ANNIE, the beloved musical, is based on Harold Gray’s famous comic strip Little Orphan Annie, which first appeared in the New York Daily News in the 1920s and became a hugely popular read throughout the 1930s and 40s. The idea for the stage adaptation began when lyricist-director Martin Charnin stumbled upon a coffee table book, The Life and Hard Times of Little Orphan Annie, in 1970. Meant to be a Christmas gift for a friend, Charnin read the book before wrapping it and fell in love with the story, sparking his mission to secure the rights for a musical adaptation.

Charnin pitched the idea to Charles Strouse, a three-time Tony-winning composer, and Thomas Meehan, a New Yorker short story writer. After persistent efforts, the trio officially came together in 1971 to start developing the now-iconic musical, which went on to capture the hearts of theatergoers for generations. Fun fact: the friend never got the book!

Now it’s back in a vibrant new production that captures the magic of the original—and more! Whoopi Goldberg will perform as Miss Hannigan December 11 – January 5 with the exception of December 12.