With red hair, grit, and plenty of spunk, America’s favorite orphan proves her worth to a billionaire and a new generation as Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre presents Annie as its 2018 Season Family Show. Now on stage, the seven-time Tony Award winner stars 12-year-old Claire Kauffman in the title role.

The Broadway musical, which opened in 1977, is derived from "Little Orphan Annie," a 1920s Chicago Tribune comic strip by Harold Gray that was inspired by James Whitcomb Riley’s 1885 poem of the same name. But the musical is set in 1933, during the Great Depression and centers on Annie, an orphan girl in New York City. Left on the doorstep of an orphanage as an infant, Annie is convinced her parents will one day return for her – proving their identity with the matching half of the locket they had left with their infant daughter.

Through a miscommunication, chance, and a bit of luck, Annie ends up spending a week with billionaire Oliver Warbucks just before Christmas, and both of their lives are changed forever.

Filled with great musical numbers including “Tomorrow,” “It’s The Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” and “N.Y.C.,” Annie is on stage through July 15, with 50 performances scheduled in the intimate setting of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre.

Kauffman, who just completed fifth grade at Zionsville Middle School, returns to the Beef & Boards stage after making her debut last season in the children’s choir of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Reprising his role as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks is Ty Stover, who will be portraying the billionaire for the fourth consecutive Beef & Boards production.

Returning from the 2009 production to reprise their roles are Bobbi Bates as Grace Farrell, Jeff Stockberger as Rooster, and John Vessels as Drake. Kelly Teal Goyette, most recently seen as Mrs. Santiago in Ghost, the Musical, and Dragon in Shrek, the Musical, returns in the role of Miss Hannigan. Deb Wims returns to Indianapolis to play Lily St. Regis.
Tickets range from $44 to $69, and include Chef Odell Ward’s family-friendly dinner buffet, fruit & salad bar, unlimited coffee, tea and lemonade. Annie offers a $10 Family Show discount off tickets for children ages 3-15.

For reservations, call the box office at 317.872.9664 anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays. For complete show schedule, visit beefandboards.com.
Annie is sponsored in part by the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, Indiana’s only year-round professional dinner theatre is celebrating 45 years of serving up exceptional entertainment in 2018.

Fact Sheet

WHAT: Annie
Music by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, & Martin Charnin
Based on “Little Orphan Annie”
WHEN: May 31 through July 15, 2018

Weekday/Saturday Evenings
Doors open at 6 p.m.; Buffet from 6¬:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Show at 8 p.m.
May: 31
June: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30
July: 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14

Weekday Matinees
Doors open at 11 a.m.; Buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Show at 1 p.m.
June: 6, 13, 20, 27
July: 11, 12

Sunday Evenings
Doors open at 5 p.m.; Buffet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Show at 7 p.m.
June: 3, 10, 17, 24
July: 1, 8

Saturday/Sunday Matinees
Doors open at noon; Buffet from 12:15 to 1 p.m.; Show at 1:30 p.m.
June: 3, 10, 16, 17, 24, 30
July: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15

WHO:
Director - Eddie Curry Choreographer - Ron Morgan
Musical Director - Kristy Templet Costume Design - Jill Kelly Howe
Lighting Design - Ryan Koharchik Set Design - Michael Layton Sound Design - Daniel Hesselbrock Stage Manager - Elizabeth Stark

STARRING:
Claire Kauffman as Annie
Ty Stover as Oliver Warbucks
Kelly Teal Goyette as Miss Hannigan Bobbi Bates as Grace Farrell
Jeff Stockberger as Rooster Deb Wims as Lily St. Regis
James Anthony as F.D.R.
Bradley Keiper as Bundles McCloskey
Doug King as Cordell Hull/Lt. Ward Amanda McCarthy as Mrs. Greer
Kenny Shepard as Harold Ickes Katherine Tabisz as Cecille, Star to Be
John Vessels as Drake
Christine Zavakos as Francis Perkins/Mrs. Pugh
Orphans: Bridget Bingham (Tessie), Sadie Cohen (Ruby), Macy Franklin (Kate), Kynden Luster (July), Sylvie Templet (Molly), Anna Wagner (Pepper), Aliva Rose Williams (Duffy)

WHERE: Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre 9301 Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, 46268

TICKETS: Available by calling the box office at 317.872.9664 between 10 a.m. & 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, or 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays. Tickets range from $44 to $69 ($10 Family Show discount off tickets for ages 3-15) and include Chef Odell Ward’s family-friendly dinner buffet, fruit & salad bar, and select beverages.

WEB SITE: For more information or show schedule, visit beefandboards.com

Annie and Daddy Warbucks: Annie (Claire Kauffman) puts her arms around Oliver Warbucks (Ty Stover) in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of Annie, now on stage through July 15. Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig

Hard Knock Life: The orphans sing about their “Hard Knock Life” in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of Annie, now on stage through July 15. Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig

Little Girls1: Miss Hannigan (Kelly Teal Goyette) is distraught over her life that’s filled with “Little Girls” in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of Annie, now on stage through July 15. Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig

NYC: Oliver Warbucks (Ty Stover), center, sings about “NYC” to Grace (Bobbi Bates), left, and Annie (Claire Kauffman), right, during the child’s first night out on the town in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of Annie, now on stage through July 15. Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig