Music Theatre International, whose CEO Freddie Gershon was recently honored with a 2012 Tony Award for Excellence for creating the Broadway Junior collection, has worked with Annie authors Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan to edit and condense the musical for elementary age performers and audiences.
Annie was the first title adapted for the Broadway Junior series, which streamlines musicals into a 60-minute presentation for middle school performers. The latest Kids release pares it down to a 30-minute running time.
"Annie continues to be one of the most beloved characters and musicals in the theatre world," said MTI president Drew Cohen in a statement. "Thanks to the input of the show's three authors, Annie's heart and soul are beautifully maintained through the perfect amount of dialogue and songs for elementary age students."
The release of the new edition, which will be licensed exclusively to elementary-age performers, coincides with the Broadway revival of Annie. The anticipated production begins previews Oct. 3 at the Palace Theatre.
MTI's Kids and Junior series are created to ensure that young performers and their directors are able to stage a successful musical production. A Showkit provides a variety of resources, including accompaniment recordings, director's guides and more. The musical materials are also revised and transposed for young voices. The 1977 musical Annie has been translated into nine different languages, and over 2,500 performances of the show are presented every year.
Visit MTIShows.com.