Classic musical ‘Annie’ opens tonight at IU Auditorium

The family-friendly Broadway musical “Annie” is coming to Bloomington for the first time in 30 years. \nBased on the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip, the musical is showing at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Wednesday at the IU Auditorium.\nThe main character is a lovable but streetwise orphan who believes her parents are still alive because of a locket left to her promising they’d be back for her. A wealthy man, Oliver Warbucks, decides to adopt a child as a public relations move, and ends up choosing Annie. Hijinks abound, and Annie’s plots are often foiled by the evil Miss Hannigan, the proprietor of the orphanage. \nThe Depression-era musical had a six-year run on Broadway. The cast coming to the IU Auditorium is a non-equity – or not unionized – continuation of the 30th anniversary “Annie” equity tour that began in 2005.\nDoug Booher, IU Auditorium director, said in an e-mail that he thought the musical’s setting was one of its most interesting aspects.\n“It was an era that many of our grandparents lived through as children,” he said. “And the stark contrast between the classes still makes the Depression era one of America’s most intriguing historical periods.”\nBooher said that last week Residential Programs and Services held a contest where students sang the famous tune “Tomorrow” from the musical, and he could tell many were familiar with the musical.\n“You certainly got the feeling that students know and love ‘Annie’ from their years growing up, so it will be a nostalgic experience for IU students to come and see the show,” he said. \nThis tour is directed by Martin Charnin, the show’s lyricist, and is produced by NETworks Presentations. General admission tickets range from $37 to $59 and student tickets range from $19 to $40. Tickets can be purchased through the IU Auditorium Box Office or Ticketmaster. For more information, including audio samples from the musical, visit www.iuauditorium.com.