"Annie" at the MUNY
The Tony Award-winning, family-friendly musical Annie begins performances June 22 at the St. Louis Muny, the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theatre.
Directed by Daniel Goldstein with choreography by Antoinette DiPietropolo, the cast is headed by Abigail Isom as Annie, Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Miss Hannigan, Conrad John Schuck as Oliver Warbucks, Christianne Tisdale as Grace Farrell, Jim Newman as Rooster Hannigan and Stacey Logan as Lily St. Regis.
They are joined onstage by Kelsey Knee as Molly, Stephanie Patton as Pepper, Abigail Friedmann as Kate, Sarah Koo as Duffy, Julia Schweizer as July, Gabby Glore as Tessie, Derek Carley as Bundles McCloskey, Rich Pisarkiewicz as Apple Seller/Drake, Etai BenShlomo as Dog Catcher/Bert Healy, Kent Overshown as Assistant Dog Catcher, Mikey as Sandy, Robert Earl Gleason as Lt. Ward/Morganthau, Michele Burdette-Elmore as Sophie the Kettle/Perkins, Zoe Vonder Haar as Mrs. Pugh, Gabrielle McClinton as Star to Be, Justin Scott Brown as Fred McCracken, Nick Cosgrove as Jimmy Johnson/Howe, Derek Carley as Sound Effects Man, Joneal Joplin as FDR, Brian Michael Hoffman as Ickes, Gary Glasgow as Cordell Hull, John Riddle as Marine Guard, Neal Frederiksen as Justice Brandeis and Lora Lee Gayer, Katie Hart and Gabrielle McClinton as the Boylan Sisters.
The ensemble comprises Erik Altemus, Etai BenShlomo, Justin Scott Brown, Michele Burdette-Elmore, Derek Carley, Nick Cosgrove, Alexandra Ferrara, Neal Frederiksen, Lora Lee Gayer, Gary Glasgow, Robert Earl Gleason, Courtney Leigh Halford, Katie Hart, Erik Heitz, Brian Michael Hoffman, Gabrielle McClinton, Jordan Newmark, Kent Overshown, Rich Pisarkiewicz, John Riddle, Hadley Schnuck and Zoe Vonder Haar.
The creative team also includes musical director Andrew Graham, conductor Michael Horsley, production stage manager Peter Hynds, assistant stage manager Zoe Chapin, costume designers Kansas City Costume, associate producer Michael Bosner, scenic designer Michael Anania, lighting designer F. Mitchell Dana and sound designer Jason Krueger. Paul Blake produces for The Muny.
Performances continue to June 30. The Muny season will also include Meet Me in St. Louis (July 6-12), Godspell (July 13-19), The Music Man (July 20-26), Camelot (July 27-Aug. 2) and Hairspray (Aug. 3-9).
Featuring a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin, Annie is based on the famed comic-strip character who begins an orphan and ends up the daughter of a billionaire. The original Broadway production opened in April 1977 and made a star out of its first Annie, Andrea McArdle, and won a Tony for its Miss Hannigan, the late Dorothy Loudon. The show also won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Its classic score includes such tunes as "Tomorrow," "Maybe," "Little Girls," "Easy Street" and "It's the Hard Knock Life."
For more information call (314) 361-1900, ext. 550 or visit www.muny.org.
Directed by Daniel Goldstein with choreography by Antoinette DiPietropolo, the cast is headed by Abigail Isom as Annie, Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Miss Hannigan, Conrad John Schuck as Oliver Warbucks, Christianne Tisdale as Grace Farrell, Jim Newman as Rooster Hannigan and Stacey Logan as Lily St. Regis.
They are joined onstage by Kelsey Knee as Molly, Stephanie Patton as Pepper, Abigail Friedmann as Kate, Sarah Koo as Duffy, Julia Schweizer as July, Gabby Glore as Tessie, Derek Carley as Bundles McCloskey, Rich Pisarkiewicz as Apple Seller/Drake, Etai BenShlomo as Dog Catcher/Bert Healy, Kent Overshown as Assistant Dog Catcher, Mikey as Sandy, Robert Earl Gleason as Lt. Ward/Morganthau, Michele Burdette-Elmore as Sophie the Kettle/Perkins, Zoe Vonder Haar as Mrs. Pugh, Gabrielle McClinton as Star to Be, Justin Scott Brown as Fred McCracken, Nick Cosgrove as Jimmy Johnson/Howe, Derek Carley as Sound Effects Man, Joneal Joplin as FDR, Brian Michael Hoffman as Ickes, Gary Glasgow as Cordell Hull, John Riddle as Marine Guard, Neal Frederiksen as Justice Brandeis and Lora Lee Gayer, Katie Hart and Gabrielle McClinton as the Boylan Sisters.
