Study Guide Pittsburgh Musical Theater 2007

Study Guide
Pittsburgh Musical Theater
2007
This study guide was generously funded by a grant from
The Hot TopicTM Foundation
2007
2
School
Edition
Contents:
Letter from the Founding Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
The History of Little Orphan Annie . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Steps in the Musical’s Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Pre-Broadway Tryout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Broadway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Original London Cast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
National Touring Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Broadway Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
1999-2000 Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
2005-2007 Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Annie’s World: Life in America... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
The Great Depression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Franklin Delano Roosevelt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Orphans in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Comic Strips in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Harold Gray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
The Music in Annie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Student Learning Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Student Guide Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Comic Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
3
A Note to Teachers from the
Founding Director
The musical Annie, based on Harold Grey’s comic strip Little Orphan Annie
offers proof that one medium in popular culture often influence the creation of
another. In particular Annie joins the list of musicals whose creation was originally
influenced by the comic strip: the comic strip Lil’ Abner inspired a musical of the
same name, Superman from the comic stirp inspired the musical It’s a Bird...It’s a
Plane...It’s Superman... and, of course, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and
Snoopy were both created in response to the popularity of Peanuts. Comic strips
have also inspired books, motion pictures, songs, and radio and television programs.
In addition to offering students a delightful musical theatre experience as they
watch Harold Gray’s indomitable character, Annie, recreated on the stage, attending this musical offers teacher and educators the opportunity to have their students
learn about the development of the comic strip, study the comic strip as political
commentary, and reflect on the influences of a variety of pop culture media.
Teachers may also wish to use attendance at Annie as an impetus to study the
1930’s, the Great Depression, the New Deal, and a variety of other fascinating elements that grew out of that remarkable time.
Towards the end of Act I, Daddy Warbucks tells Annie that he wants to share
a story with her. “Does it have a happy ending?” Annie asks. “Yes,” says
Warbucks, “or at least I hope so. Because I believe that, especially nowadays, all
stories should have happy endings.” We hope Annie proves to be a happy ending to
your theatre experience, and that it provides your students with the motivation to
continue learning and creating.
Ken Gargaro
Founding Director, PMT
4
The
History
of Little
Orphan
Annie
The musical we share
with audiences could be
traced back to the day
Harold Gray conceived of
his little red-headed
orphan; however, like so
many musicals or films
based on another medium,
Annie the musical has a
life and a spirit all its own.
Shortly before
Christmas, 1971, Martin
Charnin, lyricist, purchased
a copy of Little Orphan
Annie: Her Life and Hard
Times, a comic strip collection intended as a present
for a friend interested in
pop culture. Charnin’s friend never received
that gift, however, for Charnin, perusing his
Christmas purchase, began to sense that he had
found an idea for a new musical. Charnin
called Thomas Meehan, with whom he had previously collaborated, to write the book for this
new musical. At first disliking the idea,
Meehan came to see that a musical based on
5
the life of little orphan Annie, the child of indomitable
spirit, lost and wandering in a hostile world, could
stand as a “metaphor of courage, morality, innocence
and optimism” in the face of the cynicism and pessimism of the early 70’s. The setting, New York City
during the depression, would recall another period of
hard times.
Charles Strouse, who had previously composed the
musicals Bye, Bye Birdie, Golden Boy, and Applause,
was designated the composer of Annie. And so, Annie
was conceived in 1971 and born in 1973. Due to the
difficulty in interested producers; however, the show
was not delivered on broadway until April 1977.
During a ten week tryout at the Goodspeed Opera
House in Connecticut, Mike Nichols saw the show
and agreed to become one of its producers, and a
Broadway opening was assured. By that time, Jimmy
Carter was in the White House, and the country was
in a more hopeful mood. But in the long run, whether
the mood of the country was pessimistic or optimistic
seemed to be irrelevant to the success of Annie, for
everyone, it seemed, could be caught up in its hopeful
spirit, wishing to believe that “the sun will come out
tomorrow.”
