Fri 7/19-Sun 8/4
The comic strip Little Orphan Annie, which debuted in 1924, was a huge hit for throughout the 30s and 40s, although by the 50s, its retrograde politics evoked backlash. (The strip was never just about a sweet invincible little orphan, the way it’s been framed since.) Its creator died in 1968 but it limped on until 2000 and in reprints for a few years after, but its appeal was gone (Somehow, Mary Worth survives!)
The idea was first floated (and rejected) for turning the strip into a musical in 1972, long after it had begun its decline. Book author Thomas Meehan, composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Martin Charnin instead decided to take the main characters and come up with their own story, which owed a lot to Charles Dickens’ stories of unlucky but plucky orphans (one of them, Oliver Twist, had been made into the smash Broadway hit Oliver! In 1960.) The show ran for six years launching the careers of Annies such as Andrea McArdle (the original Annie) and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The show will be the final production of the 2024 summer season at Porthouse Theatre on the grounds of Blossom Music Center. Get ready for a stage filled with dauntless orphans. Get tickets here.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223