Cincinnati Black Theatre Company's highly anticipated summer production of "Hard Knock Life" is a dance musical adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical "Annie," which was originally based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip, "Little Orphan Annie."

"Annie" is an uplifting tale about an orphan girl who believes her parents left her at the orphanage by mistake. The all-girl orphanage is managed by tyrannical keeper Miss Hannigan, who subjects the girls to strenuous manual labor. Annie eventually escape the orphanage to seek her parents. The song "It's the Hard Knock Life" is among the show's most popular musical numbers.

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company's "Hard Knock Life" dances through the dreams of orphans, as they face a demanding Miss Hannigan who cannot overcome her distaste of all these orphans who don’t know how good they have it!

The original Broadway production of "Annie" opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years. "Annie" has also been adapted into a book and several feature films, including a remake in 2014 starring Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhané Wallis. Cincinnati Black Theatre Company will showcase Greater Cincinnati’s talented youth as they present this dance musical.

"Hard Knock Life" opens June 14 at Mt. Healthy Jr./Sr. High School. For tickets and more information, please visit ArtsWave Guide.