THE STEPS IN THE MUSICAL’S JOURNEY
Pre-Broadway Tryout
Annie made its World premiere on August 10, 1976
at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam,
Connecticut. Kristin Vigard was the first actress to
play the title role. However, the producers soon decided that Vigard's genuinely sweet interpretation was
not tough enough for the street-smart orphan. After a
week of performances, Vigard was replaced by
6
Andrea McArdle, who played one of the other
orphans. Vigard went on to become McArdle's
Broadway understudy.
Broadway
The original Broadway production opened at the
Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977 and starred Andrea
McArdle as Annie, Reid Shelton as Daddy Warbucks,
Dorothy Loudon as Miss Hannigan, and Sandy Faison
as Grace Farrell. It was nominated for 11 Tony
Awards and won 7, including Best Musical, Best
Score, and Best Book. Replacements for McArdle in
the lead role included then-child actors Shelley Bruce,
Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith, and Alyson Kirk.
The show closed on January 2, 1983 and ran for a
total of 2,377 performances.
Original London cast
In 1978, a London cast of Annie opened on West
End in London. Though Andrea McArdle played the
title role for forty performances, Ann Marie Gwatkin
did the role for most of the show and also appeared
on the cast recording. Miss Hannigan was played by
Sheila Hancock, and Daddy Warbucks was played by
Stratford Johns.
National Touring Companies
During the Broadway run of Annie, there were four
touring companies that were launched from the original production to bring the to show to major U.S.
cities.
The 1st National Touring Company of Annie
opened in Toronto in March of 1978. After playing a
few more cities, it landed in Chicago where it played
for 32 weeks before continuing on the road in April of
1979.
The 2nd National Touring Company (sometimes
referred to as the West Coast or Los Angeles
Production) opened in San Francisco on June 22,
1978 with Patricia Ann Patts starring as Annie and the
then-unknown Molly Ringwald playing one of the
orphans. The show landed in Los Angeles on October
15, 1978 for an open-ended run at the Schubert
Theatre.
The 3rd National Touring Company of Annie was
launched in Dallas on October 3, 1979 with Roseanne
Sorrentino in the title role. This company toured to 23
cities playing mostly shorter runs of a month or less.
It closed in September of 1981.
The 4th National Touring Company of Annie
opened on September 11, 1981. This production was a
"bus and truck" tour, with a slightly reduced cast, that
traveled the country often playing in two cities a
week. This company was still touring when the original Broadway production closed in January 1983,
making Kathleen Sisk the final performer to play
Annie from the original production team. This final
production closed in September of 1983.
Broadway revival
A Broadway 20th anniversary revival opened in
1997. In this revival, a black miniature poodle named
Dartanian played a small part when he ran across in
the stage during Act I of the play to be caught by an
actor playing a dog catcher. During intermission, an
announcement was made to the crowd saying that the
dog had been abused by his previous owners and was
found wandering the streets of New York City. The
announcement then said that the dog was being put up
for adoption. Many people went backstage after the
show to sign adoption papers for the dog, and after
the running of the show, the pound in possession of
Dartanian selected a family from Westchester, NY to
adopt him. The family changed his name to DC; he
lives in Westchester with this family to this day.
1999-2000 tour
Starting in August of 1999, the post Broadway
National Tour continued with Melissa Rocko playing
July, Gianna Belino playing Molly, Ashley Wronski
playing Duffy, and Nina Ducharme playing Tessie.
2005-2007 tour
Starting in 2005, a 30th anniversary traveling production of Annie by Networks Tours embarked on a
multi-city tour. Due to its popularity, the tour's initial
11-month run was extended into 2007. This production is directed by Martin Charnin and stars Conrad
John Schuck as Daddy Warbucks, Alene Robertson as
Miss Hannigan, and Marissa O'Donnell as Annie.
A 30th anniversary cast recording with Marissa
O'Donnell performing the role of Annie will be
released Winter 2007 on Time Life Records.
In 1977, Annie won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical,
Best Original Score, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best
Costume Design, and Best Choreography. It won the Theatre World Award,
and won Drama Desks awards that same year for Outstanding Musical,
Outstanding Book, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical,
Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Director of a Musical,
Outstanding Lyrics, and Outstanding Costume Design.
