.
The ensemble includes Kolten Bell, Bradley Ford Betros, Luther Brooks IV, Harrison Drake, Laura Elizabeth Flanagan, Jataria Heyward, Carly Ann Moore, Kevin Ivey Morrison, Leeanna Rubin, Andrew Scoggin, Sophie Stromberg, and Kaley Were.
Addison, a stray dog rescued by William Berloni through the Humane Society in 2017, will be Sandy. Tony Honoree Berloni is also the production's animal trainer.
"This show, with its iconic title character, continues to delight generations of theatre lovers old and new by joyfully singing directly into the face of great adversity with perseverance, guts, and guile," said director Thompson in an earlier statement. “For decades, Annie has continued to shine brightly, not only as an appeal to our better angels, but also as an example of the thrill of hope, hard-won; promising a better ‘Tomorrow’ not only for Annie herself, but for all who need her message now more than ever.”
The upcoming tour will also have choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Motown, A Night with Janis Joplin), music supervision by Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh, orchestrations by Dan DeLange, music coordination by Talitha Fehr, music direction by Elaine Davidson, scenic design by Wilson Chin (Pass Over), costume design by Alejo Vietti (Jersey Boys), lighting design by Philip Rosenberg, sound design by Ken Travis (Disney’s Aladdin), hair and wig design by Ashley Rae Callahan, and casting by Paul Hardt of Hardt Casting.
Annie, which premiered on Broadway in 1977, features a score by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin and a book by Thomas Meehan. Based on the Depression-era newspaper comic series, the musical centers on its plucky title character and her journey from orphanage to the opulent Warbucks mansion. Annie won seven 1977 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The family-friendly musical has been revived on Broadway twice, in 1997 and 2012. News of the tour follows NBC's recent all-star broadcast of Annie Live!
For more information, visit AnnieTour.com.
