ANNIE WARBUCKS Book by Thomas Meehan. Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by Martin Charnin Based on Little Orphan Annie by permission of Tribune Media Services Inc: Produced in Workshop by Goodspeed Opera House, Michael P. Price, Executive Producer: Produced at the Marriot Lincolnshire Theatre by Kary Walker, Executive Producer Developed in co-operation with members of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre STORY Act I The show begins immediately after Annie ended: Christmas morning, 1933. The billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, his servants, his newly adopted daughter, Annie, and her friends from the Municipal Orphanage are singing the closing bars of the song A New Deal For Christmas," which ended Annie. Two servants enter with a huge Christmas present and Sandy jumps out of it, happily reunited with Annie. Oliver Warbucks insists that Annie begin calling him Daddy and Annie celebrates her new name, Annie Warbucks, by singing "Annie Ain't Just Annie Anymore." As Daddy Warbucks is settling down to sing some Christmas carols with Annie and the orphans, his attorney, Simon Whitehead, and several of his accountants appear with business matters he needs to consider. The children leave and Daddy discusses his income taxes with his visitors. That conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Harriet Doyle, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Child Welfare. In Daddy Warbucks's study, Harriet Doyle reveals the reason for her visit. Since Daddy is not married, he has broken the law by adopting Annie. Commissioner Doyle has come to return Annie to the orphanage. She insists that even though he is wealthy and powerful, Warbucks is not "Above The Law." As her assistant, Miss Clark, prepares to take Annie away, Attorney Whitehead suggests Daddy Warbucks get married quickly so he can keep Annie. The Commissioner agrees to allow Annie to remain at the mansion for 60 days to give Daddy time to find a suitable wife. Daddy instructs Grace, who obviously envisions herself as a possible wife for him, to prepare a list of eligible women. Annie is despondent over the news she will have to share Daddy Warbucks's affection with a stranger ("Changes"). Warbucks leaves with Whitehead and Grace to begin the search for the future Mrs. Warbucks. Annie, on the balcony of the mansion, laments the fact that a kid and her father can't make a family. She reprises "Changes." Back at the Municipal Orphanage, Tessie, one of the orphans, has been returned by a couple who had thought they wanted to adopt her. Annie arrives and shares her troubles with her friends. She shows them pictures of the women being considered as a possible wife for Daddy Warbucks and they find something dreadful about each candidate ("The Other Woman"). Daddy arrives with Dr. Margaret Whittleby, a child psychologist, who is one of the candidates. Annie leaves to have lunch with Daddy and Dr. Whittleby as the orphans respond with disdain to the idea of the psychologist as a mother for Annie. A month later, Commissioner Doyle is checking up on Warbucks's progress. After interviewing 100 candidates, he still has no fiancée. Mrs. Kelly suddenly appears on the scene; she is introduced as an employee of Commissioner Doyle. Warbucks is taken by her manner. He gives her taxi money. Mrs. Kelly calls Annie "punkin" and says endearing things to her. Annie overhears Grace talking on the phone to a member of President Roosevelt's staff, who is offering her a job in Washington. Grace tells Annie that Warbucks's marriage plans have caused her to think she will have no place in the new scheme of things. She insists that Annie is mistaken when the child claims that Daddy should marry her. Grace leaves and Annie plots with the servants to convince Daddy to marry Grace. For Annie's sake, the servants decide to risk their positions by commenting on Daddy Warbucks's marriage
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