The musical "Annie" comes from Harold Gray's comic "Little Orphan Annie" serialized in the newspaper "Chicago Pulpit". This comic started in 1924 and ended with Gray's death in 1964. It spanned four eras and is a very accomplished comic in the history of American comics. It is said that Gray originally wanted to use a boy as the protagonist, so even the title was "Little Orphan Otto", but he found that there were too many cartoons in newspapers with boys as the protagonist, so he changed it to a girl. . Comics in the 1920s were very different from today. The comics at that time were much larger than they are now, and they were not necessarily four-frame. Sometimes, a day could take up a large page, and could tell quite detailed stories. story. And Anne's story is also extraordinary. This kind and brave girl has come into contact with all kinds of people in society, and with her wit, she has fought against all kinds of evil forces, from being an impractical social reformer to being a non-evil. Politicians who don't do it, from underworld gangsters to Nazi officers. There are also some supernatural things in her story, such as ghosts, dwarves, and Mr. Anmu who has "lived for millions of years." At first, Annie only had big dogs as companions on her journey. Later, "Dad" appeared in the comics. This "dad" is not Anne's biological father, his name is Mr. Warbucks, a self-made billionaire. From a certain point of view, he and Anne are both the same kind of people, people who strive for success through their own efforts. In the comics, not long after Mr. Warbucks adopted Annie, he left home to join the army because of the war, and Annie's adventures were still completed by herself.
After several successful Broadway musicals, playwright Leonard Starr wrote the script for "Annie" based on the comics. However, the story of the musical is much simpler than the comic. It starts with Annie leaving the orphanage and ends with being adopted by Mr. Warbucks. It is a comedy full of joy and adventure. "Annie" premiered at the Alvin Theater in New York on April 21, 1979, and ended after 2,377 performances. It was the third longest-running musical on Broadway in the 1970s. This play even won 7 Tony Awards that year. Annie Annie, a girl in the orphanage, eleven years old.
Sand Sandy The dog Annie meets.
Oliver Warbucks, a self-made billionaire, invites an orphan to his home for Christmas.
Grace Grace Farrell Warbucks's secretary.
Miss. Hannigan is the director of the orphanage, an old lady.
Rooster Hannigan Miss Hannigan's brother, a gangster.
Lily Lily Rust’s girlfriend.
Tessie, a ten-year-old girl from the orphanage.
Kate Kate is a seven-year-old girl in the orphanage.
Chulai July orphanage girl, thirteen years old.
Duffy Duffy, a girl from the orphanage, thirteen years old.
Molly Molly, a six-year-old girl from the orphanage.
Pepper, a twelve-year-old girl from the orphanage.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt President of the United States.
Act 1 December 11-19, 1933
At three o'clock in the morning, in the girls' dormitory of the New York City Orphanage, six girls fell asleep in the freezing cold room. They were six years old Molly, seven-year-old Kate, ten-year-old "crybaby" Tessie, twelve-year-old brave Pepper, thirteen-year-old quiet July Rai), and chubby thirteen-year-old Duffy. Molly suddenly woke up from her nightmare and called her mother. The other orphans were woken up and started quarreling with each other. At this time, eleven-year-old Annie ran in from outside carrying a bucket. She had just returned from being sent to clean the dormitory by Miss Hannigan, the director of the girls' department of the orphanage. Annie comforted Molly, and Molly asked her to read the note left by Annie's parents. Piper reminded everyone that Annie's parents also left half of the silver necklace, and that they would bring their other half to Annie in the future. of. Anne sings to Molly what she imagines her parents to be like because she has never met them (Maybe). Thinking of her parents, Annie decided to escape from the orphanage. Unfortunately, when she packed her luggage and was about to leave, she was discovered by Miss Hannigan. The vicious Miss Henigan ordered all the orphans to wash the floor and tidy the bedding as punishment for Anne's escape. The children said it was only four o'clock, but Mrs. Henigan wouldn't listen. While the children were working, they complained about the difficulty of their lives (It's A Hard Knock Life).
In the morning, Bundles McCloskey from the laundry shop came to the orphanage to collect dirty clothes. While he was flirting with Miss Hunnigan, the children hid Annie in his big clothes bag. So, Annie escaped from the orphanage.
While the orphans were celebrating Annie's successful departure, Miss Hunnigan went to the police station to call the police.
When Annie was walking on the street, she saw a wild dog being chased by a dog catcher. She rescued the wild dog and sang Tomorrow because she knew that she and The future of dogs will be better than the present. They were interrogated by the police. In order to prove to the police that the dog was hers and not a wild dog, Anne called the dog "Sandy", and the dog actually ran to her obediently. They have become partners who work well together since then.
Annie comes to Hooverville, a slum built out of scrap materials under a bridge by poor people with nowhere to go during the Great Depression. Here, people who lost their jobs, savings, and homes because of the Great Depression lit fires and cooked stew outside their homes. They sang about their plight and blamed former President Herbert Hoover's policies for causing the depression. (We'd Like to Thank You You - we have to thank you). This group of people treated Annie very kindly, and even shared their stew with Annie and Sha Sha. Anne tried to cheer them up, telling them that life would get better. Everyone was dispersed by the arrival of the police, and everyone hid in their huts. Annie and Sha Sha also escaped from the place of right and wrong.
At the orphanage, Miss Henigan told the orphans about her dissatisfaction with life and the difficulty of taking care of these little girls (Little Girls - little girls). After that, she listened to the soap opera on the radio. Halfway through, the police came back with Annie. Miss Henigan was about to punish Anne when an unexpected guest interrupted her. The person arriving is Grace Farrell, the personal secretary of billionaire Oliver Warbucks. She came this time because Warbucks asked her to choose an orphan to attend his Yule Ball. Anne really wanted to go, but Miss Henigan tried her best to prevent her from going, even telling Grace that Anne was a lying drunkard. However, Grace took a fancy to Anne from the beginning and decided to take her back. She insisted that Miss Hannigan sign the appropriate documents, and then took Anne to the stretch limousine waiting outside.