7
Annie’s
World:
Life in
America
that
shaped
her
creation
8
Annie is arguably a pure product of her time. In
actually reading the comic strip, it is impossible not to
see how thoroughly it is a product of not only its time,
but of the political opinions of its author. So, when
watching Annie, it is important to have an understanding of just what the country was like when the little
orphan was created.
The Great Depression
American enjoyed a boom of economic prosperity
during the 1920s. There were high profits in a few
industries due, in part, to greatly expanded credit buying by low-paid workers. Prices on the American
stock market rose dramatically between 1924 and
1929. However, the health of the stock market proved
deceptive. Lurking beneath the boom were dangerous
economic weak spots, including a depressed agriculture sector and weaknesses in coal mining, railroads,
and textiles. By 1928, the construction boom had
peaked.
The beginning of the collapse of the market was
dramatically sudden. Thirteen million shares of stock
were sold on October 24, 1929. The following
Tuesday, October 29, saw 16 million shares of stock
sold. The day has since been called Black Tuesday.
Panic struck. Hundreds of banks failed; thousands of
businesses failed; millions of workers found themselves unemployed without warning. Even those fortunate enough to hold on to their jobs had their pay
dramatically reduced. With no income, the unemployed were unable to pay their bills or meet other
financial obligations, lowering the overall financial
health of the country. There was a glut of products
which very few people could afford to buy. As a
result, prices fell. The agricultural segment of the
economy almost failed completely. At the same time,
the country suffered a serious drought which created
the "Dust Bowl" of the 1930s and led to the displacement of vast numbers of Great Plain farmers.
Unfortunately for Herbert Hoover, the Great
Depression coincided with his term as president of
country. Hoover was in office from 1929 to 1933 and
during that time, industrial stocks in the U.S. lost
approximately 80 percent of their value; approximately 11,000 banks failed (causing the loss of $2 billion
in depositors' money); farm prices fell by more than
50 percent ; and the gross national product declined at
a rate of over 10 percent per year. Additionally, one
fourth of the labor force was out of work and more
than 90,000 businesses failed completely.
As overwhelming as these statistics are, they can
only begin to communicate the extent of the nation's
suffering. Hundreds of ramshackle shantytowns
sprang up all over the nation to house the huge numbers of homeless Americans. These "villages" which
consisted of primitive shelters made of packing boxes
and bits of scrap metal were called "Hoovervilles" in
ironic reference to President Hoover. Old newspapers,
under which thousands of the homeless slept outside,
were called "Hoover blankets." "Hoover flags" were
empty pants and jacket pockets turned inside out. In
the countryside, jackrabbits caught for food were
called "Hoover hogs," and "Hoover wagons" were the
bodies of broken vehicles pulled by mules.
For the few who had jobs, typical annual earnings
dropped dramatically: public school teacher, $1,227;
registered nurse, $936; secretary, $1,040; textile worker, $435. Since only a relative few had any income for
discretionary spending, it didn't much matter that a
new home could be bought for fewer than $3,000, a
man's suit sold for about $10, shirts were offered for
fewer than 50 cents, a pound of steak cost 29 cents,
and a loaf of bread cost a nickel.
The depression caused not only deflated income
and economic conditions but deflated hope as well.
People waited, often by the hundreds, in bread lines
and soup lines in every American city hoping for a bit
of food. More than 20,000 American committed suicide in 1931. At this time there were no federal programs to help working people from slipping into economic disaster. In addition, the ability of government
to help relieve the country's economic distress was
severely hampered by the limited flow of tax revenue
to the government. President Hoover also opposed
government intervention in the economic distress. In
1932, he took only one major action: creating the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation to lend money to
failing corporations. The measure was seen by most
voters as too limited a response to the situation and in
the 1932 election Hoover was soundly defeated by
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Roosevelt's first inaugural address, in March, 1933,
is best remembered for his statement that "the only
thing we have to fear is fear itself." During his first
year in office, the new president was primarily concerned with the creation of the National Recovery
Administration. The effort was abandoned after the
Supreme Court, in 1935, declared the NRA unconstitutional.
During his second term Roosevelt shifted his focus
to public works. By 1939 the government spent about
$4 billion constructing highways and public buildings.
