Have a great tomorrow by seeing “Annie” today!

Members of the cast of “Annie” — (sitting, from left) Gilgamesh Taggett, Erin Fish, Katie Wylie, Amanda Swickle, and Amanda Wylie — pose with student reporters during a news conference in the Boch Center/Wang Theatre before their show May 10, 2017.

Kaitlyn Parks and Erica Parks
May 18, 2017

The iconic American musical “Annie” has stopped in Boston during its national tour. The show is about a red-headed orphan named Annie in 1933 New York. She lives in with other girls in an orphanage that is led by Miss Hannigan, an evil and cranky old woman. One day, Annie gets the opportunity of a lifetime, to spend Christmas with the wealthiest man in the world, Mr. Oliver Warbucks. “Annie” is home to iconic songs such as “Tomorrow” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life”.

In a press conference at the historic Wang Theatre, we had the opportunity to speak with Gilgamesh Taggett (Oliver Warbucks), Erin Fish (Miss Hannigan), Amanda Swickle (Pepper), and Massachusetts sisters Amanda and Katie Wylie (orphans). After the press conference, the cast walked the red carpet and signed autographs. You could tell that the actors and the kids waiting to meet them were very excited.

The cast was super friendly, and it seemed like they were all really good friends. They commented on the outstanding cast dynamic, saying they’re trapped together 24/7, so they’ve become close.

The kids described how they play together backstage and how they currently love playing “Animal Jam” in their free time. When they aren’t getting ready for a show, many of the kids take part in online schooling. There’s even a tutor on site to help the kids with any questions they may have.

Raider Times photo / Kaitlyn Parks
All signs point to a successful run in Boston for “Annie,” which is celebrating its 40th year.

The girls talked about how they normally end up working on schoolwork on the bus to the next location in the late night and early morning, while all the adult cast members are asleep. Due to the busy schedules of the cast and crew, this is often times the only chance the kids have to do their schoolwork. They’re up early, prepare for the show all day, perform at night, and then repeat it all the next day.

Even after performing the show hundreds of times, the actors say it never gets boring because they always perform a new show to a new audience. And they’re very good at what they do. We absolutely loved the show, and even though we knew the story, it was fresh, new, and exciting to watch.

Annie is playing at the Wang Theatre from May 9-May 21, so just think about how great tomorrow can be by seeing “Annie” in Boston.

(For more information about “Annie,” go to the Boch Center/Wang Theater website.)