See ANNIE, The Musical, at the Thrasher-Horne Center

7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 4^th, and on Friday, February 5^th  

Win 4 tickets to see ANNIE!

The world's best-loved musical returns in time-honored form. Directed by original Lyricist and Director Martin Charnin and Choreographed by Liza Gennaro, this production of ANNIE will be a brand new incarnation of the iconic original.

Featuring book and score by Tony Award® winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, ANNIE includes such unforgettable songs as It's the Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don't Need Anything But You, plus the eternal anthem of optimism, Tomorrow.

ANNIE was born in a poem of 1885 by James Whitcomb Riley. The title was Little Orphan Annie, and the main message of the poem was that children should obey their parents and be kind to the less fortunate.

Little Orphan Annie debuted as a comic strip by Harold Gray in the New York Daily news in 1924.  The comic strip followed the adventures of Annie, her dog Sandy, and a benefactor by the name of Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks.

ANNIE began her career in radio in 1930. She got one of her biggest breaks in 1977, when she finally made it to the stage in a Broadway musical. The original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. ANNIE’s first run on Broadway lasted almost six years.

The musical has been revived twice on Broadway (1997 & 2012). In 2007, ANNIE played Madison Square Garden in New York for 5 weeks. ANNIE has also done quite well overseas. The musical has been translated into 28 languages and has been produced in 34 countries.

In 1982, ANNIE was made into a feature film starring Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, and Aileen Quinn as Annie. In 1999, Wonderful World of Disney produced a made-for-TV version. In 2014, Will Smith and Jay-Z produced another film version starring Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, and Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie.

Many of the little girls in ANNIE went on to successful show business careers: Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Ringwald, Alyssa Milano, Debbie Gibson, Catherine Zeta Jones, and others.

Tomorrow has become one of most popular Broadway songs in history. It has been recorded by Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Grace Jones, and many others.

Reviews of the Touring Production of ANNIE, The Musical

“It’s easy to sing ANNIE’s praises.” Boston Herald

“From its singing optimistic orphans, who can easily put those Sound of Music children to shame, right down to its shaggy dog, is it possible that ANNIE can be anything but a hit? Since its premiere in 1977, the Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin musical, with book by Thomas Meehan, has enchanted audiences with its infectiously bouncy and hopeful score, sweet story, and just enough old-fashioned Broadway pizazz to spin stage magic.” New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Spectacular on every count." Newsweek

“As lovable as ever, ANNIE recaptures a period of history from the 1930s that swells with pumped-up pride… At times, I wanted instant replays. ANNIE is sugary, almost achingly sweet, and it's impossible to watch it and not smile or, doggone it, wag your tail in appreciation.” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

"This enduring ode to optimism remains a sterling example of expert musical-theater craftsmanship." The Hollywood Reporter

Q&A with Heidi Gray, the actress who plays ANNIE in the touring production

You’ve been acting for quite a while.  How old are you now? What is it you enjoy about acting?  Other than Annie, do you have a favorite part that you’ve played before?
I’m 11 years old. What I like about acting is I get to be a different personality each character I play.  Other than Annie, my favorite part I’ve played is Gretl in The Sound of Music.

So many people love the story of Annie.  What do you love about the character? How is she most like you?
What I love about Annie is that she never gives up and is optimistic.  Annie is most like me because we are both outgoing and are leaders.

Few people get a chance to act with an animal on stage.  What’s it like to work with Macy and Sunny who both play Sandy in the show? Does anything unpredictable ever happen?
Macy and Sunny are the smartest animals I have ever met, and I’m so lucky to be working with such professionals.  Everything is going great so far with the dogs.

We see you are a South Carolina native, so not too far from home in the Southeast.  How many months have you been traveling now?  What’s the furthest state the Annie tour will be traveling to?
I have been on tour since December 29, 2015. The farthest state we are going to is Oregon.

