Welcome to Kay’s Creek Elementary School’s Production of…

About Annie JR.

One determined girl. One extraordinary journey. Set in 1930s New York City, Annie JR. follows a spirited orphan whose search for her parents leads to unexpected friendships and a new understanding of family. With humor, heart, and songs that celebrate brighter days ahead, it is a story about finding hope when life feels hardest.

From Comic Strip to Broadway

Annie began as the heroine of Harold Gray’s newspaper comic strip, Little Orphan Annie. Lyricist Martin Charnin saw the potential for a stage musical and brought together composer Charles Strouse and writer Thomas Meehan. Meehan wrote the book—the dialogue and dramatic structure—while Strouse composed the music and Charnin wrote the lyrics. Together, they transformed a familiar comic-strip character into a musical heroine whose optimism could fill a theater.

Annie opened on Broadway on April 21, 1977. The original production ran for 2,377 performances and earned seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.

What Makes It “JR.”?

Annie JR. is an authorized adaptation of the stage musical, part of Music Theatre International’s Broadway Junior collection. It condenses the story into a roughly 60-minute, one-act show while retaining its central characters, humor, and hopeful spirit.

Broadway Junior editions are approved by the authors and tailored for young performers. Songs are adapted into keys suited to developing voices, and the shorter format makes a full musical more manageable to rehearse and stage. Audiences will still recognize favorites such as “Maybe,” “Tomorrow,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “NYC,” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”

Did You Know?

• Annie was a stage star before the films. The Broadway musical opened in 1977, before the well-known 1982 movie adaptation.
• The story looks back even further. The original Broadway production takes place in December 1933, during the Great Depression.
• The original Broadway Annie was Andrea McArdle. Her performance earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
• Miss Hannigan had an award-winning debut. Dorothy Loudon won the 1977 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for playing the role.

Bringing Broadway to Kay’s Creek

The path to performing Annie JR. begins with a production license from Music Theatre International (MTI). Schools apply with their performance dates, venue capacity, and ticket prices, then complete the licensing process for their production.

MTI’s Broadway Junior ShowKit provides resources such as scripts, a piano/vocal score, rehearsal and accompaniment tracks, and production guidance. These materials help educators introduce students to the work of creating a musical.

At Kay’s Creek Elementary, that work takes shape through the Tomorrow and Easy Street casts, the ensembles, and the stage crew. Every role contributes to the experience: telling the story, building the world around it, and helping the performance run smoothly.

Thank you for supporting our students and sharing in their moment onstage!

Meet the Writers

• Book: Thomas Meehan
• Music: Charles Strouse
• Lyrics: Martin Charnin

Learn more at Music Theatre International, explore the Broadway Junior collection, or discover the original Broadway production.

Annie JR. Musical Numbers

Music by Charles Strouse · Lyrics by Martin Charnin

1. Maybe
2. It’s the Hard Knock Life
3. It’s the Hard Knock Life (Reprise)
4. Tomorrow
5. Little Girls
6. Little Girls (Reprise)
7. I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here
8. NYC
9. Easy Street
10. You Won’t Be an Orphan for Long
11. Maybe (Reprise)
12. You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile
13. Easy Street (Reprise)
14. I Don’t Need Anything but You
15. Maybe (Reprise)
16. Tomorrow (Reprise)