This week, the Torrance Youth Theater is presenting the musical “Annie,” beginning Thursday night through Saturday. As usual, I’ll be watching the show from the orchestra pit, playing keyboard, directing other musicians and kids, improvising music if a scene changes takes too long, and basically having a good time.

However, at tonight’s rehearsal, I discovered who has the easiest job in show business (I know it’s generous to call what we do “show business,” but anyway…). It’s the dog who plays the part of Sandy.

This dog has it made. All he (or she – I didn’t check) has to do is walk out on stage when Annie calls him, look cute, do that dog smile thing, sit down while she sings “Tomorrow,” and walk off stage with her. Then, he comes out in the next scene and just stands there for a while. Then, that’s it.

I think he may actually get to go home at that point; his family lives a few blocks away from the theater. Unless he comes back at the end for the curtain call, but again, he lives so close, there’s probably time to go home, maybe have a snack and a nap, and then have someone call his family during the last scene and bring him back to the theater so people can cheer wildly when he walks back out onto the stage.

Where can I get one of those dog jobs??