Leapin’ Lizards! Englewood Middle School students will present “Annie Junior” at 7 p.m. on April 16 and April 17, in the school theater at 300 W. Chenango Ave., Englewood. Almost 60 kids are involved in the cast and crew, says director Melissa Shank , the new drama and choir director at the school.

Harold Gray’s resourceful little comic strip heroine, Orphan Annie, a 1930s Depression era kid, arrived on Broadway in 1977, winning three Tony Awards and running for five years. It was the idea of lyricist/director Martin Charnin, who persuaded composer Charles Strouse to create a score and writer Thomas Meehan to combine the years of comic strip stories into a workable script.

Many girls who like to sing and perform find this show an ideal stop on the way to grownup shows, with its full, lively score and strong storyline. Of course, there are parts for boys too, but the ensemble of orphans consists of girls, who belt out songs such as “Maybe” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life.”

In a nutshell: an 11 year old Orphan Annie (Ariel Cates) lives under the thumb of mean Miss Hannigan (Noelle Flores) at the Municipal Orphanage, longing for her parents to rescue her. “They left a note saying they’d return for me.”

She runs away, connects with a loner dog named Sandy (imagine him), and while on the street, sings “Tomorrow,” probably the best-known song from “Annie.” But alas, she is is escorted back to the orphanage by a policeman (Michael Arnsdorff).

In Miss Hannigan’s office, she encounters Grace (Kyrie Schroeder), the secretary to rich Oliver (Daddy) Warbucks (Trenton Christiansen), who wants to bring an orphan home for two weeks at Christmas. The request is for a girl with curly hair, Annie appears and goes home with Grace. “I Think I’m Gonna’ Like it Here” she sings.

Warbucks is charmed and adopts her, after offering a reward for information about her missing parents.

Hannigan, her shifty brother Rooster (Jarod Todeschi) and his lady friend Lily (Carly Sellaro) plot to get the reward and sing and dream of “Easy Street.”

But of course, all ends well!

This is the first musical Shanks has directed, and she’s loving it, she says. She came to Englewood from Castle Rock Middle School, which doesn’t do musicals. Although she is a classically-trained singer, she says she’s decided that directing is what she truly likes best, and it shows in her interaction with her kids. Proud of her multicultural cast, she pursues a trademark approach of minimal sets, costumes and props and an emphasis on acting and singing.

If you go:

“Annie Junior” will be presented at Englewood Middle School at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, in the school theater at 300 W. Chenango Ave., Englewood. Tickets cost $5, adults and $2, students. The show lasts about an hour.