The Civilian Conservation Corps recruited young men
from the streets and employed them planting forests
and draining swamps. During Roosevelt's presidency,
an average of more than 2 million people were
employed in occupations ranging from musician and
playwright to laborer by the Works Progress
Administration. In addition, through the Farm Credit
Administration, the government refinanced about 20
percent of the country's farm mortgages.
9
The Depression also was
marked by increased labor
union recruiting activity.
The efforts of such men as
Walter Reuther, John L.
Lewis and Philip Murray
resulted in the creation of
new industrial labor organization and the growth in
union membership from 3
million in 1932 to more
than 10 million in 1941.
This activity was made possible in large measure by
the enactment of the
National Labor Relations
Act of 1935.
While the Depression in
the United States was
severe, most of the countries of Europe, who were
also struggling to recover
from the extensive damage
wrought by World War I, were struggling through
even worse economic conditions. The international
structure of world trade collapsed and each nation
sought to protect itself by imposing high tariffs on
imported goods, making matters worse. By the fall of
1931, the international gold standard had collapsed,
further damaging hope for the recovery of trade.
As trade declined, countries tended to become more
nationalistic in their economic policies. This exacerbated the difficulties. Economic hardship strengthened the political extremists of both the right and the
left. One result of this was Adolf Hitler seizing power
in Germany. The Great Depression contributed must
to the increasing tensions that culminated in World
War II.
10
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt was
born to a wealthy family and
had every advantage;
money, education and social
position can buy. But he
also knew great suffering as
a result of a bout of polio
which left him paralyzed for
half of his life. He is best
remembered for the many
social programs instituted by
his administration to alleviate the impact of the
Depression.
Just prior to Roosevelt's
inauguration, millions of
depositors in attempting to
withdraw their savings from
banks all over the country,
severely threatened the
banking system. On the day
of his inauguration, FDR closed the banks by proclamation and summoned a special session of Congress
to consider emergency legislation to address the problems of the banks. In less than a week, means were
provided to give the banks the liquidity necessary to
permit them to reopen. Unemployment insurance was
created. The Social Security program was enacted
and helped provide income for retired Americans.
Laws were enacted that dramatically reduced the
exploitation of child labor. The credit of the federal
government saved millions of home and farm mortgages from foreclosure. The Tennessee Valley
Authority was a major creation of Roosevelt's New
Deal and allowed for public development of affordable electrical power.
Orphans in America
In the 1800s, orphaned children were kept in
almshouses with adults who were diseased, mentally
ill and often abusive of the children. In some states,
this practice continued as late as 1910. Children were
indentured and more emphasis was placed on the
amount of work they could do rather than the care
provided for them.
By 1933, children were no longer kept with adults,
but the emphasis was still on their labor. Life in these
orphanages was often deplorable. These conditions
slowly changed as professionally trained and licensed
caretakers took over from the unskilled caretakers of
the past. Progress was not rapid until World War II
when mothers went to work and day centers became
popular. These women were often from well-to-do
families and they were able to exert pressure to the
government to regulate these care centers.
Child labor laws existed in some states as early as
1912, but were aimed at mining and factory work. In
1933, there was no minimum wage and children were
commonly used for all other types of work, including
the domestic work described in Annie. The Fair
Labor Standard Act, passed in 1938, created a minimum age (16) and established a minimum wage that
must be paid.
Comic Strips in America
Comic strips are a popular form dating from the
1890s, when they were introduced into the Sunday
color supplements of American newspapers as a
means of promoting readership.
A strip usually consists of a series of drawings
depicting humorous or adventurous incidents involving a recurring cast of characters. The cartoons are
continued in frames or panels, that follow in sequence
across the page. Dialogue appears in speech balloons,
although some text may occur between frames or
within the panel.
James Swinnerton's cartoon strip "The Little Bears
and Tigers," run by the San Francisco Examiner in
1892, was the first newspaper comic strip. The first
successful comic series was Richard Outcault's
"Down in Hogan's Alley," which debuted July 7,
1895, in Joseph Pulitzer's New York World as a single
picture, or tableau, of life in an 1890's slum. Its central character, "The Kid," was a bald, impish tyke with
a knowing grin. In 1896, the printed applied yellow
ink to his costume, a night shirt, and he became widely known as "The Yellow Kid."
