A petit version of ‘Annie’

Orange County Children’s Theater will present “Annie Jr.,” an all-ages staging of the classic musical based on the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip at the Huntington Beach High School theater, 1905 Main St., tonight through Aug. 23.

Orange County Children’s Theatre, founded in 1969, has produced more than 100 live musicals with casts of children between ages 8 and 19.

The eight performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

“The show places Annie, Daddy Warbucks and Annie’s mutt, Sandy, in New York City in the midst of the Depression. As an infant, Annie had been abandoned on the front steps of an orphanage with a note from her parents, promising to return for her someday. Life in the orphanage had been rough under the strict hand of Miss Hannigan, but Annie’s life was about to change. Billionaire Oliver Warbucks invites Annie to spend Christmas with him in his mansion, and together, they each discover new happiness. Warbucks soon decides he wants to adopt Annie, but when he learns about her dream of finding her parents and the secret of the half-locket she has treasured for so long, he sets his own feelings aside and orders an exhaustive search for Annie’s parents,” show producers wrote.

“Annie Jr.” features all of the same songs as the original Annie play, including: “Maybe,” “Hard-Knock Life,” “Little Girls,” “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here,” “N.Y.C.,” “Easy Street,” “You Won’t Be an Orphan for Long,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” “I Don’t Need Anything but You,” and “Tomorrow.”

“This is a great show for families to experience live theater. The script draws you into the world of Annie and her friends right from beginning to the end. The amazingly talented and energetic cast members are having such a good time, it’s hard not to jump up and join in the fun,” said Kathy Busby, the show’s director.

Tickets range from $12 to $14, and can be purchased at occt.org or at the door. Group discounts and special programs for birthdays and Girl Scouts are available.