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Annie
An archive introduction to the Broadway musical shaped by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan.
MusicCharles Strouse
LyricsMartin Charnin
BookThomas Meehan
A landmark musical theatre title
At a glance
A comic-strip idea becomes a musical.
Annie grew from an idea to adapt Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie comic strip for the stage. Lyricist and director Martin Charnin developed the project with playwright Thomas Meehan and composer Charles Strouse, creating a musical centred on an optimistic young orphan navigating New York during the Depression.
The story follows Annie as she leaves the municipal orphanage and enters the world of Oliver Warbucks. Her wish to find her parents remains central while the adults around her pursue their own plans.
Production record
From Broadway to screen.
Annie opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977. Its original New York engagement ran for 2,377 performances, placing it among the notably long-running musicals of that decade.
A film adaptation followed in 1982, bringing the musical's central characters and score to a wider audience in a new format.
- Stage opening
- Alvin Theatre, New York · April 21, 1977
- Original run
- 2,377 performances
- Screen adaptation
- Released in 1982
- Source
- Inspired by Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie comic strip
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