William Randolph Hearst, published of The New
York Journal and Pulitzer's chief-rival, noted the success of "The Yellow Kid" and hired Outcault away
from Pulitzer. Pulitzer retaliated by employing the
World artist George Luks, later a leading Ashcan
School painter, to carry on the same cartoon; as a
result "Hogan's Alley" appeared in both papers simultaneously. The term "yellow journalism," referring to
sensational journalistic practices, was inspired by this
rivalry.
The first strip to make regular use of speech balloons was Rudolph Dirk's "The Katsenjammer Kids,"
which first appeared in 1897. In 1906, two first-rate
graphic artists entered the comic strip lists: both
Lyonel Feininger and Winsor McCay achieved an aesthetic quality that went beyond the popular notion of
cartooning. Feininger created two strips, "Wee Willie
Winkie's World" and "The Kin-der Kids," in a style
that lay somewhere between Art Nouveau and expressionism. Feininger went on to become one of the
most renowned artists of the German Bauhaus school.
Winso McCay, a master of Art Nouveau illustration,
produced "The Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend" and "Little
Nemo in Slumberland." His sweeping use of perspec-
11
tive and distortion for dream sequences was an inspiration to surrealists 20 years later. McCay was also a
pioneer in the production of animated cartoons.
George Herrimans' "Krazy Kat" (1911), a comic
drama of love and rejection in the manner of a surreal
commedia dell'arte, proved a hit with intellectuals
because of its wit and advanced style. More typical
of the cartoonist's hatched drawing style were the
strips of Melt Gross and Rube Goldberg. Gross'
"Dave's Delicatessen" (1930s) made use of Jewish
ethnic humor; Goldberg's ingenious mechanical
inventions represented a triumph of naivete over perverse absurdities.
George McManus pioneered the domestic comic
strip in "Newlyweds" (1904) and "Bringing Up
Father" (1913). In brilliant calligraphic lines he satirized the pretentious settings and absurd fashions of
the newly rich Maggie and Jiggs.
In 1908, Bud Fisher's "Mutt and Jeff" became one
of the first strips to appear daily in a paper. After
1914, various syndicates distributed the funnies to
papers throughout the country. New comics abounded, but they lacked some of the inventive draftsmanship and robust humor of the pioneer cartoonists.
Harold Gray's durable and persevering "Little Orphan
Annie" appeared in 1924. Flappers, working girls and
sundry youths followed. Carl Ed's "Harold Teen" displayed the beanies and plus-fours of 1920s drugstore
cowboys. Chic Young's "Blondie" is a survivor of
that era. Domestic scenes were represented by "The
Gumps," "Toots and Casper," the vulgarian Moon
Mullins and Skeezix of "Gasoline Alley." In the lives
of these innocent characters, poverty seemed a virtue,
violence comic, and death nonexistent.
The 1930s Depression created a public ready and
willing to escape realities. The freaky characters of
Chester Gould's "Dick Tracy," begun in 1931, were on
12
a par with such exotic adventure strips as "Tarzan,"
"Terry and the Pirates" and "Prince Valiant." These,
and the science fiction series "Buck Rogers" and
"Flash Gordon," created an appetite for further adventure heroes: "Superman," "Batman" and "Wonder
Woman."
Super-adventure was rendered in a super realistic
style that included chiaroscuro and anatomical accuracy, an approach introduced by cartoonists Harold
Foster and Alex Raymond. The invincible super
heroes served as models for the GIs of World War II.
The violence common to many comic books and
strips came under attack during the 1950s and a convention of artists agreed (1954) to eliminate such
material. The new strips, characterized by a breezy
and original drawing style, returned to the funnypaper traditions of the past. Walt Kelly had already
created (1949) "Pogo," a strip in which animals parodied the contemporary political scene. Most strips
dealt with less controversial matter. The kids in
Charles Schultz's still popular "Peanuts," begun in
1950, spoke to the aspirations and frustrations of
adults through the actions of children, while the all
comic-strip satirical monthly, Mad Magazine (1952),
also appealed to people of all ages.
