Annie Get Your Gun

Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860-1926), who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.

Berlin had taken on the job after the original choice, Jerome Kern, collapsed and died suddenly. It is said that the showstopper song, "There's No Business Like Show Business", was almost left out of the show altogether because Berlin, wrongly, got the impression that the producers, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, did not like it. The original 1946 production was a hit and had long runs in both New York and London, spawning many revivals, a 1950 film version and television versions. Other songs that became hits include "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun," "They Say It's Wonderful," "Anything You Can Do."

Plot summary

When a traveling Wild West show visits her town, Annie Oakley enters a shooting contest, wins, and is asked to join the show. She has fallen in love with the star of the show, Frank Butler, and agrees to join, although she has no idea what "show business" is--she is informed with the classic song, "There's No Business Like Show Business". Over the course of the musical, Frank, although insisting that the girl he wants will "wear satin..and smell of cologne" ("The Girl That I Marry"), becomes enamoured of the tomboyish Annie. Unfortunately, his ego is bruised and he becomes jealous when Annie becomes a star, and he walks out on her.

After various complications, which keep Annie and Frank apart, they come together again, only to have one last shooting duel in the finale -- "Anything You Can Do". Annie deliberately loses to Frank to soothe his ego, and they go off together. (In the 1999 revival, the match ends in a tie.)


Characters

Annie Oakley -- a sharpshooter in the Wild West show
Frank Butler -- the Wild West show's star
Foster Wilson -- hotel owner
Chief Sitting Bull -- Sioux warrior; Annie's protector, but used by Pawnee Bill's competing show
Tommy Keeler -- knife-thrower in the Wild West show; Winnie's boyfriend; part Native American
Charlie Davenport -- manager of the Wild West show
Winnie Tate -- Dolly's sister; Tommy's girlfriend and his assistant in the knife-throwing act
Col. Wm. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) -- owner of the Wild West show
Dolly Tate -- Frank's assistant; Winnie's sister
Pawnee Bill -- owner of a competing western show
Nellie -- Annie's sister*
Jessie -- Annie's sister*
Little Jake -- Annie's brother*
Minnie -- Annie's sister (written out of the 1999 revival)
*In the 1999 revival, Annie had three siblings rather than four

Productions

1946 and 1947 productions
Annie Get Your Gun was first staged on Broadway at the Imperial Theater on May 16, 1946 and ran for 1,147 performances. Directed by Joshua Logan, Ethel Merman starred as Annie Oakley with Ray Middleton in the leading male role as Frank Butler. Foster Wilson was played by Art Barnett, Chief Sitting Bull was Harry Bellaver, Tommy Keeler was Kenneth Bowers, Charlie Davenport was Marty May, and Buffalo Bill Cody was William O'Neal.

The show opened on the West End at the Coliseum on June 7, 1947 and ran for 1,304 performances. Dolores Gray played Annie with Bill Johnson as Butler.

The first Australian production opened at His Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, on July 19, 1947. It starred Evie Hayes as Annie with Webb Tilton as Frank Butler. Later Australian productions have featured Gloria Dawn, Nancye Hayes, Toni Lamond, Bunny Gibson and Rhonda Burchmore as Annie.

Mary Martin starred as Annie Oakley in a U.S. national tour, which started on October 3, 1947 in Dallas, Texas. Other cities the touring company played were Chicago and Los Angeles. Martin left the tour in mid-1948. (New York Times, October 4, 1947 and April 26, 1948)


1963 recording and 1966 revival
There is a 1963 studio recording starring Doris Day and Robert Goulet.

The 1966 Broadway revival starred Ethel Merman reprising her role as "Annie", with Bruce Yarnell as "Frank Butler" and Jerry Orbach as "Charles Davenport". It opened first at the Music Theater of Lincoln Center. It was transferred to the Broadway Theatre on September 21 and ran for 78 performances.

This production was telecast in an abbreviated ninety-minute version by NBC on March 19, 1967 and is the only musical revived at Lincoln Center during the 1960s to be telecast.

source: www.wikipedia.com