The sun is out. The power is off.

 Martin Charnin was born and raised in NYC,

 attending the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan.

At Cooper Union, he studied painting.

But Theatre worked its spell on Martin during 

a summer job in the Adirondacks, 

where he wrote sketches, painted scenery and acted.

After graduation, he auditioned for West Side Story

(then called Gangway)

and got the part of Big Deal, a member of the Jets.

 By the early 1960s,

Martin had begun writing lyrics

(with Mary Rodgers for Hot Spot,

and with Richard Rodgers on Two By Two).

He also directed and produced for television...

but come the 70s, Martin got an idea about 

Little Orphan Annie

and how her story would make a fabulous musical. 

His collaborators-to-be,

Charles Strouse (above) and Thomas Meehan

had to be convinced,

the latter insisting that he would never want to

 write the book for a musical that he would not want to see.

 Charles had just come off a flop,

"It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's Superman!",

another comic book character,

and he sure didn't want to have that experience again.

But Martin charmed them!

Above, Martin with Andrea McArdle 

(NOT the first Annie! The first Annie was Kristen Vigard,

who played the out of town previews. 

She was found "too sweet" for the part, and was traded in

for the crusty Andrea!)

and Reid Shelton (Daddy Warbucks) at the cast recording.

Andrea, who was 14 years old when the show opened,

received a Tony nomination.

Dorothy Loudon (below), the first Miss Hannigan,

won one!

 Sandy the Dog was played by Sandy the Dog.

This may or may not be the original Sandy.

 Reid, Andrea, and Sandy Faison,

about to belt out "N.Y.C." probably!

  Annie ran on Broadway for almost 6 years,

and from there

Martin would go on to direct 42 touring productions of the show;

by 1993, he had spent 23 years involved in Annie,

and this before the sequels and revivals!

 The 40th year reunion with Charles, Andrea, and Martin (above),

and the two partners below.

Charles is 91 years old at present. 

Martin often returned to direct the original “Annie,” 

specifically for touring companies, as recently as 2014.

Just prior to his death, he was working on a revue

to open this December at the Triad Theatre,

but "the show will NOT go on" without him.

Last night (7/13/19) the lights of Broadway were dimmed...

in fact the whole west side of Manhattan lost power!

So Martin got quite the send off.

1934 - 2019