Andrea McArdle, the original red-headed moppet in Broadway's Annie in 1977, will make a special appearance in the upcoming TV movie adaptation for "The Wonderful World of Disney."
McArdle, who is currently Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast, will appear in the "N.Y.C." number in the TV musical, playing the Star to Be (as the character was called in the original show), a hopeful young actress new to the city.
"N.Y.C.! Just got here this morning!" she sings. "Three bucks, two bags, one me!"
The late Laurie Beechman originated the part -- a center-stage cameo for belter voice -- on Broadway.
Filming for the "Annie," which stars Kathy Bates as orphanage matron Miss Hannigan and Alicia Morton as Annie, begins in Los Angeles June 22 under the direction of Rob Marshall. It airs November 1999. *
Producers confirmed Tony Award winners Alan Cumming, Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth, and multiple Tony-nominee Victor Garber, will star with Oscar-winning movie actress Bates.
Chenoweth's Tony is still warm from the mint: She won a Best Featured Actress award June 6 for her role as Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Walt Disney Telefilms confirmed the lead casting June 3. The TV movie is drawn from the 1977 Broadway smash, Annie, about Little Orphan Annie being adopted by billionaire Oliver Warbucks in the 1930s.
Alicia Morton, who will be Annie, is a recent Young Cosette in Broadway's Les Miserables. There was talk that new tunes by original Annie songwriters Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin might be written for the telefilm, but a spokesperson for Walt Disney said new songs are now not part of the plan.
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Cumming left the Broadway company of Cabaret June 6. (He won a Best Leading Actor Tony Award for the role in 1998.) Chenoweth's previous New York credits include Lincoln Center's A New Brain and Broadway's Steel Pier. McDonald is a multiple Tony Award-winner for Master Class, Carousel and Ragtime.
Cumming will play Miss Hannigan's criminal brother, Rooster, Chenoweth will play Rooster's girlfriend, Lily, and McDonald will play Daddy Warbucks' personal assistant, Grace Farrell.
Garber, a Tony Award nominee for Deathtrap, Damn Yankees, Little Me and Lend Me a Tenor, will play bald-pated Daddy Warbucks. Garber previously played the King in the "Wonderful World of Disney" TV musical, "Cinderella," from the same producers as the upcoming "Annie."
Miss Hannigan, Rooster and girlfriend Lily are expected to sing what was a show stopper in the Broadway original: "Easy Street."
This is TV directorial debut of Marshall (Roundabout's Little Me and Cabaret) although he choreographed the recent TV "Cinderella."
Annie's orphan pals are Marissa Rago as Pepper, Danelle Wilson as Duffy, Nanea Miyata as July, Lalaine as Kate, Sarah Hyland as Molly and Erin Adams as Tessie. Adams was discovered in a nationwide open call audition.
