Annie

Cast

This production was discussed in Jessica Hillman's article "Tradition or Travesty? Radical Reinterpretations of the Musical Theatre Canon," published in the March 2010 issue of Theatre Topics.

According to the article, "The concept began with a prologue where Annie appears in an abandoned theatre, having run away from her orphanage. The beginning of the musical was presented as a memory through Annie's eyes, which then transitioned into her dream of being saved by Grace Farrell and adopted by Daddy Warbucks. However, Annie's dream did not last. At the climax of the dream, she woke up again in the theatre, but strengthened by her dream sang a reprise of 'Tomorrow.' Annie then found Sandy outside the theatre, and they left to have new adventures together. Dehnert felt the need for this device because 'the piece seemed to propose that the solution to all problems was basically to win the lottery . . ., and that money fixes everything. And I actually didn't think that that was what the bulk of Annie was trying to do' (Dehnert interview).

"Dehnert's vision was seen at three previews in its entirety, until a friend of Martin Charnin, Annie's librettist, saw the production and alerted the author to the presence of the dream framing device. Although, according to Dehnert, the show's other authors, Thomas Meehan and Charles Strouse, were supportive of the production, Charnin, the central author involved in this episode, immediately issued a complaint to MTI. Meetings were held between Charnin and Drew Cohen, on one side, and Dehnert and Oskar Eustis, Trinity Rep's artistic director at the time, on the other. The end result was an order to remove the concept."

Main Run

• Chace Theatre (Trinity Repertory Company) (Providence, RI)
  April 18, 2003 - June 1, 2003