From the opening music to the catchy vocals, the cast of the “Annie” National Broadway tour take the stage to sing and dance about the heartwarming story of little, orphan Annie. 

While working on the musical production “Annie,” all of the actresses portraying the orphans on the national tour will travel to 57 cities from October 2023 to May 2024. Actresses including Rainier (Rainey) Treviño (playing Annie) and Avery Hope (playing Pepper) auditioned for the musical in early May of 2023 with callbacks in June. Soon after, they started rehearsal in early September and their first show was a month later in early October.

According to actress Jade Smith (Molly), the show provides a feeling of optimism. The idea of hope is also a big part of the show for the girls; inspired by this, both Smith and Treviño recited the famous line from the musical number “Tomorrow” saying, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” 

“The musical will always be about hope and joy,” Avery Hope said. 

“Annie” is centered around persevering and the idea of inspiring others. 

“Even if your life is tough, you can always have a solution to make your life better,” Smith said, referring to Annie’s adoption.  

According to actress Arianna Guller (Duffy), perseverance is an important aspect of being a child star. She remembers auditioning for many opportunities without getting any jobs, but then she got the role of Duffy. Guller believes that this is an inspiring role that she will never forget.

“No matter what happens, it’s okay because you just have got to keep trying and persevering,” Guller said. 

As 10 and 11-year-old cast members, all of the seven girls involved in “Annie” are homeschooled. They use the help of online academies and some of the girls have tutors, who will take them on field trips. Hope and Kylie Noelle Patterson do their schooling through Acellus Online Academy, which gives the girls the regular curriculum they would be learning in regular, public schooling. Treviño does her schooling through Oak Meadow online academy while using IXL for extra math courses. Guller shares that her online academy is Bridgeway, which is like Acellus except for the fact that they record teachers talking and students must take tests and write essays. 

According to Guller, it is difficult to balance school since the girls go on a lot of field trips. Sometimes they only have an hour of school, which she finds difficult.

The Show

At the beginning of the show, the audience is greeted by the orphans, sleeping soundly in their beds. However, Miss. Hannigan (played by Stefanie Londino) ruins their joy, leading them into “It’s the Hard Knock Life.” Synchronized choreography and harmonies show the true power behind the song. 

Throughout the show, Treviño stole the spotlight while singing “Tomorrow” alongside her dog “Sandy.” Her rich, mature voice resonated through the theater while singing optimistic and inspiring words. Although Annie does not remember her parents, she reminds the audience of the true hope in a better future. Moving through Act I, Christopher Swan (Oliver Warbucks) encapsulates the essence of endless opportunities and possibilities in New York City, alongside Julia Nicole Hunter (Grace Farrell) and Treviño.

In the beginning of Act II, optimism is wrapped into a song, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” sung by Kaleb Jenkins (Bert Healy). Later in Act II, a visible connection between Annie and Warbucks has been formed, solidified through the song “I Don’t Need Anything But You” sung by Annie and Warbucks. Their bond is a special relationship Annie has wished for, only she wanted to have her parents. The father-daughter connection between Christopher Swan (playing Oliver Warbucks) and Treviño in “I Don’t Need Anything But You”.

Overall, with the idea of community and the uplifting messages “Annie” brings to the stage, the show is heartwarming for everyone. The connections made through hope, love and optimism shine through with the wonderful show tunes in this timeless musical.