Want to be in "Annie"? That'll Cost You $30,000.

Despite having absolutely no acting or singing capabilities whatsoever, my friends and I probably would have done anything to be in Annie when we were kids.  Between the original stage musical and the two movie versions (I've been a fan since the 1982 movie, which I recently picked up on blu-ray), Annie was the show that turned us into the showtune-loving psychopaths that we are today.

Well, a 35th Anniversary revival of Annie is about to open on Broadway, and the Neiman Marcus holiday catalog - famous for ultra-expensive 'fantasy' gifts like jet packs, limited edition sports cars, and million dollar watches that only Daddy Warbucks himself could possibly afford, is offering a walk-on role at a performance of the show for the bargain basement price of only $30,000.  Leapin' Lizards, indeed!

To be fair, the price does include six tickets to the show for family and friends, as well as dinner with one of the producers (and who wouldn't want that?), and the proceeds will be donated to both the Pajama Program, which helps kids in need, and the Pedigree Foundation, which helps shelter dogs find homes.  So while $30,000 will get you a nice dinner and your Broadway debut while six of your closest family and friends are most likely laughing at you, you'll also be helping some real-life Annies and Sandys, and that's a good thing.  And it's still cheaper than the jet pack.

For the rest of us, Annie is currently in previews at the Palace Theatre on Broadway, and opens on November 7.  I'm quite looking forward to this, since I've actually never seen the stage version: