PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Broadway’s Ruth Gottschall has returned to the seacoast to step into the role of Miss Hannigan in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of “Annie” now on stage at The Music Hall. Gottschall replaces Sally Struthers, who is recovering from surgery for a broken leg caused by a fall on an ice-covered walkway earlier this week following the recent snow storms. Gottschall will take the stage the week of Dec. 9 and will continue through the end of the run.
“Our dear Sally will need to step out of ‘Annie’ for the rest of the run to get herself back on her feet. But she will be nearby — so don’t be surprised if you see her sneak in to watch to the show! We are grateful that Sally is resting comfortably and feeling great right now. While we will miss her very much in this role, we want her to continue to rest and to enjoy time with her family and friends over the holidays. We, of course, look forward to welcoming Sally to our stage in 2020. With Sally’s blessing, the Ogunquit Playhouse is thrilled to announce that Ruth Gottschall, the brilliant Broadway actress who delighted Ogunquit audiences this past summer in Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ has arrived in Ogunquit to take over the role of Miss Hannigan,” stated Executive Artistic Director Bradford Kenney.
Gottschall made her Ogunquit Playhouse debut as Helen Hubbard this past summer in the critically acclaimed mystery, Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” On Broadway, she has performed in “Mary Poppins,” “The Music Man,” “Laughing Room Only,” “Cabaret” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” among others. At regional theaters she has portrayed Aunt Eller in Pittsburgh CLO’s “Oklahoma!,” Maggie in Bucks County Playhouse’s “42nd Street” and Mrs. Tottendale in Goodspeed Opera House’s “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
“Annie” is on stage through Dec. 22, at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “Annie” is the story of a spunky, red-headed orphan who lands a holiday stay with Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, a billionaire trying to do good. This delightful musical has become a worldwide phenomenon and is the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The acclaimed book and score by Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin feature some of the greatest musical theater hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.”
The Ogunquit Playhouse production is helmed by Broadway director/choreographer James A. Rocco. The cast includes Josie Todd as Annie, Emmy nominee Robert Newman as Oliver Warbucks and Broadway veterans Angie Schworer as Lily St. Regis, Jeffry Denman as Rooster Hannigan and Gail Bennett as Grace Farrell.
To purchase tickets, call The Music Hall box office at 603-436-2300 or visit TheMusicHall.org.
The Music Hall is a performing arts center featuring curated entertainment from around the world in two theaters in its downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, campus — one, a landmark 1878 Victorian theater, designated an American Treasure for the Arts by the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures Program, the other the intimate Music Hall Loft around the corner, recently named “best performing arts venue” by Yankee Magazine and the recipient of the NH AIA award for design excellence.
For more information on the Ogunquit Playhouse, visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org.
Broadway’s Ruth Gottschall returns to the seacoast to step into the role of Miss Hannigan in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of “Annie” now on stage at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Gottschall replaces Sally Struthers, who is recovering from surgery for a broken leg caused by a fall on an ice-covered walkway earlier this week. Submitted photo
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