Rescued for a life of fame

It wasn’t easy to find the perfect dog to play Sandy, the friendly stray in the new national tour of the Broadway musical “Annie.”

For weeks, animal trainer William Berloni of William Berloni Theatrical Animals had searched rescue websites across the nation before spotting a terrier mix named Sunny at the BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions in Houston. But the abandoned pup had 24 hours before her time at the shelter would end.

From the moment he laid eyes on the mutt two years ago, Berloni knew he had found a star. Her soulful eyes, he said, were reminiscent of the Sandy from the original Broadway production.

He adopted her without hesitation.

And he did the same for Macy, a stray whom he adopted after traveling over 1,500 miles from his home in Connecticut to no-kill shelter RockySpot Rescue of Oklahoma City.

The Tony Award-winning star trainer will bring both rescued animals to the musical’s run Wednesday through May 24 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts so they may share the spotlight during the new incarnation of “Annie,” directed by the show’s original lyricist and director Martin Charnin.

It’s not the first time Sunny and Macy have appeared onstage.

Sunny starred in the recent “Annie” revival and Macy starred in her first production of “Annie” in the summer of 2010.

To fill the role, Berloni observed each dog’s attitude toward people and other animals, looking for a temperament, he said, that’s a combination of inherited and acquired physical traits that influence the dog’s behavior.

“You can gauge pretty quickly at an animal shelter if the chances are a dog will be in good shape,” said Berloni, who called from New York City. “They need an ability to handle stress, have an outgoing personality and low threshold for aggression.”

To prepare for the show, Berloni said actress Issie Swickle, a 9-year-old playing the title role of Annie, spent a rigorous week of dog training in order to learn how to signal cues to the animal. He said he trains his dogs with positive reinforcement and doesn’t force them to do things; rather he motivates them with food. And rarely does one make a mistake.

“Nobody believed a dog could do the same thing each night in live theater,” Berloni said. “If a dog misses a cue, you can’t do that again, but when dogs are comfortable, there aren’t accidents.”

His love for animals began at age 2 when his mother asked him if he wanted a sibling. He said he wanted a dog; she bought him a collie.

While growing up on a farm, he clung to his animals as friends.

After graduating from high school, Berloni, an aspiring actor, interned as a technical apprentice in 1976 at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. During his second season there, the theater was hosting its first production of “Annie.” The management couldn’t afford to pay a professional dog trainer and the producer offered Berloni an actors’ Equity Card if he could find a dog and train Little Orphan Annie’s best friend for free.

The acting career didn’t pan out, but at age 20, Berloni’s name as an animal trainer circulated when “Annie” moved to Broadway a year later, and Sandy played numerous performances during the lengthy run.

He promised himself that if he trained a dog, it would be from a rescue.

“They’ll perform until they’re arthritic,” said Berloni, whose credits include “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The Producers,” and “Hope Springs.” “They become depressed when they have to sit around.”

Retired dogs remain at his 90-acre farm in Connecticut he shares with his wife and daughter. They have 30 dogs who moved on from show business.

The family will star in a new reality TV series “From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni,” premiering in August on the Discovery Family Channel.

Berloni also is affiliated with the Humane Society of New York, for which his Sandy Fund has raised tens of thousands of dollars. He still finds his casting entirely in animal shelters and stressed that others should consider pet adoption, since they may be so lucky as to find a well-conditioned dog before he does.

“Annie” has a special place in his heart, not only because it provided him 37 years of continuous employment, but because of its inspiring storyline that showcases the friendship of a faithful canine companion.

He said each time he watches a production, his favorite scene is when Sandy searches for Annie, the only person who loves him.

“Its simplicity still brings a tear to me,” Berloni said.

The Tony Award-winning musical, which ran for 2,377 performances after it first opened in 1977 at the Alvin Theatre, went on to win seven Drama Desk Awards, a Grammy for Best Cast Show Album and has been performed in 28 languages.

“Annie is the greatest American musical because it has not stopped being produced,” Berloni said. “It’s because it’s a message of hope and optimism.”

When: May 13 to May 24: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; and 1 p.m. performance Thursday, May 14

Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

Cost: Tickets start at $29

Information: (714) 556-2787 or visit scfta.org