LIFE AFTER TOMORROW

DOCUMENTARY, US, 2005, 73 minutes

Directors/Producers: Julie Stevens, Gil Cates Jr.
Featuring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith

Thousands of young girls got their start in show business during the original five-year run of the hit musical ANNIE, among them Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Ringwald and MSNBC anchor Dara Brown. When the curtain bowed in 1983 after 2,377 performances, many a career had been launched. But for others the reality of life after such a dazzling burst of fame was hard to reconcile. In 2000, former ANNIE orphan Julie Stevens launched annieorphans.com, hoping to reconnect with some of her fellow castmembers. The site became the premiere site for fans worldwide, and helped create a sisterhood of young women who appeared in the show. Over 40 of these women make up the core of this film, and in highly personal interviews talk about life behind the scenes of a Broadway hit -- how it affected their childhoods, their families, and their lives “after tomorrow,” a reference to the show’s signature song. Though part cautionary tale for those dreaming of a life in the theatre, there’s no denying the vicarious thrill of watching a group of thirty-somethings sing and dance their way through “A Hard Knock Life” like it was yesterday. (Ruth Cowing)

Julie Stevens combined her love of acting with a Master’s Degree in Education. She has been a teaching artist for many theatre companies and schools, and an on set studio teacher for professional children. Her voiceover credits include My Little Pony and Cheer Bear. Currently, her singing voice can be heard as Barbie in the animated feature film, THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER.