The sun’ll come out! TOMORROW! Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow— there’ll be— well, in Maryland, it could be sun, could be snow, could be 92° with a hailstorm because this is the state where the weather changes on a dime and without much sense or warning. But Towson native Hazel Vogel, currently starring in the titular role of Annie knows all about Maryland weather. And she’s hoping to bring the sunshine with her when the National Tour of Annie returns to her home state for the first full week in January of 2025. We had a quick minute to snag a phone chat with Miss Hazel, having previously had the honor of speaking with her in person when she was performing in Oliver! at Tidewater Players (May 2024) to talk all about being Annie and just how much fun she’s having with the show! 

Thank you so much for joining us on the phone today, Hazel! Did you have a good holiday?

Hazel Vogel: Hi! You’re welcome! And yes I did! Did you?

I did, thank you. It was very busy! And thank you again for giving me some of your time today, I know you are also very busy. The last time we did this I got to sit down with you and see you, but I think you’re not in Maryland right now, isn’t that right? 

Hazel: That’s right. I’m in New York and I am keeping busy!

That’s so cool. Now you’ve done at least one other since I saw you in Oliver! Remind me what you did?

Hazel: I was in Newsies and that was Stages St. Louis. 

That sounds like so much fun, I’m sorry I missed that one. I’ve never been to Missouri. So how excited are you to be playing the title role of Annie in Annie?

Hazel: Very, very, VERY excited!

Awesome. How many cities have you guys been in so far?

Hazel: Well, let me break it down for you. We did rehearsals in New York for about a month. Then we went to Baltimore and did tech-week at The Hippodrome. Then we went to Chicago for three weeks. And now we’re in New York and we’ve been here for three and a half weeks and I think we have two more weeks and then we’re going back to Baltimore!

Let me tell you how excited me and every other person in this state is that you’re coming home and bringing the tour with you! That’s going to be so fantastic and I cannot wait to see you! I actually have a special greeting from the cast of Oliver! they said “seasons greetings, happy holidays!” and they miss you so much and cannot wait to see you once you come back here!

Hazel: Oh that’s so sweet! Thank you! 

What’s it like getting to be Annie?

Hazel: It’s very, very, very cool. Annie is the biggest role I’ve ever done, obviously. It’s definitely tiring but it’s really fun. It’s different. For instance, when I was on tour in Les Mis two years ago, I wasn’t in much of the show. So I only really connected on stage and backstage with a few of the actors, and then the rest of the time it was on travel days or at the hotel. But I feel like with this show, I get to really make more friends with the adult actors and have more fun backstage because I’m back there more than just sitting in my dressing room like I was in Les Mis.

Why did you want to go out and audition for Annie? Is it special for you in some way? Had you maybe seen it before or grew up with it? What made you want to do it?

Hazel: I had actually never seen the musical of Annie, I had only seen the movie. My first ever professional audition was for Annie, two years ago. I auditioned for Molly because I was much younger. Obviously I didn’t get it. But then my agent gave us the audition info for this year and I said, “you know what? Let’s do it.” And now we’re here! 

That is so cool! What’s your favorite song in the show?

Hazel: My favorite song is probably “Easy Street.”

What? Wow! Annie’s not even in that one! 

Hazel: I know!

Why do you like that one so much?

Hazel: I think it’s just really fun to sing. Backstage in the wings, I do a lot of dances to the songs that I’m not in, like “Easy Street” and “Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.” I do all the choreography that they’re doing on stage, but a little bit different, a little more fun, backstage. And “Easy Street” is my favorite one. And “Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” is also really fun, I love that one too. 

I also love that one, it’s a great, catchy song. Do you have a favorite moment when you’re on stage as Annie that you love more than any other moment?

Hazel: I definitely love doing “Tomorrow” just because I love the song and the feeling of it. But I like doing “Hard Knock Life” on stage. That one is fun because I like the dancing in that one. 

That one is a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to seeing that one. I actually really love Annie, because I was in Annie a long, long, long time ago, way back in middle school. 

Hazel: Oh wow. That is so cool!

Thank you. I loved doing it. It’s very special to me. Now, I know you’re working with Ms. Whoopi Goldberg while you’re up in New York and then you have a different Miss Hannigan when you’re out on the road, can you tell us what it’s been like having two different Miss Hannigans?

Hazel: It’s actually cool. They’re both really amazing. They both make Miss Hannigan their own in a way that nobody else could. They’re really good at it. It’s really cool to see how they have all these different choices and yet it still brings the same character to life the way it’s supposed to. I love working with Whoopi Goldberg and I can’t wait to start working with the other Miss Hannigan, but I’m really going to miss working with Whoopi too. 

