ANNIE to Play Kalamazoo's Miller Auditorium

Miller Auditorium is proud to announce that the U.S. National Tour of ANNIE, now in its third smash year, will play Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. on the campus of Western Michigan University. Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time, this production of ANNIE is a brand new incarnation of the iconic Tony Award®-winning original.

ANNIE has a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. All three authors received 1977 Tony Awards® for their work. Choreography is by Liza Gennaro, who has incorporated selections from her father Peter Gennaro's 1977 Tony Award®-winning choreography.

The celebrated design team includes scenic design by Tony Award® winner Beowulf Boritt (Act One, The Scottsboro Boys, Rock of Ages), costume design by Costume Designer's Guild Award winner Suzy Benzinger (Blue Jasmine, Movin' Out, Miss Saigon), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Ken Billington (Chicago, Annie, White Christmas) and sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rocky, Bullets Over Broadway, Motown). The lovable mutt "Sandy" is once again trained by Tony Award® Honoree William Berloni (Annie, A Christmas Story, Legally Blonde). Musical supervision and additional orchestrations are by Keith Levenson (Annie, She Loves Me, Dreamgirls). Casting is by Joy Dewing CSA, Joy Dewing Casting (Soul Doctor, Wonderland). The tour is produced by Troika Entertainment, LLC.

The production features a 25 member company: in the title role of Annie is Tori Bates, an 11-year-old actress from Sarasota, FL, making her tour debut. She most recently starred as Young Josephine in the sold-out run of Josephine at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Gilgamesh Taggett continues to star as Oliver Warbucks. In the role of Miss Hannigan is Erin Fish. Also starring in the tour are West Michigan native Casey Prins as Grace Farrell, Michael Santora as Rooster, Western Michigan University alumna Mallory King as Lily and Jeffrey B. Duncan as FDR. Sunny and Macy, rescue terrier mixes, star as Sandy.

The orphans are Bunny Baldwin as Molly, Jacqueline Galvano as July, Ava Slater as Kate, Amanda Swickle as Pepper, Amanda Wylie as Tessie and Katie Wylie as Duffy.

The featured ensemble includes Timothy Allen, Todd Berkich, Katie Davis, Adam du Plessis, Mia Fitzgibbon, Caroline Lellouche, Conor McGiffin, Mackenzie Perpich, Connor Simpson, David Vogel, Anastasia Wolfe and Roxy York.

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 39 years.

The beloved 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."

Part of the PNC Broadway in West Michigan Series and welcomed by Meijer, Shang Financial, Pepsi and Seat n Sleep, tickets for ANNIE are available now by calling (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858, online at www.millerauditorium.com or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office. Groups of 10 or more can call (269) 387-2312 for special discounts.

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