Script

SIDE 1

 

(MISS HANNIGAN comes in.)

MISS HANNIGAN

Good morning, children.

ALL ORPHANS

Good morning, Miss Hannigan.

MISS HANNIGAN

Well?

ALL ORPHANS

I love you, Miss Hannigan.
(BUNDLES, the laundry man enters.)

ALL ORPHANS

Mornin’, Bundles.

BUNDLES

Mornin’, kids. Clean sheets once a month, whether you need  em or not.
(As BUNDLES is talking, ANNIE sneaks into the laundry bag.)

MISS HANNIGAN

Hurry up, Bundles. Get out of here with that laundry!
(BUNDLES grabs the laundry with ANNIE in it and exits.)

BUNDLES

So long, kids. Merry Christmas.

(MISS HANNIGAN inspects the floor.)

MISS HANNIGAN

You call this clean, Annie? Annie? Annie?

DUFFY

Annie ain’t here.

TESSIE

She just went. With Mr. Bundles.

MISS HANNIGAN

Bundles?!? Police! Police!

 

SIDE 2

 

(A faraway church bell chimes four A.M. ANNIE starts putting things into a small basket.)

KATE

Annie, whatta ya doin?

ANNIE

Runnin’ away.

TESSIE

Oh my goodness.

ANNIE

My folks are never coming for me. I gotta go find them.

JULY

Annie, you’re crazy. Miss Hannigan’ll catch you.

ANNIE

I don’t care. I’m getting’ outta here. Wish me luck.

ALL EXCEPT PEPPER

Good luck, Annie.

PEPPER

So long, dumbbell. And good luck.
(ANNIE sneaks across the stage. As she reaches to open the door, MISS HANNIGAN, flings open the door.)

MISS HANNIGAN

Aha! Caught you!
(ANNIE falls backward.)
Get up. Get up!

ANNIE

(standing up)
Yes, Miss Hannigan.

MISS HANNIGAN

Rotten orphan.

ANNIE

I’m not an orphan. My mother and father left a note saying they loved me and they were coming back for me.

MISS HANNIGAN

That was 1922; this is 1933.
(blows her whistle)
Get up! All of you. Now, for this one’ s shenanigans, you’ll all get down on your knobby little knees and clean this dump until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building.
(The ORPHANS all get out of bed.)

TESSIE

But it’ s four o’ clock in the morning.

MISS HANNIGAN

Get to work!!

ANNIE, ORPHANS

Yes, Miss Hannigan.

MISS HANNIGAN

Why any kid would want to be an orphan, I’ll never know.

 

SIDE 3

(There is a knock at the door.)

(MISS HANNIGAN)

Yeah. Come in.
(LT. WARD enters with ANNIE.)

LT. WARD

Good afternoon. Miss Hannigan. We found your runaway.

MISS HANNIGAN

Oh, poor punkin, out in the freezin’ cold with just that thin sweater. Thanks so much, officer.

LT. WARD

All in the line of duty. Good afternoon.
(LT. WARD exits. MISS HANNIGAN acts like her true self again.)

MISS HANNIGAN

Well are you glad to be back? Huh?

ANNIE

Yes, Miss Hannigan.

MISS HANNIGAN

Liar. What’s the one thing I always taught you: never tell a lie!
(GRACE FARRELL enters.)

GRACE

Good afternoon. Miss Hannigan?

MISS HANNIGAN

Yes?

GRACE

I’m Grace Farrell, private secretary to Oliver Warbucks.

MISS HANNIGAN

The Oliver Warbucks? The Millionaire?

GRACE

Mr. Warbucks has decided to invite an orphan to spend the Christmas holidays at his home.
(ANNIE smiles really big.)

MISS HANNIGAN

What sort of orphan did he have in mind?
(ANNIE waves.)

GRACE

What about this child right here?

MISS HANNIGAN

Annie? Oh, no! You don’t want her.

GRACE

Annie, would you like to spend the next two weeks at Mr. Warbucks’s home?

ANNIE

I would love to.

GRACE

If you get her coat, I’ll take her along right now.

MISS HANNIGAN

She don’t have no coat.

GRACE

Then we’ll buy her one.
(to MISS HANNIGAN)
Merry Christmas.
(to ANNIE)
Come along Annie.

 

SIDE 4

ROOSTER

Oops, pardon me, blondie.
(GRACE gives ROOSTER a disdainful look and exits.)
Hiya Sis. Long time no see. This is Lily.

MISS HANNIGAN

Rooster? They finally let you out of prison.

ROOSTER

Who was the blondie I bumped into on the way in?

MISS HANNIGAN

She works for Oliver Warbucks.

LILY

The Oliver Warbucks?

MISS HANNIGAN

Annie, one of the orphans, is gonna go live with him.

LILY

Crummy orphans!

ROOSTER

Yeah, livin’ in the lap of luxury while the two Hannigan kids ended up on the skids!