ANNIE Study Guide

Southern California’s Premier Musical Theater Company
Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer
Steven Glaudini, Artistic Director
Based on the Tribune Media Service Comic Strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE
Created by Sari Rose Poll,
Education/Outreach Coordinator
Book by THOMAS MEEHAN, Music By CHARLES STROUSE
Lyrics by MARTIN CHARNIN
2010-2011 Season outreach programs sponsored by
LONG BEACH PRESS TELEGRAM
HONORARY PRODUCERS:
ARLENE SOLOMON & SIDNEY SCHULMAN
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: DON & TERRY MARTE GRECO
FRIENDS OF SARA WENKLE KAPLAN
FRIENDS OF DON GARMAN
YOUTH PERFORMANCES UNDERWRITTEN BY
ARTS COUNCIL FOR LONG BEACH
• DON KNABE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
2010-2011 SEASON SPONSORS:
KEN & DOTTIE REINER • ACKERMAN FAMILY/EVALYN M. BAUER
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WHO?
The Characters
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WHAT?
Synopsis
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WHEN?
1933 and FDR
The Great Depression
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WHERE?
New York City
Orphanages
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WHY?
“The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow”
Create Your Own Comic Strip
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are the main CHARACTERS of ANNIE
ANNIE: A red-headed eleven year old spunky and optimistic
orphan in search for her parents.
MISS HANNIGAN: A mean orphanage director who hates
children.
OLIVER WARBUCKS: A warm-hearted billionaire who opens
his heart and home to Annie.
GRACE FARRELL: Warbucks' faithful secretary. She immediately falls in love with
Annie.
ROOSTER: Miss Hannigan's “no-good” brother always looking for some quick cash.
LILY ST. REGIS: Rooster's girlfriend who happens to be smarter than she appears.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT: As 32nd President of the United States, he aids
Warbucks in the search for Annie's parents.
JULY: The quietest of the orphans. She is thirteen years old.
DUFFY: The biggest of the orphans. She is thirteen years old.
PEPPER: The toughest of the orphans. She is twelve years old.
TESSIE: The cry-baby orphan. She is ten years old.
KATE: The next to littlest orphan. She is seven years old.
MOLLY: The littlest orphan. She is six years old.
SANDY: An abandoned mixed–breed dog that Annie rescues
who becomes her faithful companion.
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ACT 1
It is 1933 and eleven-year-old Annie is in the Municipal Girls Orphanage, along with
Molly, Kate, Tessie, July, Duffy, and Pepper. When Molly awakes from a bad dream at
3:00AM, Annie comforts her. Molly then asks her to read the note her parents gave her when she was left at the doorstep of the
orphanage. The note says that her parents will come pick her up, so the always hopeful Annie believes that they are still out there.
Annie decides to escape to find her parents, but is caught by the villainous orphanage supervisor Miss Hannigan. Hannigan is angered
by this and forces all the girls to vigorously clean the orphanage. Shortly after the laundry man, Mr. Bundles, comes in to pick up the
bed sheets. While Miss Hannigan is flirting with him, Annie climbs into the laundry basket and the orphans hide her under the blankets. Once Miss Hannigan realizes Annie is gone, the other orphans express their frustration. Annie successfully escapes, running into a
friendly stray dog. As she comforts him, she tells him of better days yet to come. The dog catcher is after him, so Annie pretends he is
her dog by calling him Sandy. Annie is later found by a cop sent by Hannigan and is brought back to the orphanage. Grace Farrell,
assistant to billionaire Oliver Warbucks, comes to the orphanage seeking an orphan to bring to their home for Christmas. Grace sees
Annie when in Hannigan’s office and asks to take her. Hannigan reluctantly agrees. Once Grace has left, Hannigan explodes with her
hatred for all the girls in the orphanage. Meanwhile, at the Warbucks Mansion, the servants and staff welcome Annie with open arms.
When Warbucks returns to his mansion, he is very moody and not too happy to have an orphan in his house. He asks Grace to take
Annie to a movie and Grace persuades him to come. As Annie and Warbucks begin to like each other, they enjoy a fabulous night in
New York City. Back at the orphanage, Hannigan's brother, Rooster, and his girlfriend, Lily St. Regis, pay a visit. Hannigan mentions
that Annie is staying at a billionaire's house, and Rooster and Lily think they could use this situation to get rich. Warbucks sees a broken locket around Annie's neck and buys her a new one from Tiffany & Co. However, Annie bursts into tears saying it was the only
thing left by her parents and refuses to accept a new one. Grace and the Warbucks' staff then pledge to find Annie's parents no matter
what it takes.
