Wireless Mics and Projection for Annie JR.
Show guide · JR. · 14 principals plus orphans and ensemble · Reviewed by Stage Gear staff, October 2026
Short answer: plan on 16 channels. Body mics for Annie, Miss Hannigan, Warbucks, Grace, Rooster, Lily, Sandy, the six orphans and Drake, plus 2 spares. On 12 channels, mic the leads and two or three featured orphans and cover the rest with area mics.
Stage Gear supplies wireless mics, rentals and projection to school and community theatres across the U.S. Our staff work in theatre; this guide is how we'd mic Annie JR.
Who gets a mic
We counted roles that sing solos or carry lines over music: Annie, Miss Hannigan, Warbucks, Grace, Rooster, Lily, Sandy (in Annie JR. the dog is played by a person and sings), the six named orphans (Molly, Pepper, Duffy, July, Tessie, Kate) and Drake. That is 14 body mics plus 2 spares, for 16 channels.
Borderline: the orphans. They mostly sing and move as a group, so on a 12–14 channel budget give packs to the two or three orphans your director gives the most lines and cover the rest with area mics. Mrs. Greer, Mrs. Pugh, Louis Howe, Bundles, the apple seller and the dogcatcher have short scenes that area mics usually handle. We have not shared packs in this plot; check your blocking before pairing any two roles.
Bigger budget: add packs for Mrs. Greer, Mrs. Pugh, Louis Howe and Bundles, for about 20 channels. Coordinate frequencies with us before you go past 16.
Mic plot
| Ch | Role | Mic | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel 1 | Annie | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Young lead in a wig; run mic under wig line. |
| Channel 2 | Miss Hannigan | Hairline, beige | Big comic solos; mount under the wig. |
| Channel 3 | Warbucks | Earset, beige | Bald look leaves no hairline to hide a mic. |
| Channel 4 | Grace Farrell | Hairline, beige | Sings and carries much of the mansion dialogue. |
| Channel 5 | Rooster | Hairline, beige | Dance-heavy "Easy Street"; often in a hat. |
| Channel 6 | Lily | Hairline, beige | Dance-heavy "Easy Street"; secure under wig or hairpiece. |
| Channel 7 | Sandy | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Singing dog; mic under the costume hood, clear of ears. |
| Channel 8 | Molly | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan with featured lines; small head. |
| Channel 9 | Pepper | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan with featured lines; small head. |
| Channel 10 | Duffy | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan; very active in "Hard Knock Life". |
| Channel 11 | July | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan; area mic instead on a 12-channel budget. |
| Channel 12 | Tessie | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan; area mic instead on a 12-channel budget. |
| Channel 13 | Kate | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan; area mic instead on a 12-channel budget. |
| Channel 14 | Drake | Hairline, beige | Butler; leads the servants at the mansion. |
| Channel 15 | Spare | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Orphan-size spare; small-child mics fail most often. |
| Channel 16 | Spare | Hairline, brown | Adult-size spare in a darker tone. |
Every Bodymic is wired for one transmitter family: Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, MiPro or Creative Audio. Build your Bodymics to match the packs you own. Cast Pack: every 4 Bodymics of the same style and capsule size earn a 5th free. This plot is a starting point; change any row to suit your cast.
The ensemble
Servants, pedestrians and tourists are group roles. Cover them with 3–5 area or choir mics along the stage edge and stage group verses downstage where you can, especially in "NYC". If an ensemble member gets a solo line, a spare body mic or a handheld on a stand is simpler than adding a channel.
Show notes from our team
- "It's the Hard Knock Life". Orphans scrub, mop and stomp through this number. Use mic belts, tape elements firmly, keep any real water or buckets away from packs, and check every orphan mic right after the number.
- Sandy is a person who sings. MTI notes Sandy is played by a human and has to sing. Fit the mic before the hood or ears go on and keep the element clear of any fabric that rubs.
- Warbucks's bald look. A bald cap or shaved look leaves nowhere to hide a hairline mic. Use a skin-tone earset, or tuck a hairline element under the bald cap's edge at the temple.
- Small heads and wigs. Annie's wig and the orphans' small heads call for 3 mm hairline mics. Fit them at the first wig fitting and keep a spare pre-wired for an orphan.
Projection
Annie JR. moves between the orphanage, New York City streets and the Warbucks mansion, and the "NYC" sequence especially benefits from a projected skyline. Most school auditoriums need 7,000–10,000 lumens with the right lens; smaller black boxes and cafetoriums need less.
Our sister company Broadway Media makes Scenic Projections for Annie JR. Not sure which projector? Read Stage Projectors for Digital Scenery.
Rent it for the run, or own it
| What you get | Next step | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the show | A 16-channel wireless rental, Monday to Monday around tech week. Tested before it ships, return labels in every case. | See rental systems |
| Own it | Creative Audio Show-Ready, 16 channels: receivers, bodypacks and antennas racked, programmed and tested. $ 11,190.38. | See the system |
| Mics for the packs you have | Bodymics for the whole cast: hairline from $79, earsets and headsets from $99. | Build your Bodymics |
Buying for a school? U.S. public schools can pay by purchase order. How school ordering works.
Common questions
- How many wireless mics does Annie JR. need?
- Plan on 16 channels: body mics for Annie, Miss Hannigan, Warbucks, Grace, Rooster, Lily, Sandy, the six orphans and Drake, plus 2 spares. On 12 channels, mic the leads and two or three featured orphans and cover the rest with area mics.
- Do all six orphans need body mics?
- Ideally yes, because they carry the opening scenes. If budget is tight, mic the two or three orphans with the most lines and put the rest on area mics at the stage edge; they mostly sing as a group.
- Does Sandy need a mic in Annie JR.?
- Usually, yes. In Annie JR. Sandy is played by a person and has to sing, so plan a body mic fitted under the costume hood and tested with the full costume on.
- Can we rent mics just for our show week?
- Yes. Stage Gear rentals run Monday to Monday around tech week, so you have mics for rehearsals and every performance. Systems arrive tested with return labels included, and school purchase orders are welcome.
Doing Annie JR. this year?
Get mic tips for your show and a reminder before rental season books up.
Stage Gear is not a show licensor. Annie JR. is licensed through Music Theatre International (MTI); production rights come from them. Stage Gear sells and rents the equipment. See you on stage!
