Inaugural 'Broadway Balances America' Episode to Feature ANNIE Auditions

ANNIE, presented by Broadway Across America, will take center stage on the award-winning morning show The Balancing Act on the Lifetime Channel on Tuesday, August 12 at 7:00 a.m. (ET/PT). Viewers may tune in as The Balancing Act hits the road to go on location in Manhattan as the touring production of ANNIE looks for its new leading young lady in this first of a special six-part series, "Broadway Balances America." This show will re-air on August 19th at 7:00 a.m. (ET/PT) on Lifetime.

"Broadway Balances America" will provide behind-the-scenes excerpts and interviews highlighting the shows that are featured on Broadway Across America's 2014-2015 Broadway series nationwide - from Boston to Costa Mesa, from Houston to Minneapolis, and everywhere in between. The Balancing Act's hosts get up close and personal with the casts and crews, even experiencing what it's like to dance in their shoes.

In this segment, special correspondent Amber Milt takes viewers to Pearl Studios in Manhattan where young hopefuls are vying for the lead in the upcoming touring revival of ANNIE, the musical that tells the beloved story Little Orphan Annie. The ANNIE segment puts a spotlight on young kids and their parents going through the audition process to show what it takes to play one of Broadway's most cherished roles, and how families keep the balance in their lives with child actors.

ANNIE's Martin Charnin, Lyricist/Director, and co-creator and original director of ANNIE in 1977, Liza Gennaro, Choreographer and Joy Dewing, Casting Director share what they look for in the auditions and famed Broadway animal trainer William Berloni talks about what he looks for when the young ladies audition with their furry co-star, "Sandy."

Viewers will get a glimpse of one young lady's dreams coming true as Charnin offers her the coveted role of Annie. The young actress also makes a special guest appearance at The Balancing Act studios where the casting of the new touring production's "Orphans" will be exclusively revealed.

The original production of 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 remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits ever. It ran for 2,377 performances after it first opened, and has been performed in 28 languages and has been running somewhere around the world for 37 years.

The score for ANNIE 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 the eternal anthem of optimism, "Tomorrow."

Now in its 7th year, The Balancing Act continues to empower women in all aspects of their lives. The mission at The Balancing Act is simple - the show strives to help today's modern woman balance it all by bringing them positive solutions to enrich and empower them. Entertaining, educational and trusted by women, viewers can tune in to America's premier morning show The Balancing Act on weekday mornings at 7:00 am (ET/PT) airing on Lifetime television. For additional information or to view a segment visit: www.thebalancingact.com

To learn more about the Broadway Balances America series, please visit: www.broadwaybalancesamerica.com

BROADWAY ACROSS America is part of the Key Brand Entertainment family of companies, which includes Broadway.com and is operated by John Gore (Owner & CEO). BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring musicals and plays in North America, operating in 40 markets. As a leading Broadway producer, BAA is dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse theatre. Current/upcoming productions include Beautiful, Bullets Over Broadway, Million Dollar Quartet and Pippin. Past productions include Hairspray, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Memphis, Promises, Promises and The Producers. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.