After a day of lounging, walks, and pets, two rescue dogs make their way to a world-class theater with a shining marquee that reads “Annie.” In Atlanta, it’s The Fox Theatre. In Nashville, it’s the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The curtain rises in just an hour, so Addison and Georgie head in to rehearse and warm up before making their way to their private dressing room right before showtime.
That’s show business for this dynamic canine duo, who share the role as Sandy in the national touring production of the Broadway musical, “Annie,” currently on tour through May 2024. Addison, who began acting in 2017, steps into Sandy’s paws for a third time. Georgie, who understudies the role, is making his theatrical debut.
Rover spoke with Tony award-winning animal trainer, Bill Berloni, who adopted the two shelter dogs and prepared them for a life on the stage. He explains how he got into the business, a typical day for Addison and Georgie, and the real rags to riches story behind every animal he trains.
It All Started With Sandy
For Berloni, “Annie” is more than just a beloved musical—it’s the production that launched his career. As an aspiring young actor, apprenticing at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, Berloni recalls his life turning upside down when the producer of the then brand-new show asked him to find a dog who could play Annie’s canine sidekick.
“They offered me a part in one of the shows and my professional union card if I was up for the task,” he recalls. “Of course, at 19 years old, I said yes. Once the high wore off, I thought, ‘where am I going to get a dog?'” Determined to succeed, Berloni visited a local shelter and found Sandy in a shaggy-haired dog who was going to be put down the following day.
I decided that if I could provide Sandy with a loving home and treat him with respect, there might be a chance he would be willing to follow my lead.
“This was completely new for me, but I grew up with dogs on a farm, who were more family members than pets. I decided that if I could provide Sandy with a loving home and treat him with respect, there might be a chance he would be willing to follow my lead.”
Shortly after this regional production, Berloni and Sandy—the Airedale Terrier mix‘s name in real life, and in “Annie”—were asked to be part of the Broadway engagement, which opened in New York City in 1977. “The show became a phenomenon and I became a famous animal trainer at the age of twenty.”
After bonding with Sandy, Berloni decided to pursue animal training full time. He has since dedicated his life to training dogs and advocating for their safety in the entertainment industry. His organization, William Berloni Theatrical Animals, rescues animals of all kinds for media projects. His trained actor pets have appeared in Broadway productions such as “Oliver” to TV series like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and movies including “The Greatest Showman,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” and “While We’re Young.”
The Sun’ll Come Out
When Berloni first began training Sandy, he was faced with one very big question: How do you go about humanely asking a dog to do the same thing eight times a week?
“I thought about how dogs come running when they hear a certain drawer open because they associate it with food. If a dog is safe, secure, and positively reinforced, they can learn repetition and routine.”
Every dog Berloni casts is rescued.
“Healing them and providing a loving home is the first and most crucial step. Eventually, when they’re ready, we integrate travel and being around people. Then, we test things out with a small movie or commercial,” says the trainer, who works with a team of handlers. “If, along the way, a dog says ‘I don’t think so’, we respect that. It’s still a great dog that deserves a forever home, so in those rare instances, I work to re-home them with a fitting family. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s always for the benefit of the animal.”
Dogs that do take to the work, Berloni says, generally share these three essential traits:
- They are very food motivated
- They love being around people
- They are unbothered by busy, moving environments
“When you go into a shelter, there are dogs who are barking, dogs who are timid, and dogs who are just sort of hanging out. Shelters can be a stressful place, so I tend to feel that the dogs who are alright with noise and new people have a personality that best suits being on set or in a theater.”
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Taking the Show On the Road
Of the two dogs currently cast as Sandy, “Addison and Georgie are kind of opposite,” Berloni says. “Think Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett. Addison has the soulful ‘I’m a sweet lost dog’ look, while Georgie has this big, goofy personality. They both fit the character of Sandy so well and bring something different.”
But life on tour looks a little bit different than doing eight shows a week at the same playhouse.
Every night, the dogs return to their hotel with their handler and are surrounded by familiarity—their beds, favorite toys, and the same people.
Unlike your typical Broadway show, the cast and crew of a touring company travel all over the country to perform. “From the very beginning, it’s been about maintaining a sense of routine and consistency for the dogs,” he says. “When they aren’t at home, they have the same handler caring for them, and we use a customized van that’s built for comfort during travel days.”
