One of Houston's own will be listed in the playbill for an upcoming revival of Annie on Broadway. But it's not a dramatist or a vocalist, a thespian or a set designer.
It's a canine.
Sunny, a beige mutt, was discovered by the play's producers on BARC's online database in March, when the Annie team was searching far and wide for a fourth candidate for the role of Sandy.
Director James Lepine ultimately selected Sunny "based on looks, temperament and other special skills."
According to the NY Daily News, the Houston pup had an abrasion on her leg and only 48 hours left to live. "Save her," Arielle Tepper, the play's producer, told renowned animal trainer William Berloni.
Director James Lepine ultimately selected Sunny "based on looks, temperament and other special skills," and Berloni appeared on The Today Show on Thursday morning to introduce Little Orphan Annie's newest companion.
Berloni, who has prepared animals for dozens of Broadway shows, plus hundreds more theater, television and film roles, will teach Sunny to dance for this revival of the show, which begins previews at New York's Palace Theatre on Oct. 3.
"We are just thrilled. We know that we've got great pets at BARC, but we didn't realize we could source talent for Broadway," BARC spokesperson Christopher Newport said in a statement. "This really proves that the animals we have at BARC and other shelter pets aren't broken, they just had some bad luck in their past."
Watch Sunny's sweet introduction below, and discover and adopt your own star here.