Comic books, which began as complications of
newspaper comic strips, took on a life of their own in
the mid-1930s as new heroic characters were created
who lived only in the books. The favorite reading
matter of several generations of children, the most
popular comic books dealt luridly with crime and horror stories. When criticism of the industry resulted in
the creation of the 1954 Comics Code, comic book
sales declined.
The 1960s counterculture revolution and the easy
availability of inexpensive printing technologies
encouraged the publication of the "underground"
comic book, a new genre
represented by the irreverent works of Robert Crumb.
The pointed political satire
in Garry Trudeau's popular
"Doonesbury" (begun 1970)
won a Pulitzer Prize For
Editorial Cartooning for its
creator in 1975. This was a
milestone in cartoon history
as never before had this
prize gone to a comic strip
(it had always been awarded
to "political" cartoonists).
Pop Art practitioners such
as Roy Lichtenstein and
Andy Warhol used the
comics' mechanical, "rat-tattat" style as both technique
and social commentary.
A new breed of comicbook superhero emerged in
the 1960s and it still popular today. Though endowed with superhuman powers,
characters such as Steve Ditko's "Spider Man" and
Jack Kirby's "Hulk" (both 1962) experience ordinary
human emotions" The "Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles" began their existence in 1983 as the heroes of
an underground, adult comic book. RAW, "The
Comics Magazine for Damned Intellectuals," featured
"Maus," Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer-winning comicstrip (Special Citation In Letters - Leapin' Lizards!)
treatment of his father's Holocaust experiences. It
was exhibited in New York's Museum of Modern Art
in 1991 and given CD-ROM rendering in 1994.
In the early '90s, Marvel Comics' "X-Men" titles
(including "The Uncanny X-Men," "Excalibur,"
"Generation X," "The New
Mutants" and a top-rated
animated series) became the
most popular comic books
of all time.
Comic book collecting
has become a viable and
profitable investment option
and the industry continues
to boom.
Harold Gray
Harold Gray, the creator
of "Little Orphan Annie,"
was born on a farm in
Kankakee, Illinois, on
January 20, 1894. He graduated from Purdue
University and then went to
Chicago to work at The
Chicago Tribune.
Gray died in May 1968.
An assistant took over the
strip after his death, but Gray never revealed the true
origins of Annie. One widely accepted legend based
the name from a poem by James Whitcomb Riley
written in 1885 and called "Little Orphan Annie."
Another story is that Gray drew some sample strips
featuring Little Orphan Otto.
When shown to the Tribune's editor, he remarked that
Gray's depiction of Otto looked too girlish and said,
"Put a skirt on him and we'll call it Little Orphan
Annie."
The strip debuted in The New York Daily News on
August 5, 1924. Annie was taken home from the
orphanage "on approval" by Mrs. Warbucks, who
mysteriously disappeared from a yachting trip shortly
13
after the appearance of "Daddy" Warbucks in the
strip.
When Annie was first taken in by Oliver Warbucks,
the Tribune cancelled the strip. Who wanted to read
about a rich orphan? Reader displeasure was so swift
that the strip reappeared on the front page the next
day with an apology and two episodes: that day's strip
and the canceled one.
Sandy entered the strip in early 1925 as a small
puppy and was allowed to grow to become a big dog;
Annie, on the other hand, remained eleven years old
forever. Sandy was lost in 1933 and Henry Ford
promptly sent a telegram urging that the poor canine
be found as soon as possible.
"Little Orphan Annie" is one of the most popular
and longest-lasting comic strips in history, spawning a
decade-long radio show, three movies, and two New
York stage musicals, Annie and Annie Warbucks.
