An all-time musical theatre classic comes to the Capitol Theatre in Yakima on February 26th and 27th.
The Broadway musical Annie originally opened on Broadway in 1977. While its songs and story are classics in musical theatre history, its title character was originally inspired by a poem from 1885 written by James Whitcomb Riley, Little Orphant Annie, which itself was inspired by an actual little girl living in the Riley home. Her name was Mary Alice “Allie” Smith.
One of Riley’s most popular works, the poem’s four rhyming stanzas are most effective when read aloud, and warn little children of the dangers of misbehaving. “An the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you Ef you Don’t Watch Out!” Written in a 19th-century Hoosier dialect, it can be difficult to decipher by modern day readers.
The poem’s original title was The Elf Child. Renamed to its more popular title in the work’s third printing, the misspelling of “Orphant” was a never corrected typesetting error. The poem inspired the 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray, as well as the Raggedy Ann doll, created by another Indiana native Johnny Gruelle.
At its peak, the comic strip was appearing in hundreds of newspapers across the nation. Harold Gray drew the comic strip until his death in 1968. Several other artists contributed to the strip in the decades that followed until it ended in 2010. The characters live on with occasional cameos in the ongoing Dick Tracy comic strip.
In 1977, Little Orphan Annie was adapted for the stage and became the Broadway musical Annie, written by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. The original production received 10 Tony nominations, winning seven, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.
Charles Strouse wrote dozens of musicals in his career but is best known for his Tony Award-winning work on Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, and Applause. Thomas Meehan also has a long list of notable work and won Tony Awards for his work on Annie, The Producers (shared with Mel Brooks), and Hairspray (shared with Mark O’Donnell). He also worked with Mel Brooks on the musical Young Frankenstein and the movie Spaceballs.
In its original six-year run on Broadway, five young actresses portrayed the titular character, including Andrea McArdle who originated the role, as well as Sarah Jessica Parker. Six additional actresses were added to that list with the 1997 and 2012 Broadway revivals. Molly Ringwald and Alyssa Milano kicked off their careers in supporting orphan roles in Annie productions.
Annie’s can-do spirit and a host of very sing-able songs makes her a favorite for young girls everywhere. She has additionally inspired cultural references in all genres from punk to rap, comedic parodies, and even medical references. A character this notable with this life span has become woven into our culture in innumerable ways.
Whether this is your first time seeing this remarkable character or you are bringing your grandchildren to share one of your all-time favorites, this show continues to entertain and promises a bright shiny tomorrow, again and again.
Tickets for the Capitol Theatre productions are available at www.capitoltheatre.org and at the box office 509.853.8000.
Posted February 18, 2025
