ANNIE the Musical Comes to the Benedum Center Tonight

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to annouce the new U.S. National Tour of ANNIE opening tonight, October 28th and running through Sunday, November 2nd at the Benedum Center.ANNIE is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.

Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time, this production of ANNIE will be a brand new physical incarnation of the iconic Tony Award®-winning original. ANNIE has a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. All three authors received 1977 Tony Awards® for their work. Choreography is by Liza Gennaro, who will incorporate selections from her father Peter Gennaro's 1977 Tony Award®-winning choreography.

The original production of ANNIE opened April 21, 1977 at the Alvin Theatre and went on to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Cast Show Album and seven Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin). The show remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits ever. It ran for 2,377 performances after it first opened, and has been performed in 28 languages and has been running somewhere around the world for 37 years.

The beloved score for ANNIE includes "Maybe," "It's the Hard Knock Life," "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," "Easy Street," "I Don't Need Anything But You" and the eternal anthem of optimism, "Tomorrow."

The celebrated design team includes scenic design by Tony Award® winner Beowulf Boritt (Act One, The Scottsboro Boys, Rock of Ages), costume design by Costume Designer's Guild Award winner Suzy Benzinger(Blue Jasmine, Movin' Out, Miss Saigon), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Ken Billington (Chicago, Annie, White Christmas) and sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenksi (Rocky, Bullets Over Broadway, Motown). The lovable mutt "Sandy" will once again be trained by Tony Award® Honoree William Berloni (Annie, A Christmas Story, Legally Blonde). Musical supervision and additional orchestrations are byKeith Levenson (Annie, She Loves Me, Dreamgirls). Casting is by Joy Dewing CSA and Holly Buczek CSA, Joy Dewing Casting (Soul Doctor, Wonderland, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). The tour is produced by Troika Entertainment, LLC.

This brand new production features a 25 member company: in the title role of Annie is Issie Swickle, a 9-year-old actress from Davie, FL, making her tour debut. Gilgamesh Taggett will star as Oliver Warbucks. In the role of Miss Hannigan is Lynn Andrews. Also starring in the tour are Ashley Edler as Grace, Garrett Deagon as Rooster, Lucy Werner as Lily and Allan Ray Baker as FDR. Sunny, a 4-year-old rescue terrier mix, stars as Sandy. The Orphans are played by Angelina Carballo, Adia Dant, LillyBea Ireland, Sydney Shuck, Lilly Mae Stewart and Isabel Wallach.

Lily Emilia Smith will also join the cast in an ensemble role and as the understudy for Grace Farrell. Smith is thrilled to be performing in her first National Tour. Her regional credits include Jellylorum in the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's production of CATS, Ensemble member in WHITE CHRISTMAS at Syracuse Stage, and young artist with the 2013 Glimmerglass Festival. Smith is a Pittsburgh, PA native, Mount Lebanon High School graduate, and a proud Syracuse University drama graduate.

Tickets ($23-$75) are on sale for all performances. The performance schedule is Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, by visiting TrustArts.org, or by calling 412-456-4800. Group tickets are on sale now, call 412-471-6930 or email Groupsales@TrustArts.org to purchase. To purchase a subscription to the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, call 412-456-1390 or email Subscriptions@TrustArts.org.

Know The Show Before You Go
Know The Show Before You Go is hosted by Christopher Rawson, senior theater critic for KDKA-TV. Ticket holders are invited to join Mr. Rawson at the Trust Arts Education Center (805-807 Liberty Avenue, 15222) on select evenings prior to PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh performances. Know The Show Before You Go provides educational and background information on each of the Broadway performances, aiming to further deepen each patron's theatrical experience. Admission to Know The Show Before You Go is free for all tickets holders and takes place one hour before show time. Know The Show Before You Go for ANNIE THE MUSICAL will be held on Tuesday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m.

PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series is a presentation of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA is part of the Key Brand Entertainment family of companies which includes Broadway.com and is operated by John Gore (Owner & CEO). BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring musicals and plays in North America, operating in 40 markets. As a leading Broadway producer, BAA is dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse theatre. Current/upcoming productions includeBeautiful, Bullets Over Broadway, Million Dollar Quartet and Pippin. Past productions include Hairspray, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Memphis, Promises, Promises, The Producers and War Horse. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com and Broadway.com.

THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST has overseen one of Pittsburgh's most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country's largest land masses "curated" by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh's quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.