It’s a Hard Knock Life (Photo by Joanne Contreni)
For all we know, this time of year it could very well be snowing today; but anybody who knows anything about 20th-century American musical theater can tell you with confidence that “The sun’ll come out tomorrow…” Annie, the beloved family-friendly, Tony Award-winning play about a spunky red-haired orphan girl, her dog Sandy, the orphanage’s nasty matron and her minions and a certain helpful tycoon, will return to the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck later this month thanks to CenterStage Productions.
Based on the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” Annie features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charmin and a book by Thomas Meehan. AnnChris Warren directs. The show will run from January 13 to February 5, with shows starting at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets, available by calling (845) 876-3080 or visiting www.centerforperformingarts.org, go for $26 adults and $22 for seniors and children for most performances. But the Opening Night show on January 13 is a fundraiser to benefit the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The $40 tickets include a pre-show reception featuring a Sandy lookalike contest. The Center for Performing Arts is located at 661 Route 308 in Rhinebeck.