Annie Get Your Gun
Music & Lyrics: Irving Berlin
Book: Herbert & Dorothy Fields
Book: Herbert & Dorothy Fields
Directed by Todd Toles
Musical Director Judy O'Connor
The plot of Annie Get Your Gun concerns the spectacular career of sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her romance with Frank Butler, whom she ousts as the star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
When they first meet, Butler finds his position as Champion challenged by this young backwards girl whose shooting prowess is incredible. In a contest with Butler conceived as a publicity stunt for his act, Annie turns the tables on the star: she beats him and at the same time falls hopelessly in love with him. In order to be near him, Annie accepts a job as Frank’s assistant in the Wild West Show. Frank recognizes her talent and, in short, gives her a small spot in the show of her own.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Bill has discovered that his show is going broke because of competition from Pawnee Bill’s vastly popular Far East show. To bolster the show and recoup his losses, Buffalo Bill and his manager Charlie Davenport persuade Annie to do a sensational act which overshadows that of her partner and beloved. Frank leaves the show in a fury, and joins rival Pawnee Bill as his star attraction.
Annie is heartbroken but Sitting Bull, the famous Sioux Warrior, tries to console her by adopting her as his daughter and putting up the money to enable the show to continue. The European tour that follows results in a personal triumph for Annie, who returns to the United States with many valuable medals. The show, however, is in financial trouble and when Pawnee Bill invites Buffalo Bill’s troupe to a reception welcoming them home, they gladly accept and plan to suggest a merger of the two shows when they meet at the party. Pawnee Bill’s show is playing Madison Square Garden with apparent success, but actually he owes money and he too is anxious to combine the two shows.
When Annie and Frank meet again, they declare their love for each other and Frank presents Annie with his medals inscribed “to the sharpshooter of the world!” Annie cannot accept his superiority, and challenges him to a shooting match to decide the title once and for all, pitting her valuable medals against his modest three. Sitting Bull and Charlie are determined that she will lose the match and thus win Frank. They twist the sights on her guns and she misses each shot. Eventually Annie becomes aware of their scheme and, taking the first step towards reconciliation, concedes the match to him. Frank, realizing that Annie has thrown the match, swallows his own pride and offers Annie a partnership, with her as the star. Frank donates his ‘victory prize”, the medals, to the two Bills to financially start off the combined shows. Annie is happy at last having finally discovered that you can get a man with a gun!
The score, generally considered Berlin’s best, contains the song which has become the professional anthem of entertainment, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
When they first meet, Butler finds his position as Champion challenged by this young backwards girl whose shooting prowess is incredible. In a contest with Butler conceived as a publicity stunt for his act, Annie turns the tables on the star: she beats him and at the same time falls hopelessly in love with him. In order to be near him, Annie accepts a job as Frank’s assistant in the Wild West Show. Frank recognizes her talent and, in short, gives her a small spot in the show of her own.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Bill has discovered that his show is going broke because of competition from Pawnee Bill’s vastly popular Far East show. To bolster the show and recoup his losses, Buffalo Bill and his manager Charlie Davenport persuade Annie to do a sensational act which overshadows that of her partner and beloved. Frank leaves the show in a fury, and joins rival Pawnee Bill as his star attraction.
Annie is heartbroken but Sitting Bull, the famous Sioux Warrior, tries to console her by adopting her as his daughter and putting up the money to enable the show to continue. The European tour that follows results in a personal triumph for Annie, who returns to the United States with many valuable medals. The show, however, is in financial trouble and when Pawnee Bill invites Buffalo Bill’s troupe to a reception welcoming them home, they gladly accept and plan to suggest a merger of the two shows when they meet at the party. Pawnee Bill’s show is playing Madison Square Garden with apparent success, but actually he owes money and he too is anxious to combine the two shows.
When Annie and Frank meet again, they declare their love for each other and Frank presents Annie with his medals inscribed “to the sharpshooter of the world!” Annie cannot accept his superiority, and challenges him to a shooting match to decide the title once and for all, pitting her valuable medals against his modest three. Sitting Bull and Charlie are determined that she will lose the match and thus win Frank. They twist the sights on her guns and she misses each shot. Eventually Annie becomes aware of their scheme and, taking the first step towards reconciliation, concedes the match to him. Frank, realizing that Annie has thrown the match, swallows his own pride and offers Annie a partnership, with her as the star. Frank donates his ‘victory prize”, the medals, to the two Bills to financially start off the combined shows. Annie is happy at last having finally discovered that you can get a man with a gun!
The score, generally considered Berlin’s best, contains the song which has become the professional anthem of entertainment, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
