‘Annie’ returning to Broadway on heels of Great Recession

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Little Orphan Annie grew up in the depths of the Great Depression, scrounging for a living and defending herself against the evil Miss Hannigan until being rescued by the wealthy Daddy Warbucks.

As the U.S. economy continues to work its way out of the Great Recession, producers are aiming to bring ‘Annie’ back to Broadway in its first big revival since 1997. The opening day is set for some time in late 2012.

The new production will feature a revised book and dialogue, according to reports in the New York Times and Playbill. But the action of the musical will still be set in the Depression. The show features music by Charles Strouse and book and lyrics by Thomas Meehan and Martin Charnin.

‘Annie’ made its Broadway debut in 1977 and won Tony Awards for best musical and six other categories. The show ran for more than 2,000 regular performances and was adapted into a feature film in 1982 directed by John Huston.

‘Annie’ is based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” by Harold Gray. The comic strip made its newspaper debut on Aug. 5, 1924, and will have run for a little more than 85 years when Tribune Media Services discontinues the print series on June 13.

The 1997 Broadway revival of ‘Annie,’ which starred Nell Carter as Miss Hannigan, was poorly reviewed by critics. The new revival is being produced by Arielle Tepper Madover, who is currently a producer on the Broadway production of John Logan’s ‘Red.’ Madover also produced such shows as ’33 Variations,’ ‘The Pillowman’ and ‘Spamalot.’

-- David Ng