Annie
Wikipedia
Musicals for Middle School Readers
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre. It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won 7 Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical.
In 1933, eleven-year-old Annie is in the Municipal Girls Orphanage, along with multiple other orphans. When six-year-old Molly awakes from a bad dream, she angers the older orphans Pepper and Duffy. July tells them to hush up and eventually gets into a fight with Pepper. Annie gets up and tells everyone to go back to sleep. Molly then asks if Annie could read her note from when her parents left her at the orphanage. Duffy and Pepper are yet again irritated, as they've heard this note many times. As the others mock her, Annie wonders when her parents will return ("Maybe").
Annie decides to escape to find her parents, but is caught by Miss Hannigan, the drunken owner of the orphanage. She forces the girls to clean and they lament the terrible conditions of the orphanage ("It's the Hard Knock Life"). Later on, Mr. Bundles the laundry man comes in to pick up the blankets, allowing Annie to escape in his truck. Miss Hannigan realizes she's gone and chases after the truck. The other orphans express their frustration, as they know they'll be punished ("Hard Knock Life (Reprise)").
Annie successfully escapes, running into a friendly stray dog. As she comforts him, she tells him of better days yet to come ("Tomorrow"). The dog catcher is after him, so she pretends the dog is hers by calling him Sandy. She convinces the dog catcher and stumbles upon a Hooverville, where people made homeless by the Great Depression have come together as a community ("We'd Like to Thank You"). However, policeman Lt. Ward, who has been sent by Miss Hannigan, catches Annie and takes her back to the orphanage.
Grace Farrell, assistant to the billionaire Oliver Warbucks, comes to the orphanage asking for an orphan to come to his mansion for Christmas. Because Annie was in Miss Hannigan's office, Grace asks to take her, and Miss Hannigan reluctantly agrees. Once they leave, Miss Hannigan explodes with her hatred for all the girls in the orphanage ("Little Girls").
Meanwhile, at the Warbucks Mansion, the staff welcomes Annie with open arms ("I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here"), when Oliver Warbucks comes back. He isn't happy to have an orphan in his mansion. He asks Grace to take Annie to a movie, but Annie persuades him to come too. As he and Annie begin to like each other, they enjoy a fabulous night in New York City ("N.Y.C.").
Back at the orphanage, Miss Hannigan's ne'er-do-well brother, Rooster, and his unscrupulous girlfriend, Lily, pay a visit. Miss Hannigan mentions that Annie is staying at a billionaire's house, and they decide they can use this situation to their advantage, though they do not yet know how ("Easy Street").
Warbucks sees a broken locket around Annie's neck, and buys her a new one from Tiffany & Co. He debates with himself on whether he should adopt Annie ("Why Should I Change A Thing?"), but decides to go through with it and gives Annie the locket. However, she bursts into tears, saying it was the only thing left by her parents, and refuses to accept a new one. Warbucks pledges to find her parents no matter what it takes ("You Won't Be An Orphan For Long").
Annie appears on Bert Healy's radio show ("Maybe (Reprise)"), where Warbucks announces that he is offering $50,000 to the couple who can prove they are her parents. Healy then sings a song with the Boylan Sisters ("You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile"). At the orphanage, the girls are listening to the show. They joyously sing along ("You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Reprise)"). Miss Hannigan barges in and demands to know what's happening. Molly tells her of the $50,000 reward for Annie's parents, angering Hannigan. Shortly after, Rooster and Lily arrive at the orphanage disguised as Ralph and Shirley Mudge. They tell Hannigan that they can trick Warbucks into believing that they are Annie's parents, with her help. Hannigan demands one half of the money for this service, and she tells them about the note and the locket ("Easy Street (Reprise)").
Warbucks brings Annie to Washington, D.C., where she meets President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She sings "Tomorrow", and Roosevelt is inspired by her optimism ("Tomorrow (Cabinet Reprise)"). Once back home, Warbucks tells Annie how much he loves her ("Something Was Missing"). Because her parents have not shown up, he decides to adopt her, and Annie gleefully accepts ("I Don't Need Anything But You"). They decide to throw a Christmas party, and Annie invites Miss Hannigan and the orphans. While preparing, the delighted staff tell of how her arrival has changed their lives ("Annie").
Judge Louis Brandeis shows up to begin the adoption proceedings, but is interrupted by Rooster and Lily in disguise. The two present the other half of Annie's locket, but Warbucks still doesn't think they're real. He requests that she will be allowed to stay one more night for the Christmas party, and then they can take her away. The next morning, Annie wishes she could have been adopted, not sent off with her "parents" ("Maybe (Second Reprise)"). Warbucks then receives a surprise visit from Roosevelt and his Secret Service. It is revealed by him that Annie's parents are actually David and Margaret Bennett, who died when she was a baby. They then realize that Mr. and Mrs. Mudge are really Rooster and Lily, just as they show up to claim her and the money. They are arrested for their crimes by the Secret Service, along with Miss Hannigan for being their accomplice. Annie is adopted by Warbucks, and everyone is delighted by Roosevelt's New Deal ("A New Deal for Christmas"/"Tomorrow (Second Reprise)").
