LOS ANGELES -- Brittny Kissinger appears as America's favorite red headed moppet -- and two-time Emmy winner Sally Struthers as Miss Hannigan, the orphanage matron audiences love to hate -- in the Broadway road show of Annie, which checks into the Pantages Theatre Jan. 5, 1999 for a two-week run.
Producers Timothy Childs and Rodger Hess have reunited the show's original creative team of director Martin Charnin, composer Charlie Strouse, librettist Thomas Meehan and choreographer Peter Gennaro. Joining them are Ken Billington (lighting) and Ken Foy (sets).
Conrad John Schuck returns as Daddy Warbucks, which he played on Broadway for over a year starting in 1981. He will be recognized for his role as Sgt. Enright on the hit TV series "McMillan and Wife."
Ten-year-old Brittny Kissinger revealed in an exclusive Playbill On-Line interview that she first saw Annie on TV when she was 3. "I liked the part of Annie Warbucks and decided I would play her one day," she said.
A native of Saratoga, NY, Brittny sang and danced at home. When she was five she auditioned for a community theatre production of Meet Me in St. Louis. Other community theatre appearances followed, including one as Annie. A year ago Brittny auditioned for the Broadway production of Annie and won the role. To date she has played Annie in New York, Florida and Texas. She travels with her mother and 8-year-old sister, doing her school lessons with a tutor five hours a day, three days a week.
"It's lots of fun playing Annie," she said, "because I can just be myself. I'm a lot like her -- tough, spunky and optimistic."
Brittny hopes to keep acting and doing movies and commercials through her childhood, but when she grows up she'd like to be "a lawyer, psychologist and actress."
The original Broadway production of Annie won 7 Tony Awards, ran for 2,377 performances and was subsequently presented in 17 foreign language productions. The original production became the eleventh longest running show in the history of Broadway. To date, it has grossed over $350 million dollars and continues to be one of the most lucrative stage properties ever.
Performances are through Jan. 17 at the Pantages, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Call (213) 365-3500 or www.ticketmaster.com.
-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent
