Starting next week, the Whidbey Playhouse will clear away the cobwebs and the sorrow with “Annie,” a Broadway classic full of nostalgia, wholesomeness, earworms and sass.

The musical debuts on Jan. 31 and is directed by father and daughter duo Matt and Shelbie Montoya. This is a special throwback for Shelbie, who played Annie when she was 11 — when the Playhouse last produced it 14 years ago. Even the props, rooms and rotating walls, she said, have remained the same.

Many, like Shelbie Montoya, might remember watching the different movie adaptations hundreds of times.

The story follows Annie, a high-spirited and kind girl who wants to leave the orphanage she lives in to find her parents. Her life changes when she is invited to spend Christmas at the mansion of a rich (and orphaned) man, Oliver Warbucks, who sees in Annie the daughter he never had.

Best friends Selah Rivera and Harper Horrobin agreed that Annie is one of the top dream roles for theatre kids.

The two Annies, who are respectively in eighth and fifth grade, take turns playing the titular character, alternating between shows.

One of the best things, the Annies agreed, was playing with Birdie, Shelbie Montoya’s collie who plays Annie’s dog Sandy.

This is Birdie’s first time on the stage. When she isn’t rehearsing, Birdie likes to play with her siblings and compete in confirmation dog shows, according to her bio.

Eric George, who plays con-artist Rooster Hannigan, said Birdy seems to love the attention she gets on stage.

“It’s nice to have a real dog and not a person playing a dog,” he laughed.

The orphanage is run by Rooster’s sister, Miss Hannigan, an exhausted woman who drinks away her sorrows and spends her nights listening to romance radio stations when she isn’t busy hating Annie and the other orphans.

“She’s the sad woman who desperately wishes she could have romance in her life but ends up instead the mother of 100 children and no man,” said Abby Thuet, who delivers a hilariously convincing performance.

When she was 8, Thuet played Molly, the youngest orphan in the bunch. She then grew up to see herself take on the villain role while her daughters Sunny and Lexi are among the loud and mischievous orphans who torment Miss Hannigan by simply being kids.

Liz Hendricks, who is usually the musical director for the kids’ shows, is also joined by her daughter, Julia, who plays Molly. Finally, Hendricks gets to act on stage, playing Oliver Warbuck’s secretary Grace Farrell.

Annie is a timeless tale of finding family and looking at the bright side of things, even when it’s a hard knock life.Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played by Steve DeHaven, takes inspiration from Annie’s spirit to launch the New Deal, pulling the country out of the Great Depression.

Community members of all ages are welcome to take a seat and cheer up.

The musical runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 23, with a 7:30 p.m. show on Fridays and Saturdays (except Feb. 9) and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. For tickets, call 360-679-2237 or visit whidbeyplayhouse.com.

(Photo by Luisa Loi) President Roosevelt (Steve DeHaven) meets Annie (Harper Horrobin), who is accompanied by Oliver Warbucks (David Gibson).

(Photo by Luisa Loi) The forever single Miss Hannigan (Abby Thuet) listens to a romance radio show.

(Photo by Luisa Loi) Running a loud orphanage and being single is driving Miss Hannigan (Abby Thuet) mad.

(Photo by Luisa Loi) Miss Hannigan (Abby Thuet) has a hard time accepting that Grace Farrell (Liz Hendrikcs) is inviting Annie (Selah Rivera) to spend Christmas at a millionaire’s mansion.

Photo by Luisa Loi Rooster Hannigan (Eric George) and Lily St. Regis (Dany Stahl) are up to no good.

(Photo by Luisa Loi) Sunny Thuet, Brooklyn Tesch, Samantha Howard, Julia Hendricks, Liv Phillips, Saoirse Burke, Lexi Thuet, Addie Horrobin and Layla Southern play the orphans.