ACT 2
Annie and Warbucks appear on the “Oxydent Hour of Smiles” radio show starring Bert Healy so that Warbucks can announce a reward of 50,000 dollars to the couple that proves to be Annie’s parents. Healy and the Boylan Sisters then sing the Oxydent theme
song “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.” The girls in the orphanage happen to be listening in at the radio and decide to
have fun by dancing and singing to the song. When Hannigan hears, she barges in and demands to know what was happening. Molly
announces that Annie was on the radio and that there is a $50,000 reward for her parents. Hannigan is anything but pleased. There
is a knock on the door and a couple named Ralph and Shirley Mudge come into the orphanage stating they left a little girl here eleven
years ago and have come back for her. Hannigan is shocked. The Mudges soon reveal
themselves to be Rooster and Lily and explain their plan for the reward. They request Beginning:
information about Annie from Miss Hannigan for one third of the money, though she
demands one half for this service because she knows about the note and the locket.
They develop a complete plan to claim Annie and receive the reward. Back at the mansion, hundreds of couples are showing up. All are confirmed fakes because no one
knows about Annie’s locket. Warbucks brings Annie to Washington D.C. where she
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requests to meet the president. Though shushed by the cabinet members, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt asks her to stay, and she begins to sing Tomorrow. Roosevelt
commands his cabinet to sing with her since he believes that people must be optimistic
during tough times. Once back at the mansion, Warbucks tells Annie how much he
loves her and wants to adopt her. However, “Mr. and Mrs. Mudge” show up to pick
up Annie. Grace and Warbucks are shocked because they know about the note and
the locket, but they still don’t feel like they are Annie’s parents. Warbucks requests that End:
Annie be allowed to stay one more night for the Christmas party. She wishes she could
still be adopted by Warbucks and it is revealed by FDR that her parents are actually
Margaret and David Bennett and died when she was a baby. Rooster and Lily show up
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to claim Annie and the money, but are arrested along with Hannigan by the Secret
Service. Annie, Warbucks, and everyone are delighted by this discovery as well as
FDR's new deal for the economy.
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A chilly morning in early December, 1933.
The stage is nearly dark. Asleep in the
dormitory are six orphans.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt
123,188,000
60 years
$1,368 / year
25 %
14 cents
9 cents
President
Population of the U.S.A.
Life expectancy
Average Income
Unemployment
Milk Prices (per gallon)
Bread Prices (per loaf)
Barack Obama
309,244,162
78 years
$48,351 / year
9.9 %
$3.68
$1.95
FDR was born in 1882 in New York and was elected the 32nd President of the
United States in November 1932 at the height of the Great Depression. By
March, there were 13,000,000 Americans unemployed and almost every bank
was closed. FDR provided hope for Americans in this hard time. To fix this problem, he created The New Deal program: Social Security, heavier taxes on the
wealthy, new controls over banks and a work relief program for the unemployed.
Warbucks:
THOSE HAPPY DAYS
THAT WE WERE PROMISED…
Roosevelt:
ARE FINALLY HERE!
All:
WE’RE GETTING A NEW DEAL FOR CHRISTMAS!
WE’RE GETTING A NEW DEAL FOR CHRISTMAS!
WE’RE GETTING A NEW DEAL FOR CHRISTMAS!
WE’RE GETTING A NEW DEAL FOR CHRISTMAS!
In 1921, FDR contracted polio
leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
The orphans are not going to have to
return to Miss Hannigan in the
orphanage. They will be treated
nicely, be educated, and celebrate
Christmas the way it’s supposed to
be—with love and happiness. FDR is
implementing the New Deal to
reshape the “depression.”
Everyone is getting a NEW DEAL!!!
FDR: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
What does this phrase mean to you?
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1929 - 1939
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Former President Herbert Hoover said today in an interview, “Though I was in no
way personally responsible for the 1929 stock-market crash…I have the deepest
sympathy for the millions who are now ragged, hungry and homeless.”
Elected president in 1928, Herbert Hoover promised more wealth and businesses for the
American people. Unfortunately, the economy plummeted when the stock market crashed on
Black Tuesday in October 1929. America experienced the greatest depression the nation had
ever seen. Millions of Americans lost their jobs and homes. The now homeless Americans built
shanty towns that became known as “HOOVERVILLES” named after Herbert Hoover who
people blamed for the depression. In 1933 the United States elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt
to replace Hoover as president.
