Palo Alto Players continues its 95th season with the Broadway classic “Annie,” which opened last week and runs through Nov. 23 at the Lucie Stern Theater.
Based on Harold Gray’s long-running comic strip, the musical by Thomas Meehan includes music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin.
“Annie” has garnered seven Tony awards, including Best Musical. It features such well-known songs such as “Tomorrow,” “It’s A Hard Knock Life” and “Maybe.”
The show is a tale of aspiration, resilience and family. Determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage, plucky little Annie escapes to New York City for an adventure of a lifetime. While there, she strikes up an unexpected friendship with billionaire Oliver Warbucks.
“I’m overjoyed to return ‘Annie’ to the Lucie Stern Theater – a show that captures the boundless optimism we all need right now,” Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein said in a press release. “With a spectacular cast and an incredibly gifted creative team, this production shines with heart, humor and an infectious spirit of hope and possibility – the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.”
Joey Dippel directs and choreographs the production, which features a cast of 26 actors and a dog. Pamela Serano provides vocal direction. Julie Li plays the title role and Joey McDaniel portrays Oliver Warbucks.
Remaining performances are scheduled 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and/or 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.
The show is recommended for ages 4 and up; children under age 3 will not be admitted. For tickets ($20-$63), call (650) 329-0891 or visit paplayers.org.