That is really cool. I’m so excited for you! How are you and Annie a little similar and how are you a little different?

Hazel: I feel like we’re both similar because we’re both a little spunky. And we both like to play around with things and play around with people. But I also think we’re different because she’s a little more optimistic than I am. I think I’m a little more grounded, I don’t think I’m as optimistic as Annie but we’re pretty similar. I think that’s what makes it easy for me to bring this character to life because we have a lot of similarities.

I love hearing that. Now, do you like Annie, have a dog?

Hazel: I do not! BUT! But! I’m working on convincing my parents. I’m trying. 

Oh my! And how’s that working out for you so far?

Hazel: Well I don’t know…I don’t have a dog yet so…

Oh goodness. Well I hope that works out for you however it is that you want it to work out. I have five cats at home, so this is definitely not a dog-household. Do they have just one dog playing Sandy on tour with you or is a couple different dogs?

Hazel: In rehearsals there were three dogs. One of them was getting used to the working environment because she’s a baby. So she was getting used to being around all of the set pieces and all of the people. On tour with us there are only two dogs. There’s Kevin, he’s seven years old and he is the main Sandy. And then there’s Cooper, who is the understudy, he’s three years old. He has not gone on yet for Sandy. He has a lot of puppy energy, he’s very energetic and he’s still learning. 

I think that’s great that you have a couple different dogs to work with. Now when you grow up, physically-age-wise, because you’re already quite mature for a performer your age, but when you’re an adult, if you could be any adult character in Annie who would you want to be?

Hazel: Probably Lily St. Regis or Miss Hannigan. I feel like Lily St. Regis is really fun. I love saying all her lines backstage and I like her accent, that really high-pitched New York accent. And also I feel like it would just be really fun to play Miss Hannigan because you can play around with her so much and do different things with her every single night and really have fun with her. So I think those two, if I got to pick. 

Awesome. What has been your biggest challenge of being on the road this time? I know you said it’s a little different than when you were on the road for Les Mis because you’re doing so much more in this show, but what would you say has been your biggest challenge so far? 

Hazel: Probably keeping my voice safe. Annie is a hard show and it’s really hard on my voice. I’ve been pretty good about it but there are so many things I have to do to keep my voice safe. I have to take time out of my day to do that and it’s definitely hard to balance everything. Balancing that and balancing school and balancing taking care of my body and all of these other things, traveling and packing, and still trying to have fun— it’s definitely hard, but it’s still pretty good and still lots of fun. 

I’m glad to hear that. We are definitely excited to have you back in Baltimore in a few weeks’ time— 

Hazel: OH YEAH!!!

Haha! I love it! Sounds like you’re as excited to come home as we are to have you home! What would you like to say to all of your friends and family back here at home as to why they should come out and see Annie when it comes to The Hippodrome?

Hazel: I think that they should come see Annie because it’s a really amazing show. We have a wonderful cast and it gives you a good message. Always be optimistic when thinking about the future. Annie’s gone through all of these hard times and all of this difficult stuff and she still keeps thinking about tomorrow. The sun will come out tomorrow!

Oh my gosh, yes. Let’s hope the sun comes out! It’s been so cold here— no snow yet, though! 

Hazel: It’s cold here too! 

New York must be freezing. Have you guys had any snow?

Hazel: A few days of a little bit of snow, but nothing that’s really been sticking. Not yet anyway.

Well that’s good. Let’s keep it that way! What has been your favorite thing about being on tour so far?

Hazel: The cast. It’s a really, really nice and sweet and caring cast. It’s a really good group of kids and a really good group of parents so I’m very grateful for that. The whole thing is so great!

Now, Hazel, you may remember this question from when we did our interview with Oliver! but if you had to sum up your experience with Annie so far, using only one word, which word would you use?

Hazel: I think either Colton (Colton Roberts, Oliver in Oliver! opposite Hazel Vogel as Oliver u/s) or I said this last time when we were being interviewed for Oliver! but I’m going to say it again— Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! 

Pretty sure that was Colton. He says that every time he’s interviewed. I think he really wants somebody to do Mary Poppins. 

Hazel: I love it because it can mean anything! 

You are very right and I think it’s the perfect word for this because it aligns so very much with all that optimism that you said Annie has.

Hazel: Yes! Thank you, Colton, for that word! 

He will be thrilled! And we’re all thrilled that you’re coming back to Baltimore! See you very soon and thank you so much again!

Hazel: Thank you too! Have a good New Year!

Annie plays Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre from January 7th 2025 through January 12th 2025 on the Main Stage of The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center— 12 N. Eutaw Street in Baltimore’s Bromo Arts District. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 410-837-7400 or purchasing them in advance online.