Casts of productions usually become very close while working together.  Have you made any friends during the tour?  Who’s the funniest person in the cast in real life?
Yes, I have made lots of friends on this journey.  And the funniest person, from the cast, in real life is Madisen.  She is the Orphan Swing.

You have a beautiful singing voice.  What’s your favorite song to sing from the show?
Thank you.  My favorite song to sing from the show is “Maybe” because it is a song about Annie being hopeful about her future.

Balancing the tour with school must be quite a challenge.  How do you and the other actresses playing the orphans go to school while on tour? What’s your favorite subject?
We do school on our computers and we also have a teacher that travels with us.  My favorite subject is Language Arts.

In the second act Annie gets to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be and why?
If I could meet any famous person it would be Sutton Foster because she is my role model.

Coming Soon to the Thrasher-Horne Center

Thodos Dance Chicago presents A Light in the Dark: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, January 28^th.

Thodos Dance Chicago will present a touring production of A Light in the Dark: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan at the Thrasher-Horne Center Theater On Thursday, January 28^th. This inspiring story ballet explores how a caring teacher helped guide a blind and deaf girl into a career as an internationally acclaimed writer and political activist.

Choreographed by Melissa Thodos and Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, this performance is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. As part of the Dance Touring Initiative program, South Arts awarded three regional touring grants to Thrasher-Horne Center.

Two of these grants were completed in 2015 with the Eisenhower Dance Company in February and Koresh Dance Company in April. A Light in the Dark is the third Dance Touring Initiative grant. South Arts strengthens the South through advancing excellence in the arts, connecting the arts to key state and national policies, and nurturing a vibrant quality of life.

Get tickets to see A Light in the Dark.

Gladius Flamenco Guitar in Thrasher-Horne Center Cabaret Theater
Sunday, January 31 at 4:00 p.m.

In an era when expertise and originality are often overlooked in lieu of fleeting flash and flare, Gladius defines innovation as a composer and mastery as an instrumentalist—perpetually pushing the boundaries of his Baroque-Ethnic-Metal fusion: on both the classical and electric guitar.

Inspired by the great composers, Spanish guitar maestros, and much more, this musical mad scientist fuses the elements into a refreshing formula—evoking the Spanish spirit, yet distinctly unorthodox, mixing influences ranging from classical to rock and beyond. 

ALWAYS... PATSY CLINE, Friday, February 12^th, and Saturday, February 13^th.

This play is based on the true story of Patsy Cline's friendship with Houston housewife Louise Seger. The story comes complete with true emotion, and down home country humor. With 27 songs in the show, it includes many of Patsy's unforgettable hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Sweet Dreams, and Walkin' After Midnight. ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE was Written and Originally Directed by Ted Swindley.

Melissa Etheridge: This is M.E. Solo Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Melissa Etheridge has won an Academy Award and two Grammy Awards. On February 17^th, she will take the stage at Thrasher-Horne Center to perform songs from her new album, This is M.E., as well as some of her greatest hits like Come to My Window, I'm The Only One, and I Want To Come Over. Known for her iconic voice, profound lyrics, and riveting stage presence, Melissa will share personal stories about her remarkable journey through life and the inspiration behind some of her most beloved songs.

Moscow Festival Ballet presents The Sleeping Beauty, Sunday, February 21^st, at 3:00 p.m.

The Sleeping Beauty has been produced many times all over the world. On Sunday, February 21^st, The Moscow Festival Ballet will perform The Sleeping Beauty at the Thrasher-Horne Center Theater. The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when Sergei Radchenko, legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, sought to create an independent new company which would bring together the highest classical elements of the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies.

This performance of The Sleeping Beauty promises to be enchanting and magical.

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In this article, I’ve written about the upcoming performance of ANNIE, The Musical, at the Thrasher-Horne Center Theater. I’ve also noted other upcoming performances, including A Light in the Dark, The Sleeping Beauty, Gladius Flamenco Guitar, and Melissa Etheridge. 

Tickets for these events and others are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.

The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theater, to dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher Horne-Center! 

Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. People will appreciate learning about what they have been missing.

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