Andrea McArdle Leads Musical Theatre West's ANNIE as 'Hannigan,' Opens 10/29

Musical Theatre West has announced that Andrea McArdle, Broadway's original Annie, will star as Miss Hannigan in its upcoming production of ANNIE at the beautiful 1070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. ANNIE previews October 29th and runs October 30th through November 14th. Musical Theatre West Artistic Director/Producer Steven Glaudini directs with musical direction by Daniel Thomas and choreography by Roger Castellano.

Andrea McArdle first captured the hearts of theatergoers everywhere in 1977 when she originated the title role in the mega-musical ANNIE, based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip "Little Orphan Annie". As Annie, Andrea became the youngest performer ever to be nominated for a Tony Award as Best Lead Actress in a Musical. She also received the Theater World and Outer Critics' Circle Awards for her performance and went on to star when the show was produced on London's West End. (Fun fact: Catherine Zeta-Jones played young orphan Molly in this production).

Since then, she has starred in several Broadway musicals and appeared in theatres in New York, nationally and internationally. She has performed in concert halls from Carnegie Hall to the Hong Kong Philharmonic and casino hotels in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. She has honed her craft by working with some of the great legends of the entertainment industry such as Ethel Merman, Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Bob Hope, Liberace, Frank Sinatra, Steve Martin and Martin Short, to name a few, and was privileged to have appeared on television with Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin and Dinah Shore.

On Broadway, Andrea starred in the Jerry Herman musical JERRY's GIRLS alongside Carol Channing and Leslie Uggams; she portrayed the sassy Smoking Car, Ashley, in Andrew Lloyd Webber's STARLIGHT EXPRESSS; and starred as Margy Frake in STATE FAIR; as Fantine in LES MISERABLES and, most recently as Belle in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. She toured nationally starring as Sally Bowles in CABARET and as Eponine in LES MISERABLES.

Returning to her roots, Andrea recently starred as Miss Hannigan in ANNIE at the North Carolina Theatre. Other theatre appearances include starring as Esther, the Judy Garland role, in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS; Sonia in THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG; Luisa in THE FANTASTICKS; Eva Peron in EVITA; Nancy in OLIVER; the Narrator in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT; Annie Oakley in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Sandy in GREASE and as Mama Rose in GYPSY.

In addition to ANNIE, Andrea's film and television credits include starring as Judy Garland in RAINBOW, appearing in THE LEADING LADIES OF BROADWAY on PBS, ALL MY CHILDREN on ABC and headlining her own PBS special Andrea McArdle ON BROADWAY.

ANNIE tickets may be purchased online at www.musical.org or by phone at 562-856-1999 x4. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Musical Theatre West Box Office located at 4350 E. 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804 from noon to 6PM Monday through Friday.

Based on the long-running Tribune Media Service Comic Strip, Little Orphan Annie, which just ended its run this past June, ANNIE is the story of a spunky depression-era orphan determined to find the parents who abandoned her on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie, along with Sandy, her trusty canine companion, foils Miss Hannigan's cruel machinations, befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and finds a new family in the home of billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Winner of nine Tony Awards--including Best Musical, ANNIE's bright and tuneful score, has long since become a part of our nation's cultural heritage and includes the songs "It's a Hard-Knock Life," "Maybe," "Tomorrow, " and the show-stopping " You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile."

ANNIE opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977. The New York production ran for 2,377 performances, making it the third longest running musical of the 1970s. In 1982, the heavily revised movie version was released starring Albert Finney, Aileen Quinn, Ann Reinking, and Carol Burnett.

ANNIE is written by Tony Award-winners, Thomas Meehan (Book), Charles Strouse (Music) and Martin Charnin (Lyrics).

The performance schedule for ANNIE is Thursdays and through Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm. (note: no 2pm performance on 10/30 with a 7pm performance added 11/7.) Tickets start at $30 with last row seating available at an additional discount. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. Prices are subject to change without notice. Group rates are available for 15 or more. Musical Theatre West performs at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center located at 6200 E. Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815.

ANNIE is the first show of Musical Theatre West's 2010-2011 Season, and is made possible through the generous contributions of Honorary Producers Arlene Solomon and Sidney Schulman and Associate Producers Don and Terry Marté Greco.
Musical Theatre West 2010-2011 Season Sponsors are the Ackerman Family/Evalyn M. Bauer Foundation and Ken and Dottie Reiner.

For more information on Musical Theatre West's production of ANNIE, please visit www.musical.org.

Now in its 58th season, Musical Theatre West is Southern California's premier musical theatre company. Under the leadership of Executive Director/Producer Paul Garman, the company has garnered numerous awards and accolades for its work presenting the entire spectrum of musical comedy (including 21 Ovation Award nominations over the past three seasons and the Margaret Harford Award for Sustained Excellence in the Theatre).

Musical Theatre West performances are at the beautiful 1070-seat Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. Season Tickets are available now and can be purchased through the MTW Box Office at (562) 856-1999 x4 or online at www.musical.org. Single Ticket prices start at $30.00 with low-priced last row seating available.