BroadwayWorld has a first look at Tony Award-winner Karen Ziemba as Miss Hannigan at the NC Theatre, directed by producing artistic director Eric Woodall, and choreographed by James Gray.

Starring in the title role is Alexa Lasanta, the orphan girl who desperately wants to find love and a family of her own. Lasanta previously portrayed Annie in The Wick Theatre's production with other credits including regional productions of Fun Home, Secret Garden, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She also has a national tour under her belt, where she joined the cast as Gretl in The Sound of Music in 2016/17. Annie's sidekick and canine friend Sandy will be played by Macy, who was adopted in 2009 by Broadway's leading animal trainer Bill Berloni. She has starred in dozens of productions across the county and was seen on NBC's The National Dog Show in 2011.

Ziemba, who won the Tony Award in 2000 for her role in the musical Contact, portrays Miss Hannigan, the orphanage matron and Annie's nemesis. In addition to her Tony Award-winning performance, Ziemba has graced the stage in numerous Broadway productions since her start in 1975. Some of her previous credits include the Broadway productions of Chicago, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, Crazy For You, Bullets Over Broadway, and many more. Ziemba has been nominated for four Tony Awards (including the year she won for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role), and boasts multiple Drama Desk Award nominations, including a win for her Off-Broadway performance of And The World Goes 'Round.

Warbucks, the powerful billionaire who takes Annie in as his own, wis played by John Eric Parker. Parker has a lengthy Broadway history with roles in Rent, Memphis, All Shook Up, and eight years in The Book of Mormon (original Broadway production) which he is taking a short break from to join us in Annie. He is a proud member of the Broadway Inspirational Voices and was nominated for an Astaire Award in 2010 for Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show (Memphis).

Other principal roles include Manna Nichols (Grace Farrell), who starred in the Lincoln Center National Tour of The King and I; Nicolas Dromard (Rooster Hannigan), who last starred on Broadway in Jersey Boys. NC Theatre audiences will remember him as Bert in Mary Poppins; Erica Mansfield (Lily), joining the cast directly from Kiss Me Kate, her ninth Broadway show; and Dirk Lumbard (F.D.R), a Broadway veteran and NC Theatre favorite who previously starred in Disney's Beauty and the Beast ,Les Misérables, Billy Elliot, and more.

Annie's fellow orphan friends will be portrayed by Adele Baldina (July), Sarah Bock (Kate), Becca Clarke (Pepper), Emily Jewel Hoder (Molly), Zoi Pegues (Orphan/Annie U/S), Eva Smedley (Tessie), and Skyla I'lece Woodard (Duffy).

Rounding out the cast are ensemble members Jeff Aguiar, Julian Alvarez, Timothy Scott Brausch, Charlie Byrd, Ashely Chiu, Patrick Clanton, Melvin Gray Jr., Carly Grissom, Anne Scaramuzzo, Alex Stewart, Blaire Thompson, Sonya Venugopal, Dana Winkle, and Collin Yates.

Included in the orphan ensemble are Myla Anne Anderson, Jasmine Anthony, Madeline Atwater, Madeline Behrens, Leilani Diamond, Emerson Dykes, Claire Fellows, Jane Fitzpatrick, MacKenzie Hicks, Uwera Izabayo, Kenady Joi Holloway, Adair Mahoney, Seanna Osborne, Lyla Opitz, Eloise Sayre, Nicole Sienkowski, Cora Stumpf, Jurnee Tabron, Callie MacKenzie Tisdale, Sofia Unger, Madison Veloza, Naima West, and Isol Young.

Annie opens Tuesday, July 23 and runs through Sunday, July 28 in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Visit nctheatre.com to purchase tickets or call (919) 831-6941. For groups of 10 or more, call (919) 831-6941 x6949.