TODAY WE’RE LIVING IN A SHANTY
WE’D LIKE TO THANK YOU, HERBERT HOOVER
TODAY WE’RE SCROUNGING FOR A MEAL
FOR REALLY SHOWING US THE WAY
TODAY I’M STEALING COAL FOR FIRES.
WE’D LIKE TO THANK YOU, HERBERT HOOVER
WHO KNEW I COULD STEAL?
YOU MADE US WHAT WE ARE TODAY.
Using what you know about the Great Depression,
write a story about this picture.
What are some ways you can make yourself happy when times are tough or life isn’t going your way?
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N.Y.C.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOU?
YOU'RE BIG, YOU'RE LOUD,
YOU'RE TOUGH.
N.Y.C.
I GO YEARS WITHOUT YOU,
THEN I CAN'T GET ENOUGH...
After reading the lyrics of N.Y.C., draw a picture of what
you think New York City is like.
TOO BUSY, TOO CRAZY,
TOO HOT, TOO COLD,
TOO LATE, I'M SOLD AGAIN
ON N.Y.C.
N.Y.C.
THE SHADOWS AT SUNDOWN,
THE ROOFS THAT SCRAPE THE SKY.
N.Y.C.
THE RICH AND THE RUNDOWN,
THE BIG PARADE GOES BY…
THE SHIMMER OF TIMES SQUARE
THE PULSE , THE BEAT , THE DRIVE…
THE CITY’S BRIGHT
AS A PENNY ARCADE
IT BLINKS, IT TILTS, IT RINGS
AMEN FOR N.Y.C!
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New York City Skyline, 1933.
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An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans. Orphans are children who become a ward of the
state when parents are deceased or are unable to care for them. If other relatives are not willing or able to care for them
either, the children are sent to orphanages. Children are educated within or outside of the orphanage.
Following World War II in 1945, most orphanages in the U.S. began closing. Many orphanages were found to be
harmful for the children. Many orphans were victims of severe neglect or abuse and have behavioral and psychological
problems.
Where do you see examples of neglect or abuse at Miss Hannigan’s N.Y.C. Municipal Orphanage in ANNIE?
MISS HANNIGAN
“You’ll get down on your knobby little knees and clean this
dump until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building.”
Orphans
IT’S THE HARD-KNOCK LIFE FOR US!
IT’S THE HARD-KNOCK LIFE FOR US!
‘STEADA TREATED,
WE GET TRICKED!
‘STEADA KISSES,
WE GET KICKED!
IT’S THE HARD-KNOCK LIFE!
GOT NO FOLKS TO SPEAK OF, SO,
IT’S THE HARD-KNOCK ROW WE HOE!
COTTON BLANKETS‘STEADA WOOL!
EMPTY BELLIES‘STEADA FULL!
IT’S THE HARD KNOCK LIFE!...
NO ONE CARES FOR YOU A SMIDGE
WHEN YOU’RE IN AN ORPHANAGE!
IT’S A HARD-KNOCK LIFE!
How were these orphans being treated?
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THE SUN'LL COME OUT
TOMORROW
BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR
THAT TOMORROW
THERE'LL BE SUN!
“Tomorrow” is a song of hope
for the characters in ANNIE.
Using your own words describing what brings you hope,
rewrite the lyrics of “Tomorrow.”
JUST THINKIN' ABOUT
TOMORROW
CLEARS AWAY THE COBWEBS,
AND THE SORROW
'TIL THERE'S NONE!
WHEN I'M STUCK A DAY
THAT'S GRAY,
AND LONELY,
I JUST STICK OUT MY CHIN
AND GRIN,
AND SAY,
OH!
THE SUN'LL COME OUT
TOMORROW
SO YA GOTTA HANG ON
'TIL TOMORROW
COME WHAT MAY
TOMORROW! TOMORROW!
I LOVE YA TOMORROW!
YOU'RE ALWAYS
A DAY
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Little Orphan Annie was a daily American comic strip, created by Harold Gray, that first appeared on August 5, 1924 and
appeared in newspapers until June 2010. Gray was inspired by James Whitcomb Riley's popular 1885 poem "Little Orphant
Annie:”
Little Orphan Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away…
Think about your school day and create your own comic strip.
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