The Story | Cast & Production Team | Song List | Photos
With about 70 Youth Group members (plus one or two "honorary kids") all keen to take part in the show, we decided to use two casts. This meant that more people were able to take on the major and minor roles, even if it also meant more work for the production team!
Initially, we had planned for four performances (including a Saturday matinee), but the demand for tickets was so great that we rearranged the dress rehearsals to allow an extra show to be performed on the Wednesday evening.
It is late at night in a New York orphanage when one of the orphans wakes up crying. While the rest bully her to get back to sleep, Annie tries to comfort her. She reads the note that was left with her when she was taken to the orphanage as a baby. She is hopeful that one day her parents will return for her with their half of a silver locket, the rest of which she has had since she can remember. Despite being mocked by the other orphans, Annie remains strong in spirit which makes her an obvious target for the cruel, drunken Miss Hannigan. She seizes the opportunity to escape from the Orphanage by hiding in a laundry bag.
Once in the streets of New York, Annie finds herself lost and alone, but still determined to find her parents. While wandering, she finds a stray dog, which she befriends. Continuing her journey, she encounters a so-called Hooverville, in which an assortment of unemployed New Yorkers are suffering from the Depression. The Hooverville-ites feel for Annie's situation, and invite her to join them. When the police raid the Hooverville. Annie is arrested. Miss Hannigan admits to herself her hatred of her job, since she hates children.
Annie is taken back to the Orphanage by a police officer. As Miss Hannigan sets to punishing her, into the Orphanage comes Miss Grace Farrell, private secretary to the billionaire, Mr. Oliver Warbucks. He has decided to invite an orphan to spend Christmas holidays at his home and Grace chooses Annie. Miss Hannigan is devastated and furious.
As a poor orphan, Annie is in no way prepared for what meets her at the mansion. Expecting to clean the floors, she is treated by the servants as if she were royalty.
When Warbucks first meets her, he is surprised that the orphan is a girl, but taking a walk through the splendour of New York, he begins to develop parental feelings for Annie. Grace goes back to the Orphanage to organise adoption papers and bumps into Rooster and his girlfriend Lily who see Annie's new-found fortune as a way to make themselves some money.
Annie is told of Warbucks' plans to adopt her, but her one wish is to find her parents. Warbucks, despite being upset sets out to find them, and offers a big reward as well as involving the FBI in the search.
Annie appears with Warbucks on the popular radio show "Hour of Smiles" to announce the reward and to spread word of their search. The show, despite being on radio, features a masked announcer and a ventriloquist act.
Rooster, and his girlfriend, Lily, return to the Orphanage in disguise. Once they prove they are able to fool Miss Hannigan they make a plan to get the reward money with Miss Hannigan's knowledge of Annie's birth certificate. The three of them scheme a plan to pass themselves off as Annie's parents, collect the reward and dispose of Annie.
Warbucks brings Annie with him as he visits the disillusioned cabinet of President Roosevelt. Again, her charm wins through and by the end of the meeting solutions to all America's problems seem much more achievable. Word comes through that all the publicity of the case has brought up hundreds of couples claiming to be Annie's parents. Grace interviews them all but sadly, all of them turn out to be fakes, not one knowing about Annie's locket. Because of this, Warbucks again offers to adopt Annie who now happily welcomes the idea.
Just when all seems to be going well, Rooster and Lily show up in disguise claiming to be Annie's parents. Though suspicious of them, Warbucks is vaguely convinced when they show a fake birth certificate, and thanks to Miss Hannigan, have half of a silver locket. He asks them that they return for Annie and the reward money the following morning. Annie is very concerned since these two do not match her image of her parents.
On Christmas morning, before Rooster and Lily pick up the reward check, Warbucks and Roosevelt reveal the FBI's investigations have discovered that Annie's parents died years ago. They discover that those picking up the check claiming to be Annie's parents are Rooster and Lily and they realise the link to Miss Hannigan who has brought the orphans round to celebrate. All three are arrested. Annie, Warbucks, Grace, and everyone happily celebrate Christmas, and, a new life, not only for them but also for everyone as the New Deal approaches.