Andrea McArdle

Andrea McArdle (born November 5, 1963) is an American singer and actress best known for originating the role of Annie in the Broadway musical Annie.

Career McArdle appeared on Al Alberts Showcase, a local televised talent show in Philadelphia.

In 1977 she originated the role of Annie in the Broadway musical Annie, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical. In April 1978, she opened the London West End production in the same role. She appeared several times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1977–1979, on one occasion accompanied by Liberace. She also appeared more than once on the Mike Douglas Show, singing with Kristy McNichol, Stephanie Mills, Liberace and Don Rickles. She appeared on Perry Como's Christmas show, where she sang with Como, and on Welcome Back Kotter, playing Arnold Horshack's younger sister. In 1978, McArdle sang O Holy Night in the television special Christmas at Walt Disney World.

In 1979, she sang the national anthems for both the United States and Canada at the Major League Baseball All Star Game in Seattle, Washington. She also sang the American national anthem at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia for the fifth and final game of the 1983 World Series, in her capacity as a native of Philadelphia, as well as "God Bless America" prior to the Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship.

Her first role after returning to the States was the role of Judy Garland in NBC's telepic Rainbow, but throughout her career she has concentrated primarily on performing in musical theater and cabarets. Her credits include Les Misérables (both on Broadway and in the national tour), Jerry's Girls (a revue of Jerry Herman songs co-starring Carol Channing and Leslie Uggams), Beauty and the Beast, Starlight Express, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Wizard of Oz, They're Playing Our Song, and another celebrated Annie in Irving Berlin's classic, Annie Get Your Gun. She briefly appeared in the 1999 Rob Marshall-directed TV version of Annie, singing the "Star To Be" segment of the song "N.Y.C."

McArdle has performed in the showrooms of many of the casino hotels in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and in cabarets such as Odette's in New Hope, Pennsylvania and the King Cole Room at the St. Regis Hotel and Freddy's Supper Club in Manhattan. McArdle once again starred in the musical Annie with the North Carolina Theatre Company, although she portrayed the role of Miss Hannigan, at odds with her former character.

Her CD, Andrea McArdle on Broadway, was arranged and produced by her ex-husband, composer Edd Kalehoff, who also collaborated with her on an album of Christmas songs that was released in conjunction with her Family Christmas Show at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Christmas show, "Andrea McArdle's Family Christmas" ran for three Christmases and featured dancers, singers and acrobats from Encore Productions in South Jersey. McArdle also sang and appeared in several television promotional campaigns produced by Kalehoff, including WNBC-TV's We're 4 New York in 1992, and WEWS-TV's Give Me 5 in 1995. Divorced in August 2011, the couple had one daughter, Alexis Kalehoff (b.1988), a performer who has appeared with her mother in Les Miz.

McArdle returned to Annie at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach, California, as Miss Hannigan from October 29 - November 14, 2010. She took part in the New York Musical Theatre Festival's (NYMF) production of Greenwood the Musical in fall 2011 along with her daughter Alexis Kalehoff and fellow Annie alumna Alicia Morton.

In November 2012, McArdle was the "guest star" in Newsical.

On April 2, 2014 Oceania Cruises announced a new "Life in the Theater" series featuring McArdle, for select sailings starting with a voyage aboard Riviera on October 29, 2014.

In December 2015, McArdle starred in the Off-Broadway play 2 Across at St. Luke's Theatre along with Kip Gilman.

In May 2016, McArdle starred as Reno Sweeney in Cole Porter's Anything Goes. The show also featured Sally Struthers. The production opened at Gateway Playhouse (Bellport, New York), and later transferred to Ogunquit Playhouse. The production was directed by Jayme McDaniel, and choreographed by Jason Wise.

In November 2021, it was announced that McArdle would be playing Eleanor Roosevelt in NBC's Annie Live!, but she later had to drop out due to a family emergency. The character was subsequently written out, but McArdle does appear in the cast recording for the special.

Personal life Andrea was married to composer Edd Kalehoff from 1988 until they divorced in 2011. She has a daughter, Alexis Kalehoff, who has appeared in many Broadway theatre productions.

Stage work Year Production Role Venue 1977 Annie Annie Broadway 1978 West End, Played role for 40 performances 1984 Jerry's Girls Ensemble Tour 1985 Annie Get Your Gun Annie Oakley Regional, San Bernardino Civic Light Opera in San Bernardino, CA 1985 The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale Regional, Melody Top Theatre in Milwaukee Unknown The Vagina Monologues Performer Regional 1987 Starlight Express Ashley Broadway 1989 Meet Me in St. Louis Esther Smith Regional, Melody Top Theatre in Milwaukee 1992 They're Playing Our Song Sonia Tour 1993 Les Misérables Fantine Broadway 1994 Eponine National Tour 1995 State Fair Margy Frake Broadway 1996 Oliver! Nancy Regional 1996 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Narrator Regional 1996 The Fantasticks Luisa Regional 1997 Evita Eva Perón Regional 1999 Beauty and the Beast Belle Broadway 2000 Grease Sandy Dumbrowski Regional 2001 Cabaret Sally Bowles international tour 2002 Annie Get Your Gun Annie Oakley Regional, Reagle Players 2006 Regional, Prince Music Theatre 2006 Cabaret Sally Bowles Regional, Ogunquit Playhouse 2007 Gypsy Rose Regional 2008 Les Misérables Fantine Regional, Ogunquit Playhouse 2010 Annie Miss Hannigan North Carolina Theatre 2010 Musical Theatre West, Long Beach 2011 Blood Brothers Mrs. Johnstone Theatre Zone, Naples, Florida 2011 Urinetown Penelope Pennywise Connecticut Repertory Theatre 2011 Greenwood the Musical Adult Sheila New York Musical Theatre Festival 2012 NEWSical the Musical Guest Star/Various Characters Off-Broadway 2013 Mame Mame Dennis Bucks County Playhouse New Hope, Pennsylvania & The Media Theatre, Media, Pennsylvania 2015 Hello, Dolly! Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi The Media Theatre, Media, Pennsylvania 2015 2 Across Janet Off-Broadway 2016 Anything Goes Reno Sweeney Regional, Gateway Playhouse, Bellport, NY 2016 Regional, Ogunquit Playhouse202342nd StreetDorothy BrockRegional, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

Film and television

Awards and honors 1977 – Theatre World Award – winner 1977 – Tony Award - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical – nominee