Famous faces make local 'Annie' production notable

Heads up: There will be a full revival of "Annie" on Broadway in two years. But you can catch it here right now, produced by N.C. Theatre, with some special enticements.

They've got the original Annie: Andrea McArdle, who was Broadway's first Annie, plays the evil Miss Hannigan. In 1977, McArdle was just another orphan in the chorus when she was suddenly tapped during rehearsals to replace the actress who was supposed to be Annie. The show was a hit and McArdle was nominated for a Tony Award as best lead actress in a musical, the youngest actress ever nominated in the category. She lost to co-star Dorothy Loudon - who played Miss Hannigan!

That's not all: Soap fans will recognize Robert Newman from his 28 years as Joshua Lewis on "Guiding Light." He's Daddy Warbucks in this show. He earned two Daytime Emmy nominations in recent years.

Tale of the three Annies: In the lead role is English Bernhardt of Wake Forest. Then there's McArdle. N.C. Theatre's artistic director and the director of this show, Casey Hushion, also played Annie in 1988 in community theater.

And in the role of Sandy: Playing the canine sidekick is Mikey, a rescue dog who hit the road as the Sandy understudy for the 30th anniversary tour and then took over the role.

Many were called: Of the 102 girls who auditioned, only 14 made it as members of the chorus.