14
The Music
in Annie
Act I
Act II
Overture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
Entr'acte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orchestra
Maybe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annie & Orphans
Maybe (2nd Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annie
It's the Hard Knock Life . . . . . . . . .Annie & Orphans
You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile . . Healy,
Boylan Sisters
It's the Hard Knock Life (Reprise) . . . . . . . .Orphans
Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annie
Hooverville . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hooverville-ites & Annie
Little Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Miss Hannigan
Little Girls (Reprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Miss Hannigan
You're Never Fully Dressed
Without a Smile (Children) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orphans
Easy Street (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . .Miss Hannigan,
Rooster, Lily
Tomorrow (Cabinet Reprise) . . . . .Annie, Roosevelt,
Warbucks, Cabinet
I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here . . . . .Grace, Annie &
Servants Something Was Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Warbucks
N.Y.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Warbucks, Grace, Annie, Annie . . . . . . . . . .Grace Farrell, Drake and The Staff
Star-to-Be, Chorus
I Don't Need Anything But You . . . . . . . . . .Servants,
Warbucks, Annie,
Easy Street . . . . . . . . . .Miss Hannigan, Rooster, Lily
Grace, Drake, Chorus
Why Should I Change a Thing? . . . . . . . . .Warbucks
Maybe (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annie
You Won't Be an Orphan for Long . . . .Grace, Drake,
Servants, Annie, Warbucks Annie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grace and Servants
Maybe (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annie
New Deal for Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .All
Bows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All
Exit Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orchestra
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Student Learning Activities
1. To prepare students to see the production of Annie, the following list of activities are
suggested:
Explain to the students that Annie is based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” that
was a popular newspaper comic strip during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s.
Explain Annie’s background, her appearance, her problems, her dog Sandy, and her life
with Daddy Warbucks
Show students examples of the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip so they may come to
understand Annie’s character and Harold Gray’s philosophy.
Explain that since this musical takes place in the 1930’s, there are many references
(allusions) to things, people, and events of the 1930’s and that to have a full appreciation
of the musical, they need to know what those unfamiliar terms are.
If appropriate for your grade level, utilize the study guide sheet on references in Annie to
help students become familiar with what may be unfamiliar allusions. (See the study
guide sheet prepared for your use.) Utilize whatever research method is appropriate for
your grade level. Students may be assigned one of several terms to research in the
library. This research activity may be followed by a whole class sharing activity in
which students share their information and complete their guide study sheets.
Another option is to create a group research scavenger hunt and have groups compete to
see who can complete the assignment most quickly and comprehensively.
Play selections from the album to motivate student interest in the production. Ask the
students to speculate on the appearance of various characters. Have them suggest names
of actors or actresses who might be appropriately cast in the various roles.
2. Gave students study the comic strip form. If appropriate to the grade level, have the students
bring in a favorite comic strip and explain why they consider it their favorite.
3. Explain the different types of comic strips: adventure, detective, human interest, political
and social satire. Have students choose a type that would be appropriate to their grade and
interest level and create a comic strip. Have them brainstorm the type of comic strip, the
purpose of their strip, the recurring characters in the strip, etc. Have them create a strip or a
series of comic strips to tell a story or to make their point. Students may also create a comic
strip based on a novel or short story which they have read or are currently reading in class.
Display or publish their efforts in some form.
16
4. Examine national events of the 1930’s and have students discuss how those events help to
shape the tone and message of “Little Orphan Annie.” Have the students choose another
decade in the history of the county and create a comic that deals with issues of that time.
Students could choose also to deal with current issues. Display or publish their efforts in
some form. (Templates for making comic strips are on pages 23-25.)
5. Have students read a variety of current comic strips from a Sunday paper. Have students
examine the various strips and determine their types. Then have students choose a strip they
think could be adapted into a musical. Have them write a one-page “proposal” for their
new musical: what would the plot of the musical be, how would characters be portrayed,
what setting will be used, what special effects will be needed. Have the teacher play the
part of the theatre manager and have the students pitch their “new musicals” for production
at the teachers theatre. Have the students attempt to persuade the teacher that their’s is the
musical that has the greatest chance of success.
6. Utilize Annie to study the 1930’s and the New Deal if appropriate to your grade level and
curriculum.
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Student Guide Sheet:
Allusions in Annie
NAME:
DIRECTIONS: Follow you teacher’s directions for researching the allusions in Annie, and
sharing your information with the class. (Allusions are references made to things, people, or
events. Knowing these allusions will better help you understand the musical and the period
of the 1930’s.)