The ensemble comprises Erik Altemus, Etai BenShlomo, Justin Scott Brown, Michele Burdette-Elmore, Derek Carley, Nick Cosgrove, Alexandra Ferrara, Neal Frederiksen, Lora Lee Gayer, Gary Glasgow, Robert Earl Gleason, Courtney Leigh Halford, Katie Hart, Erik Heitz, Brian Michael Hoffman, Gabrielle McClinton, Jordan Newmark, Kent Overshown, Rich Pisarkiewicz, John Riddle, Hadley Schnuck and Zoe Vonder Haar.
The creative team also includes musical director Andrew Graham, conductor Michael Horsley, production stage manager Peter Hynds, assistant stage manager Zoe Chapin, costume designers Kansas City Costume, associate producer Michael Bosner, scenic designer Michael Anania, lighting designer F. Mitchell Dana and sound designer Jason Krueger. Paul Blake produces for The Muny.
Performances continue to June 30. The Muny season will also include Meet Me in St. Louis (July 6-12), Godspell (July 13-19), The Music Man (July 20-26), Camelot (July 27-Aug. 2) and Hairspray (Aug. 3-9).
Featuring a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin, Annie is based on the famed comic-strip character who begins an orphan and ends up the daughter of a billionaire. The original Broadway production opened in April 1977 and made a star out of its first Annie, Andrea McArdle, and won a Tony for its Miss Hannigan, the late Dorothy Loudon. The show also won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Its classic score includes such tunes as "Tomorrow," "Maybe," "Little Girls," "Easy Street" and "It's the Hard Knock Life."
For more information call (314) 361-1900, ext. 550 or visit www.muny.org.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Julie Stevens on -
My friend who directed the production just uploaded this photo from his phone - he called it 72 orphans storming Miss Hannigan.
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Permalink Reply by Meghan on -
72!?!!!!! dear god.
they arent paying 72 orphans are they? because the muny is a professional theatre isnt it?
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Permalink Reply by Sara S on -
I live in the St. Louis area. Sadly I was in California on vacation the week "Annie" was at the Muny. (I did however get to see Godspell but was extremely disapointed). Anyhow to answer your question about the Muny. My Dad was in South Pacific at the Muny in 1992 as one of the chorus members. There were 50-something men in the chorus. My Dad (and everyone else) got paid for their performance. It wasn't a huge amount of money. Really it basically covered gas, but he did get a check from the Muny. I hope this answers your questin.
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Permalink Reply by ClaireSned on -
This looks really cool. Julie, could you ask your director friend if he could upload more pictures or video?
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Permalink Reply by Jamey on -
Meaghan, I will bet that they do. At one point, I contacted The Muny to ask them about the St. Louis residency requirement that is necessary for auditioning for their show. The reply that I got stated something about: "we only let people who work very, very hard on other productions" and "this is a reward for their dedication to The Muny..." I have paraphared here, that was his intent.
I will bet that they load that cast up with local kids as a reward for their doing scut work on other productions.
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Permalink Reply by Jamey on
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One more thought: what do they do if it rains? I live in suburbs in Chicago, and lately it rains just about every day.
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Permalink Reply by RLS on
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My daughter has worked with two local professional equity theaters. Neither of them pay the children. At one theater, there is a theater school associated with it and they make the parents sign a contract at auditions that they are offered parts in leiu of a theatrical, educational experience. The other doesn't do that but they also don't pay the kids. The kids are given a certain number of free tickets per week in exchange for the performance.
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Permalink Reply by Sara S on
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They will perform if it is a light rain. If it is a heavy downpour or thunder storm, the plays offically is canceled at 9:30pm and not a moment before. They will perform the play if at all possible. I have seen them start a play at 9:15 and have to quit performing at 9:45 because it was raining too hard. If the play gets cancled, before it starts, the audience gets a rain check for another performance of their choice. However, due to the tight schedules at the Muny, they dont' have a "re-do" of that show from that night. Somehow it always seems to work out with very few shows getting cancled. It is an amazing place to watch a performance. There are even free seats! I LOVE the Muny and I am lucky to live about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Sara s.
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