In 1933, eleven-year-old Annie is in the Municipal Girls Orphanage, along with multiple other orphans. When six-year-old Molly awakes from a bad dream, she angers the older orphans Pepper and Duffy. July tells them to hush up and eventually gets into a fight with Pepper. Annie gets up and tells everyone to go back to sleep. Molly then asks if Annie could read her note from when her parents left her at the orphanage. Duffy and Pepper are yet again irritated, as they've heard this note many times. As the others mock her, Annie wonders when her parents will return ("Maybe").
Annie decides to escape to find her parents, but is caught by Miss Hannigan, the drunken owner of the orphanage. She forces the girls to clean and they lament the terrible conditions of the orphanage ("It's the Hard Knock Life"). Later on, Mr. Bundles the laundry man comes in to pick up the blankets, allowing Annie to escape in his truck. Miss Hannigan realizes she's gone and chases after the truck. The other orphans express their frustration, as they know they'll be punished ("Hard Knock Life (Reprise)").
Annie successfully escapes, running into a friendly stray dog. As she comforts him, she tells him of better days yet to come ("Tomorrow"). The dog catcher is after him, so she pretends the dog is hers by calling him Sandy. She convinces the dog catcher and stumbles upon a Hooverville, where people made homeless by the Great Depression have come together as a community ("We'd Like to Thank You"). However, policeman Lt. Ward, who has been sent by Miss Hannigan, catches Annie and takes her back to the orphanage.
Grace Farrell, assistant to the billionaire Oliver Warbucks, comes to the orphanage asking for an orphan to come to his mansion for Christmas. Because Annie was in Miss Hannigan's office, Grace asks to take her, and Miss Hannigan reluctantly agrees. Once they leave, Miss Hannigan explodes with her hatred for all the girls in the orphanage ("Little Girls").
Meanwhile, at the Warbucks Mansion, the staff welcomes Annie with open arms ("I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here"), when Oliver Warbucks comes back. He isn't happy to have an orphan in his mansion. He asks Grace to take Annie to a movie, but Annie persuades him to come too. As he and Annie begin to like each other, they enjoy a fabulous night in New York City ("N.Y.C.").
Back at the orphanage, Miss Hannigan's ne'er-do-well brother, Rooster, and his unscrupulous girlfriend, Lily, pay a visit. Miss Hannigan mentions that Annie is staying at a billionaire's house, and they decide they can use this situation to their advantage, though they do not yet know how ("Easy Street").
Warbucks sees a broken locket around Annie's neck, and buys her a new one from Tiffany & Co. He debates with himself on whether he should adopt Annie ("Why Should I Change A Thing?"), but decides to go through with it and gives Annie the locket. However, she bursts into tears, saying it was the only thing left by her parents, and refuses to accept a new one. Warbucks pledges to find her parents no matter what it takes ("You Won't Be An Orphan For Long").
Annie appears on Bert Healy's radio show ("Maybe (Reprise)"), where Warbucks announces that he is offering $50,000 to the couple who can prove they are her parents. Healy then sings a song with the Boylan Sisters ("You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile"). At the orphanage, the girls are listening to the show. They joyously sing along ("You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Reprise)"). Miss Hannigan barges in and demands to know what's happening. Molly tells her of the $50,000 reward for Annie's parents, angering Hannigan. Shortly after, Rooster and Lily arrive at the orphanage disguised as Ralph and Shirley Mudge. They tell Hannigan that they can trick Warbucks into believing that they are Annie's parents, with her help. Hannigan demands one half of the money for this service, and she tells them about the note and the locket ("Easy Street (Reprise)").
Warbucks brings Annie to Washington, D.C., where she meets President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She sings "Tomorrow", and Roosevelt is inspired by her optimism ("Tomorrow (Cabinet Reprise)"). Once back home, Warbucks tells Annie how much he loves her ("Something Was Missing"). Because her parents have not shown up, he decides to adopt her, and Annie gleefully accepts ("I Don't Need Anything But You"). They decide to throw a Christmas party, and Annie invites Miss Hannigan and the orphans. While preparing, the delighted staff tell of how her arrival has changed their lives ("Annie").
Judge Louis Brandeis shows up to begin the adoption proceedings, but is interrupted by Rooster and Lily in disguise. The two present the other half of Annie's locket, but Warbucks still doesn't think they're real. He requests that she will be allowed to stay one more night for the Christmas party, and then they can take her away. The next morning, Annie wishes she could have been adopted, not sent off with her "parents" ("Maybe (Second Reprise)"). Warbucks then receives a surprise visit from Roosevelt and his Secret Service. It is revealed by him that Annie's parents are actually David and Margaret Bennett, who died when she was a baby. They then realize that Mr. and Mrs. Mudge are really Rooster and Lily, just as they show up to claim her and the money. They are arrested for their crimes by the Secret Service, along with Miss Hannigan for being their accomplice. Annie is adopted by Warbucks, and everyone is delighted by Roosevelt's New Deal ("A New Deal for Christmas"/"Tomorrow (Second Reprise)").