Tony nominee Harry Connick, Jr., who last appeared on Broadway in December 2019 with Harry Connick, Jr.—A Celebration of Cole Porter, will play Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks in NBC's upcoming live production of the Tony-winning musical Annie.
The role was created on Broadway in 1977 by Reid Shelton and subsequently played in the 1982 film by Albert Finney and the 1999 TV film by Victor Garber.
Connick joins the previously announced Taraji P. Henson, who'll take on Miss Hannigan. The NBC broadcast will air December 2.
Connick, Jr., seen on Broadway in the revivals of The Pajama Game and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, also wrote the score for Broadway’s Thou Shalt Not and recently appeared in the world premiere of the musical The Sting.
“Now that the amazing Harry Connick Jr. is set to embody Daddy Warbucks, we look forward to shaping the iconic role to tap Harry’s immense skill set as a multi-talented performer,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president, Entertainment Live Events, Specials and E! News, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “He and Taraji P. Henson will anchor the rest of the cast, and we can’t wait to see their on-stage dynamic in our version of Annie.”
The search continues for the title role. Interested families can click here for more information and a link to upload an audition. Rehearsals will take place this fall in New York.
Annie Live! will be executive produced by Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron, and Alex Rudzinsky, with Lear deBessonet and Alex Rudzinski sharing the directing duties. Choreography will be led by Sergio Trujillo with costumes by Paul Tazewell, production design by Jason Sherwood, and orchestrations by Stephen Oremus. The live event is being produced by Chloe Productions.
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.
