NewsPhoto Archive: 38 Years Later, Celebrating Annie on Broadway and BeyondThe original production of Annie opened on April 21, 1977. Playbill.com looks back at the original Broadway production, a few notable subsequent stagings and the infamous 1993 sequel.
By
Matthew Blank
April 21, 2015
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.
0
of
40 Years Later: Celebrating Annie on Broadway and Beyond
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.
A statement from the Off-Broadway company's board of directors pledges a future "filled with diversity," and "to continue our long legacy of supporting artists of all backgrounds."