March 29, 2024

‘Annie’ to play at the Des Moines Civic Center April 15-17

DES MOINES — Des Moines Performing Arts is proud to announce that the new U.S. National Tour of “Annie” will play for a limited engagement from April 15-17 at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time, this production of “Annie” is a brand new physical incarnation of the iconic Tony Award-winning original. “Annie” is a presentation in Des Moines Performing Arts’ 2015-2016 Willis Broadway Series.

Tickets to “Annie,” which start at $30, will go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday at DesMoinesPerformingArts.org, the Civic Center Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Groups of 12 or more should call 515-246-2340.

“Annie” has a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. All three authors received 1977 Tony Awards®for their work. Choreography is by Liza Gennaro, who will incorporate selections from her father Peter Gennaro’s 1977 Tony Award-winning choreography.

The original production of “Annie” opened April 21, 1977 at the Alvin Theatre and went on to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Cast Show Album and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin). The show remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits ever. It ran for 2,377 performances after it first opened, and has been performed in 28 languages and has been running somewhere around the world for 37 years.

The beloved score for “Annie”  ncludes “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.”

For tickets and information, visit www.anniethemusical.com.