STAGE

A parade of little girls has been streaming to the Golden Theater in New York this week, all hoping to be Broadway’s new Annie in “Annie 2: Miss Hannigan’s Revenge,” the new musical about the world’s most famous orphan. Annie must be between 3-feet-10 and 4-feet-4, sing loudly and clearly, be able to act and tap dance, look 10 or 11 years old and, of course, not be afraid of dogs. The $7-million musical is to open March 1 on Broadway. Most of the young hopefuls weren’t even born when the original “Annie” opened in New York in 1977. It ran 2,377 performances before closing in January, 1983. The show’s first star, Andrea McArdle, is now 25, married and the mother of a year-old daughter. She last appeared on Broadway in “Starlight Express” in 1987.