ANNIE (1977 Original Broadway Cast)

So this show fits into two categories for me right now:

-SHOWS YOU'RE CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH

-OPENING NIGHT YOU'D LOVE TO GO BACK TO SEE

I've always enjoyed Annie but never been 'blown away' by any of the touring productions I've seen. And then you watch that glorious 10-minute performance from the Tonys and you can't help but smile from ear to ear the entire time. You instantly get why the original was such a hit and spawned revival after revival and touring production after touring production. Everything was perfect - perfect cast, a GREAT score that still holds up despite a book that takes place during the Great Depression. Dorothy Loudon, Andrea McArdle, Reid Shelton, Laurie Beechman, Robert Fitch, every original orphan,

If you saw the original Broadway cast, color me jealous.

Saw it a month after it opened. Lucky my folks bought tickets right when previews started as the show exploded weeks later and it would have been impossible to get tickets. The show opened with the same fanfare HAMILTON and Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS and even HAIRSPRAY. The lines for tickets were insane. No lotteries or rush tickets existed then so those lines were mostly for cancellation tickets.

To me what blew me away then (I was 12) was the staging: all the scene changes were cinematic - when the orphanage scene transitioned to the next scene, the beds would slide off (via a treadmill), the pipes and walls would fly up and the next scene’s set would glide on: walls, doorways, windows, full props. No minimal stylized nonsense.

Sadly, the show has since become a “kiddie” show (it was not during its original Broadway run), and the song “Tomorrow” exhausted itself to the jokey overkill kid song it is today. Back in 1977, the show was treated as another major musical on Broadway, hence all the Tony Awards it won, etc.

BdwyFan said: "I got to see Sarah Jessica Parker. "

Saw her as orphan July a couple of times (she was part of the first replacement cycle) then as Annie on my 14th birthday in March 1979. She was 2nd Annie: Shelley Bruce’s understudy while she was playing July before getting promoted to Annie. During her entire 10 month run as Annie she knew they were looking for her replacement so she would see a parade of little girls auditioning to replace her. Allison Smith replaced her in January 1980.he

If I remember correctly from the Life After Tomorrow documentary, Sarah Jessica Parker grew out of the part fairly quickly after assuming the role. She was, after all, only about two weeks shy of her 15th birthday when she took over the role full time in 1979.

Also, from everything I've seen and heard about the original production I would say it was pretty clear that Mike Nichols had a heavy hand in guiding it, as Smaxie mentioned, despite the insistence to the contrary by some of the original team. I mean, it's pretty telling that Martin Charnin was never able to recreate what made the original production so lauded with the 1997 revival nor any of the tours that were sent out subsequently under his direction, so it's fairly clear that Nichols was a major ingredient in the original production's success.

joevitus said: "Was she not well-received? It seems so quick to replace her."

She was growing quickly so from the moment she was told she would be the next Annie they also informed her that her run wouldn’t be too long as she was growing. She knew what was up from the get-go. A 10 month run as Annie is pretty damn good plus she didn’t take it personal seeing the girls auditioning so she knew to enjoy her run while it lasted.

Annie was my first Broadway show. I was on cloud 9 the entire time. I was absolutely fascinated with David Mitchell's scenic design and how it moved. I saw the show a month before Andrea McArdle left. I also saw it twice with Sarah Jessica Parker as Annie. I had a photo of the 2 of us but for some reason I misplaced it a few years ago. Annie is the only show I saw on the West End (I still have my souvenir program from 1980.

I really wanted to see the closing performance at the Uris, but that was not meant to be.

Every subsequent production of Annie I have seen has paled in comparison to the original. I saw the last tour that came through DC and left during intermission. I doubt I'll ever venture to see a production of this show again.

Since the show played in 4 different theatre's, does anyone know if any of the scenic elements changed as a result?

Updated On: 11/27/20 at 08:31 PM

The original Broadway production was long before my time on this planet. However, I have always enjoyed this show. I absolutely loved the 2012 Broadway revival at the Palace. I loved the darker tone and approach.

I've never understood this myself. I suggested she'd make a good Rose, but was told she's considered pretty lightweight as an actress. Well, okay, but then how about an Anything Goes revival?