Who would have guessed that a little, redheaded, self-sufficient orphan introduced in a comic strip in 1924 would go on to inspire the third longest-running musical of the 1970s? This upbeat, funny story has been a hit ever since it opened in 1977, and how could it miss with great numbers like "Hard-Knock Life," "Little Girls" and "Tomorrow"?

Thomas Meehan wrote the book (basically the script) of Annie. He began his career writing comic short stories and parodies for The New Yorker magazine. After winning a Tony Award for Annie, he went on to write the book for I Remember Mama, and then headed to Hollywood as a scriptwriter (To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs).

Lyricist Martin Charnin had one acting job in his life (as "Big Deal" in West Side Story). He has been the director, lyricist, composer, librettist, producer (or combination of these) for over 75 theatrical productions, including Annie, Annie Warbucks, I Remember Mama, and La Strada.

Charles Strouse wrote the music for Annie. His first Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie, won him a Tony Award, and he has been a success ever since. In addition to Annie, his work includes the scores for the musicals All American, Golden Boy, and I and Albert.