1. Calvin Coolidge
2. Herbert Hoover
3. Hoovervilles
4. The Great Depression
5.Franklin Delano Roosevelt
6. The New Deal
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7. Al Smith
8. Don Budge
9. Walter Winchell
10. Tommy Manville
11. John D. Rockefeller
12. Mahatma Ghandi
13. Dussenbergs
14. J. Edgar Hoover
15. Dillinger Case
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16. Gunderson (FBI)
17. Farly, Perkins, Ickes, Wallace, Morgenthau, Roper, Swanson
18. Cordell Hull
19. Lou Gehrig
20. Bernard Baruch
21. The Mona Lisa
22. World War II
20
23. Rembrandt
24. The Civilian Conservation Corps
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
21
WORD SEARCH
Find the words below associated with Pittsburgh Musical Theatre’s production of Annie and circle them. Words can be
found horozonally, vertically, and diagonally and can appear in any direction (left to right, right to left, top to bottom, or
bottom to top).
Y
A
W
D
A
O
R
B
F
A
D
O
P
T
I
O
N
A
W
I
R
O
P
P
22
E
R
T
H
O
B
X
S
I
A
P
B
I
L
L
I
O
N
A
I
R
E
I
O
V
F
H
E
I
G
A
S
T
O
M
O
R
R
O
W
M
E
A
O
N
T
T
L
L
A
E
E
T
Z
S
E
R
V
A
N
T
S
T
E
W
E
L
L
T
E
E
U
O
N
B
N
A
B
J
W
E
D
C
R
F
V
T
G
A
A
X
S
A
O
R
M
Act
Adoption
Annie
Billionaire
Broadway
Children
Comic
Daddy
Dance
W
N
W
C
R
E
B
Y
A
M
E
R
T
B
A
E
R
L
B
E
A
T
S
I
B
I
B
H
M
A
B
U
R
R
R
E
S
H
G
K
D
U
T
R
O
N
S
E
L
E
C
A
U
R
E
O
Y
D
D
A
D
T
H
O
R
D
O
R
P
H
N
R
A
I
T
N
S
R
N
E
H
P
P
H
V
S
D
G
O
L
B
A
A
S
B
E
B
L
G
E
C
A
N
C
P
E
I
T
J
A
H
T
W
M
L
T
E
A
C
C
L
E
I
H
K
T
S
T
A
G
E
D
I
M
S
E
W
O
A
M
A
R
R
H
R
S
P
E
T
C
T
A
Z
A
E
S
U
P
I
T
O
L
B
E
B
E
L
I
Depression
Dogcatcher
Ensemble
Hannigan
Lighting
Locket
Maybe
Molly
Orphanage
E
P
I
S
T
I
O
T
O
W
N
S
P
E
O
G
L
L
E
R
U
H
Y
L
D
O
T
S
P
E
N
L
R
H
I
J
O
H
A
N
E
Y
C
Z
R
C
Y
D
H
B
T
I
R
Q
U
G
A
C
A
T
S
A
A
N
E
W
O
W
A
T
R
R
E
I
S
N
O
R
P
H
A
N
A
G
E
N
E
N
N
A
M
E
A
A
O
E
A
U
E
G
A
U
E
L
O
V
E
M
O
E
F
F
N
A
I
A
U
C
O
N
D
B
A
B
E
T
T
E
O
G
T
C
W
A
C
S
I
I
C
T
O
G
S
A
R
C
U
L
B
H
M
D
A
N
C
E
H
I
A
N
J
R
G
C
H
O
T
A
B
O
T
O
E
V
R
E
L
I
L
E
F
N
B
V
S
R
E
A
J
D
E
G
T
G
Y
A
S
G
O
M
P
O
L
T
D
W
Y
A
G
M
B
E
N
G
R
S
A
S
T
R
A
N
S
F
O
R
M
Y
T
I
O
N
S
E
I
Y
A
G
G
I
Pittsburgh Musical Theatre
Redhead
Rooster
Sandy
Sing
Smile
Stage
Tomorrow
Warbucks
L
R
O
V
S
A
E
N
D
E
P
R
E
S
S
I
O
N
A
L
R
A
S
N
E
B
W
A
R
B
U
C
K
S
Y
O
W
O
E
A
R
O
E
L
E
A
C
T
23
24
25
Pittsburgh Musical Theatre
2007