Hazel Vogel, a 12-year-old Towson resident and Bryn Mawr student, will star in the touring production of the musical “Annie,” which performs at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre from Tuesday to Jan. 12.

It is the first time Vogel has performed in Baltimore since February 2023 when she played little Cosette in “Les Miserables.”

“It is pretty awesome because the Hippodrome is a place I grew up watching people perform, so it’s cool to actually be on that stage and also for all of my friends at home to come see me … and to be in my own bed [at night],” Vogel said.

During New York City’s leg of the “Annie” tour that ran from Dec. 11 through Jan. 5, Vogel performed with star Whoopi Goldberg, who played the role as Ms. Hannigan. Goldberg is not part of the Hippodrome production but has had a lasting impression on Vogel.

“It was very very cool meeting Whoopi,” Vogel said. “She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She is actually so nice and very comedic, and I love her as Miss Hannigan.”

Vogel meets the demands of balancing life on the stage and being a student at Bryn Mawr, which has a competitive academic curriculum. The school works with Vogel to ensure she is able to meet all necessary academic requirements while also being able to perform.

“School is definitely a little bit harder, but we have a pretty organized way of doing it,” Vogel said. “I only do the most important subjects such as math, science, English, history and Spanish because my school considers the show as [physical education] and music, art and all that. I have a document where all of my teachers put links and documents that explain what all the kids have done that week.”

Vogel says she will be “right on track” when she goes back for the last few weeks of school.

“Annie” at the Hippodrome is directed by Jenn Thompson, who at the age of 10 stepped into the role of Pepper in the original Broadway production, choreographed by Patricia Wilcox. The show remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits ever; it has been performed in 28 languages and has been running somewhere around the world for 45 years.

“This show, with its iconic title character, continues to delight generations of theatre-lovers old and new by joyfully singing directly into the face of great adversity with perseverance, guts and guile,” Thompson said in a statement. “For decades, Annie has continued to shine brightly, not only as an appeal to our better angels, but also as an example of the thrill of hope, hard-won: promising a better ‘Tomorrow’ not only for Annie herself, but for all who need her message now more than ever.”

For Vogel, it’s another step toward performing in “NYC” — just like the song.

“My long-term goal is to be on Broadway,” Vogel said. “My dream role … I don’t know if I have a dream role, but I would like to originate a role and do something that has never been done before in a new Broadway show.”

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