Grace took Anne to the Warbucks mansion and took her to meet the servants in the house. Anne was amazed by everything in the house, and the servants were very kind to her (I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here - I think I will like it here). By this time Warbucks had returned home, a nationally important figure and a key player in the current economic crisis. He has always only had work in his eyes, and Anne's arrival made him very dissatisfied. He asked for a boy and was a bit confused about dealing with girls. However, Annie's courage and character reminded him of his self-made situation, so he decided not to work that night, but took Annie to a movie, drank soda, and took a taxi around Central Park. A few laps. In a cab with Warbucks and Grace, Anne discovers that the New York City she grew up in has changed. At night, when Anne fell asleep due to fatigue, Warbucks took her home. When they left Times Square,
Suddenly the sand appeared. It turned out that he had been looking for Annie everywhere since she was taken away by the police, so it followed Annie to Warbucks' home.
The next day, Grace went to the orphanage and told Miss Hunnigan that Warbucks had decided to adopt Annie. When she was about to leave, Miss Hunnigan's brother, Rooster, and his girlfriend Lily also came to the orphanage. Rust came to borrow money from his sister, but Miss Hunnigan refused. Rust sings her the lullaby their mother once sang to them (Easy Street), and both men begin to lament their troubled fortunes. Miss Hunnigan tells Rust that Anne will have good luck from now on.
Warbucks spoke to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the phone when a package from expensive jewelry store Tiffany & Co. arrived at his home. Inside the package was a silver necklace. Warbucks told Anne that this was a gift from him and that he would adopt her. However, Anne did not jump for joy as he expected, but cried. Anne told him her longing for her biological parents and the story of the half of the necklace. After hearing this, Warbucks not only did not blame Anne, but ordered his subordinates to start the search for Anne's parents (You Won't be an Orphan for Long - You won't be an orphan anymore). Before the end of Act 1, Anne sings Tomorrow again. Warbucks was saddened by the impending loss of Anne, but he was determined to find Anne's parents.
Act 2
December 21-25, 1933
Anne and Warbucks came to the radio station and they read the search for Anne's parents. Warbucks announced a reward of fifty thousand dollars to anyone who could prove they were Anne's parents. Before the broadcast ended, the station's cast sang You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.
The children in the orphanage listened and sang their own version of You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile. Miss Henigan was so angry that she dared them to leave the house. Rust and his girlfriend Lily came to the orphanage again. This time, they dressed up as Ralph and Shirley Mudge and announced that they were Anne's biological parents. They told Miss Hannigan that they could share the fifty thousand dollars together. They decided that as soon as they got the money, they would throw Anne away and live a life of wealth and luxury.
In the White House, President Roosevelt and his cabinet staff were listening to a radio program criticizing the president, when Anne and Warbucks arrived. While Warbucks and other officials talked about the current economic crisis, Anne stood up and sang Tomorrow.
The President was so moved by the confidence and courage in Annie's song that he asked all cabinet members to sing along with her. When Anne and Warbucks heard that there were hundreds of people outside the Warbucks home claiming to be Anne's parents, waiting to claim Anne, they hurriedly left Washington and returned to New York. In the White House, inspired by Anne, the president and cabinet members worked together to formulate new ways to deal with the economic crisis.
Arrived at the Warbucks home, they found that Grace had met with some of the parents and had sent them away -- none of them mentioned the silver necklace. On the other hand, the craftsman who made the necklace charm was also found, but he could not find the buyer of the jewelry. It seemed that there was little hope that Anne would find her biological parents. In order to comfort Anne, Warbucks told him about his feelings for Anne and how important she was to him (Something Was Missing).
Warbucks' plan to adopt Annie is back in motion, and he's planning a party for it. Anne and Warbucks are delighted to be father and daughter (I Don't Need Anything But You - I don't need anything but you). Everyone in the house was busy preparing for the party. They prepared clothes for Anne and made the house beautiful. Just as the Supreme Court justices were about to declare Anne's legal adoption, Rust and Lily suddenly appeared in the hall. They held the other half of the necklace, and Anne's birth certificate, which Miss Hunnigan had given them. They announced that they would take Anne to their pig farm in New Jersey. Warbucks begged them to let Anne spend Christmas at his house, and that they could pick her up again tomorrow. They agreed and left. Everyone cheers for Annie to find her parents. But when Grace led Anne to the bedroom at night, she suddenly remembered that she had seen the man who claimed to be Anne's father. Meanwhile, Warbucks calls the President and asks him to do him a favor.
The next day, Anne waited anxiously for her parents to pick her up, but it was President Roosevelt who arrived. The president has bad news. The FBI examined the handwriting on a note left for her by Anne's parents, from which they discovered that Anne's real parents were David and Margaret Bennett, and that they were dead. And the person who came up last night was undoubtedly a liar. Anne and Warbucks were overjoyed, thinking that only Mrs. Hunnigan could give the two crooks necklaces and birth certificates. At this time, Miss Hunnigan brought the orphans to celebrate Christmas, and Rust and Lily also pretended to be Annie's parents and prepared to pick Annie up. Another call with the FBI confirmed the true identities of the two men. Miss Henigan tried to break away from her relationship with them, but in the end all three of them were sent to the police station. Anne introduces Warbucks to the orphans, and she assures them that everyone will have a better life (A New Deal For Christmas - New Wish for Christmas). At this time, a huge package was delivered to my home. Anne opened the package and the sand jumped out into her arms.