Los Angeles native lands lead in Broadway's newest 'Annie' - Los Angeles Times
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Los Angeles native lands lead in Broadway’s newest ‘Annie’

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A Los Angeles native has landed the title role in a new Broadway production of “Annie†opening this fall.

After a nine-month, multi-city search and more than 5,000 auditions, producers chose curly haired Lilla Crawford to play the adorable orphan.

Crawford is already a Broadway veteran: She made her debut last year playing Debbie in the closing cast of†Billy Elliotâ€and has performed more than a dozen shows with Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles.

Annie -- which features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan -- will be directed and choreographed by Tony-winners James Lapine and Andy Blankenbuehler, respectively.

Based on the 1920s comic strip “Little Orphan Annie†by Harold Gray, “Annie†made its Broadway debut in 1977 and ran for six years a fueled by a soundtrack that included “Maybe,†“It’s The Hard Knock Life†and “Tomorrow.â€

The musical also spawned the 1982 film starring Aileen Marie Quinn as Annie and Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan and a 1999 TV movie starred Kathy Bates as the boozed-up orphanage tyrant.

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