Annie: It’s the Hard-Knock Life

In 2012, over 5,000 young girls traveled to New York City to vie for a part in the Broadway revival of Annie and a bed in Miss Hannigan’s infamous orphanage. Only eight got a part. Director Joshua Seftel takes us backstage for a behind-the-scenes look at the creative chaos that is putting on a Broadway show — from the first auditions and early choreography, to dress rehearsal calamities and opening night jitters. You don’t need to love musicals to be fascinated by the process — and thoroughly charmed by the young performers who are the focus of the film. We first meet the girls as they are finding out they got the part (to much gleeful shrieking and involuntary jumping up and down) and we follow them as they move to New York and begin to navigate the difficult divide between middle-schooler and Broadway star. Along the way there are inevitable bumps in the road, triumphs, and set-backs, as they learn to trust one another, work together, and become friends.