Continuing the “tradition” of Hollywood performers heading to the theater stage, whether for thespian cred, broaden their range, or some other reason, comedian Wanda Sykes will be taking on an unexpected challenge, playing the orphanage matron Miss Hannigan, in a revival of the musical Annie – although, unlike some of her predecessors, it won’t be for Broadway.

Instead, it’ll be at the Media Theater in Philadelphia, where Sykes will appear in the show, which debuts this fall, from November 23rd thru December 12, and again from January 12th thru the 16th.

Well, it’s not that far away from the bright lights of Broadway, so maybe it’s only a matter of time before Sykes makes that next logical leap???

This will be her initial foray into that artistic realm. By the way, for those unfamiliar with the musical, the Miss Hannigan role is quite juicy, so she’ll get lots of stage time. Simply put, Miss Hannigan is like the Nurse Ratched of the orphanage. It’s thanks to her that the children sing the famous It’s The Hard Knock Life song.

Good luck to Ms Sykes!