Leapin' Lizards! New ANNIE National Tour Arrives in Philadelphia, Now thru 3/22

Broadway Philadelphia is proud to announce that the new U.S. National Tour of ANNIE will play tonight, March 17 through 22 at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time, this production of ANNIE will be a brand new physical incarnation of the iconic Tony Award-winning original. Broadway Philadelphia is presented collaboratively by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Shubert Organization. The press opening is Tues. March 17 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets ranging in price from $20 to $115.50 are available by calling 215-731-3333, online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Sts.(open daily 10 am to 6 pm), or at the Academy of Music box office, Broad & Locust Sts. (open during performances only). Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling 215-790-5883 or 866-276-2947. The performance schedule is: Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm; Friday & Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm; Sunday evening at 6:00 pm; and matinees Saturday at 2:00 pm; and Sunday at 1:00 pm.

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 will incorporate selections from her father Peter Gennaro's 1977 Tony Award-winning choreography.

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 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."

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 winnerSuzy Benzinger (Blue Jasmine, Movin' Out, Miss Saigon), lighting design by Tony Award winnerKen Billington (Chicago, Annie, White Christmas) and sound design by Tony Award nomineePeter Hylenski (Rocky, Bullets Over Broadway, Motown). The lovable mutt "Sandy" will once again be 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 and Holly Buczek CSA, Joy Dewing Casting (Soul Doctor, Wonderland, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). The tour is produced by TROIKA Entertainment, LLC.

This brand new production features a 25 member company: in the title role of Annie is Issie Swickle, a 9-year-old actress from Davie, FL, making her tour debut. Gilgamesh Taggett will star as Oliver Warbucks. In the role of Miss Hannigan is Lynn Andrews. Also starring in the tour are Ashley Edler as Grace, Garrett Deagon as Rooster, Lucy Werner as Lily and Allan Ray Baker as FDR. Sunny, a 4-year-old rescue terrier mix, stars as Sandy.

The Orphans are Angelina Carballo, Adia Dant, LillyBea Ireland, Sydney Shuck, Lilly Mae Stewart and Isabel Wallach. For tickets and information, visit: www.anniethemusical.com;@ANNIEonTour; www.facebook.com/AnnieTheMusical.

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