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Philadelphia Tribune - Entertainment Now - Friday, March 14, 2008 - Index

Friday, March 14, 2008 Philadelphia Tribune
Page 5-E
‘Annie’ coming to the Academy of Music
Lynn Andrews makes her national tour debut in “Annie,” coming to
the Academy of Music March 21-23. — SUBMITTED PHOTO
Rita Charleston
Tribune Correspondent
Leapin’ Lizards! One of
America’s most beloved
musicals, “Annie,” is back
for its 30th anniversary tour
giving a whole new generation
the chance to experience
this classic musical
about never giving up hope.
The timeless tale of Little
Orphan Annie is coming to
Philadelphia’s Academy of
Music March 21-23.
The story revolves around
11-year-old Annie, who as
an infant left on the steps of
a New York orphanage, with
a note and half a locket.
Treated harshly, Annie runs
away from the orphanage
and the mean-tempered
matron Miss Hannigan in
search of her parents.
This time around, Miss
Hannigan is played by
Denver native Lynn Andrews
making her national tour
debut. During a recent telephone
interview, Andrews
admits she is doing exactly
what she always wanted to
do.
“There wasn’t one
moment when I ever thought
of doing anything else. After
all, who can watch ‘I Love
Lucy’ and not want to
become an actress?
Certainly not me,” she
explains.
Following her own dream
and like the musical’s message,
never giving up hope,
Andrews went to New York
to study at the American
Musical and Dramatic
Academy, getting her bearings
and eventually starting
out on auditions.
She says, “This is a business
filled with rejection,
and at a certain point when
auditioning in New York with
a roomful of people, you can
pretty much count on everyone
having at least a shred
of talent. But, at a certain
point, talent alone doesn’t
matter. What counts are the
people who are dedicated to
their craft, and go above and
beyond what’s necessary to
do their work well. You can
be just as talented as anybody
else, but when you
walk in the door, you have to
be as professional, prepared
and dedicated as possible.”
Most of her background
has been concentrated on
regional roles, often with a
theater company in Illinois.
She’s appeared in such
shows as “Chicago,”
“Romeo and Juliet” and the
new multimedia sketch comedy,
“Happy Sunshine Kung
Fu Flower.”
And today, there’s “Annie.”
And even though she’s playing
a rather unlikable character
— who cares? “The
show itself is a solid piece,
very well written, with every
inch of dialogue just great.
Then there are all the musical
numbers, and kids and
dogs. What could be better
than that?” she asks.
In fact, over the years,
many of the musical numbers
have become classics,
including “It’s a Hard-Knock
Life,” “I Don’t Need Anything
But You,” “Easy Street” and
the ever-optimistic
“Tomorrow.”
See ANNIE Page 29