Annie: An Old-Fashioned Story.

MEEHAN, Thomas. Illustrated by Julia Noonan.

Item Number: 125981

New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc, 1980.

First edition of the Tony Award-winning storyline of the popular Broadway musical. Octavo, original half cloth, patterned endpapers, illustrated by Julian Noonan. Presentation copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper, “Thanks, Thomas Meehan”, “Love, Mary K. Lombardi (Annie)”, “Norwood Smith ‘Daddy Warbucks'”, and “Ruth Kobart Miss Hannigan.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Uncommon signed.

American playwright Thomas Meehan authored the books for the musicals Annie, The Producers, Hairspray, Young Frankenstein and Cry-Baby. He received the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times—in 1977 for Annie, in 2001 for The Producers (shared with Mel Brooks), and in 2003 for Hairspray (shared with Mark O'Donnell). In 1972, Meehan was asked to work on a musical based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. At first, Meehan was skeptical to accept the offer, but eventually accepted the offer after reading the strip. Meehan wrote Annie with Charles Strouse, who wrote the music. The production took five years to get to Broadway, but after opening in 1977 ran for 2,377 performances.