Arf! The Great White Way has a new top dog.
Sunny, an adorable beige shelter mutt, will play Sandy in the fall revival of “Annie,” beginning previews at the Palace Theatre on Oct. 3.
Renowned animal trainer William Berloni introduced Broadway’s tail-wagging new star on the “Today” show on Thursday morning.
“The search for Sandy started last December and endhe ed in March when we found Sunny,” Berloni told the Daily News.
Sunny, a 2-year-old female, arrived in New York from an animal shelter in Houston. The details of the adoption are dramatic stuff.
The show had narrowed the role of Sandy down to three canine candidates, but producer Arielle Tepper decided she wanted a fourth.
Another round of online searches were done in a number of cities — Indiana, Nashville and Houston, among them.
“Sunny was a stray,” says Berloni, who is director of animal behavior for the Humane Society of New York.
When she was spotted by the “Annie” crew, Sunny was in rather rough shape with an abrasion on a leg and, says, Berloni, “only 48 hours to live” in the kill shelter.
Berloni recalls what Tepper said to him she saw the dog’s photo online: “Save her.”
One of the Berloni’s former colleagues based in Houston transported the dog to New York four months ago.
James Lapine, the revival’s director, made the ultimate choice of Sunny based on looks, temperament and other special skills.
Berloni, a special Tony winner in 2011, began his career some 35 years ago as an animal trainer for the original production of “Annie,” which ran 2,377 performances on Broadway.
Expect all of the show’s hit songs by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin — “Maybe,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street” and, of course, “Tomorrow.”
“This show will also be a little different,” says Berloni, adding that “James said, ‘I want the dog to dance.'”
Sunny’s athleticism and comfort with walking on her back legs landed her a starring role.
The quest to cast Sandy is covered in the NBC documentary “Annie’s Search for Sandy” airing on Oct. 27.
On Aug. 1, Berloni and Sunny, along with her understudy, Casey, adopted from a shelter near Nashville, will move into an apartment on the upper West Side to begin the rigorous training.
About the same time, the rest of the cast, which includes Lilla Crawford as Annie, two-time Tony winner Katie Finneran as the nasty Miss Hannigan and Australian star Anthony Warlow as Daddy Warbucks, will begin their own rehearsals.
Every dog has his day. And while Sunny’s story is unique, it has something in common with every other pooch who played Sandy on Broadway. All were shelter pups.
To support animal adoption and to help hounds have a less hard-knock life, Pedigree, the dog-food company, has teamed with “Annie.”
For each ticket to the show sold through the end of next year, Pedigree will donate $2, up to $1 million for a fund dedicated to helping dogs find homes.
jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com
