A brief history of 'Annie'

FIRST HITTING Broadway in 1977 (and honored with multiple Tonys), "Annie" has enjoyed almost as many comebacks as Cher.

The stage musical would twice be revived after its initial, six-year run in New York - returning in 1997, then 2012.

As many as four road-show productions would simultaneously tour the other 49 states to meet public demand.

And now, leapin' lizards, yet another, fresh stage rendering will be visiting the Academy of Music this coming March.

On screen, "Annie" (2014) marks the plucky heroine's fourth film go-round.

Her screen story started with the 1982 hit treatment of the Broadway show that Carol Burnett pretty much "stole" as Miss Hannigan.

Later came an instantly forgettable TV sequel "Annie: A Royal Adventure" (1995) repeating just one song ("Tomorrow"), then the 1999 Disney-produced TV movie recap of the original musical - the first "Annie" to go multiracial with Audra McDonald as Grace.

Multiple young careers have been jump-started as Annie - starting with Philly's own Andrea McArdle, the original Broadway stage star, then first successor Sarah Jessica Parker.

Now the tenacious, self-assured nature of Annie comes naturally to Quvenzhane Wallis. This young dynamo's 2012 debut in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" won her a most distinctive Academy Award nomination - as the youngest person ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

- Jonathan Takiff