Andrea McArdle
The original Broadway Annie, whose clear, bell-like voice launched a thousand 'Tomorrow's and defined the plucky orphan for a generation.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American singer and actress·Birthday: November 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Andrea McArdle became a theatrical sensation almost overnight, a Philadelphia teenager who landed the role of a lifetime and stamped it with an indelible, optimistic sound. At just 13, after minor TV work and understudy roles, she was cast as the lead in the new musical 'Annie,' based on the beloved comic strip. When the original Annie was replaced during previews, McArdle stepped in, and her performance—a perfect blend of streetwise toughness and vulnerable, soaring hope—catapulted the show into a phenomenon. Her rendition of 'Tomorrow' became an anthem, earning her a Tony Award nomination and making her the youngest performer ever nominated for Best Actress in a Musical at the time. The sudden fame was a whirlwind, leading to TV specials and recordings, but the shadow of the red-haired orphan proved long. McArdle navigated a career that, while steady in theatre and concerts, was forever linked to that initial, explosive success. She has returned to the stage consistently, embracing her place in Broadway history as the girl who first convinced audiences that the sun would come out tomorrow.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Andrea was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrea Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Andrea's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Originated the title role in the Broadway musical 'Annie' in 1977, creating the definitive performance of the character.
- Became the youngest performer ever nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical at age 13.
- Performed at the White House for President Jimmy Carter and appeared on numerous national television specials following her success in 'Annie.'
- Maintained a long-term career in theatre, starring in subsequent Broadway and touring productions like 'Starlight Express' and 'Les Misérables.'
Did You Know?
She was a contestant on the 1970s TV talent show 'The Gong Show' as part of a singing trio with her sisters.
McArdle was the understudy for the role of Annie before being promoted to the lead during the show's pre-Broadway tryout.
She provided the singing voice for the title character in the 1978 animated film 'Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure.'
Her mother was a secretary and her father was a police officer in Philadelphia.
“The sun'll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun.”
