Exclusive: Taraji P. Henson on playing Miss Hannigan in Annie Live!
Tonight on NBC at 8pm is the live musical television special, Annie Live!
It will be a performance of the 1977 musical Annie, which is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray.
The special will star newcomer Celina Smith as the titular role, Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace Farrell, Tituss Burgess as Rooster Hannigan and Megan Hilty as Lily St. Regis. The special will be directed by Lear deBessonet and Alex Rudzinski.
“Annie Live!” will be executive produced by Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Alex Rudzinsky, with Lear deBessonet and Alex Rudzinski sharing the directing duties. Choreography will be led by Sergio Trujillo. Emilio Sosal will design costumes. Jason Sherwood will oversee production design. Stephen Oremus will orchestrate the music direction. The live event is being produced by Chloe Productions.
“Annie” is one of the most beloved and biggest hits in Broadway history and the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It has been licensed and performed in 50 countries and translated into eight languages. Based on the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” that debuted in 1924, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1977 and initially ran for over four years.
BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with Henson about playing Miss Hannigan and doing a live musical.
