Character guide
Rooster
from Annie
Rooster Hannigan is the con-artist brother of Miss Hannigan in Annie, a slick schemer who shows up looking for an easy payday.
- Show
- Annie
- Premiered
- 1977
- Role
- Supporting
- Composer
- Charles Strouse
Who is Rooster?
Rooster is Miss Hannigan's younger brother, a fast-talking hustler who breezes into the orphanage with his girlfriend Lily once he learns there might be money to be made off Annie's situation. He is charming on the surface and opportunistic underneath, always looking for the next scheme.
His arrival raises the stakes for Annie, since he and Hannigan cook up a plot to impersonate Annie's parents and claim the reward Warbucks has offered for finding her real family.
Rooster's role in Annie
Rooster is a supporting character who injects energy, comedy, and a real sense of threat into the second half of the show. The role rewards a performer who can be smooth and funny while still feeling genuinely untrustworthy, since Rooster's scheming becomes a central obstacle standing between Annie and a happy ending.
He typically shares stage time with Hannigan and Lily, and the trio's chemistry as bumbling but dangerous conspirators is a highlight for many productions.
Frequently asked
What show is Rooster from?
Rooster is a character in Annie, the 1977 musical with music by Charles Strouse.
Is Rooster a lead or supporting role?
Rooster is a supporting role, part of the scheming trio alongside Miss Hannigan and Lily.
How is Rooster related to Miss Hannigan?
Rooster is Miss Hannigan's brother.
Think you can name today's mystery character in eight guesses?
Play today's THEATERLE