“Annie” will make its way to cities from Cleveland to Sacramento, so it’s crucial to make each dog-friendly hotel feel like home. “Every night, Addison and Georgie are surrounded by familiarity—their beds, favorite toys, and the same people,” Berloni says. “The company of the show has become their pack. As long as there is consistency with the pack, they are adaptable and thrive.”
A Typical Tour Day for Addison and Georgie
When they aren’t performing, both dogs live on the Berloni family’s Connecticut farm. While on tour, they are under the loving care of a handler guardian who provides consistency, routine, and plenty of pets.
For Addison and Georgie, a typical day performing in “Annie” looks something like this:
- Morning: Rest, relax, and sleep in.
- Noon: Time to get the day started. Go for a walk and have breakfast.
- Midafternoon: Outside time, playtime, and a second nap.
- Late afternoon: Go for another walk around 4pm and begin to prepare for the night ahead.
- Early evening: Arrive at the theater one hour before showtime to warm up onstage with ‘Annie’.
- Showtime: The curtain rises! Both dogs are always at the theater at any given time. When Addison needs a break, Georgie will step into the role for a performance. They spend their time off-stage in a dressing room with dog beds and food and water bowls. “We’re one of the few entities contractually to have a private dressing room,” notes Berloni. “The dogs have a space where the door can be closed if need be and their room is filled with familiar belongings.”
- Post-Show: Dinnertime and a final walk. Head back to the hotel for bed.
“We’re really careful not to wipe them out before a show,” Berloni says. “A lot of rest during a tour is important. One of the things we work on at the very beginning is making the theater the best part of their day. They have real-life bonds with the cast members they work with and love going to the show to see their friends.”
When they aren’t performing, both dogs live on the Berloni family’s Connecticut farm with many other rescue pets and animal actors.
Ensuring Safety on Stages and Sets
Unlike human actors, performing animals have no union protecting their well-being. According to Berloni, an animal’s treatment is up to their caretaker. “One thing I’ve learned is that you have to advocate for the animal’s best interest. There isn’t going to be someone else that does it.”
Throughout Berloni’s career, this has looked like opting out of jobs where boundaries aren’t respected, selecting handlers who are dog lovers, and setting ground rules when working on a new project. These guidelines ensure that Addison, Georgie, and all of the animals he works with have a safe place to sleep at night, a comfortable place to rest during wait periods, and that they aren’t overworked.
If there isn’t a bond between animal and human, why would the animal listen or want to do this work?
He notes that in some cases, with larger projects, the American Humane Association also acts as a great resource for setting guidelines. “It’s a tremendous responsibility to make sure animals are happy both on-set and off-set, and that they have a good life as a result of doing this work,” Berloni says.
Helping the actors become trainers themselves is critical. “Not only do the actors working with the dogs need to understand our technique, but they have to be dog lovers too. If there isn’t a bond between animal and human, why would the animal listen or want to do this work?” Berloni adds that if the actors aren’t crying when saying farewell to the dogs at the end of an engagement, he hasn’t done his job.
The old saying goes “never work with children or animals,” but Berloni disagrees. “With kids, it’s often easier. They bond with dogs quickly and love to play. During ‘Annie,’ Georgie and Addison are happiest when they get to go to the theater and be loved by their cast and crew.”
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A Real Life Rags to Riches Tale
While Addison and Georgie are in their prime, when their acting careers come to an end, they have a pretty good life ahead. All of Berloni’s rescued pets reside on his family’s Connecticut farm, complete with plenty of land and a house that is specially designed for dogs.
Right now, there are 25 pets residing in this custom dog-tailored dwelling, as explored in the 2015 Discovery Channel documentary, “From Wags To Riches With Bill Berloni”.
Their forever home is here with us. They have a great life that doesn’t end with the work they do.
When Addison and Georgie aren’t touring, this is home; and when it’s time for retirement—due to medical needs, age, or mental wellbeing—full-time farm life awaits. “Their forever home is here with us,” says Berloni. “And they have a great life that doesn’t end with the work they do.”
For now, both Sandy dogs are content with their unique existence, finding new walking paths in every city, and visiting their favorite friends every night at the theater. Little do they know how instrumental they are in bringing the joy and wonder of the beloved production to audiences across the country.
“When you’re lucky enough to bond with these two, and the other dogs we work with, it’s something special,” says Berloni. “Working so closely with these animals, you experience unconditional love and trust. They teach you to live in the moment. Years later, I am continually, daily, being surprised by the wisdom of dogs.”
Catch Addison and Georgie in the national Broadway tour of “Annie,” now through May 2024 across North America.