Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Book by Herbert & Dorothy Fields
Annie Oakley is the best shot around, and she manages to support her little brother and sisters by selling the game she hunts. When she's discovered by Col. Buffalo Bill, he persuades this novel sharpshooter to join his Wild West Show. It only takes one glance for her to fall head over heels for dashing shooting ace Frank Butler, who headlines the show. She soon eclipses Butler as the main attraction which, while good for business, is bad for romance. Butler hightails it off to join a rival show, his bruised male ego leading the way, but is ultimately pitted against Annie in a final shoot-out. The rousing, sure-fire finale hits the mark every time in a testament to the power of female ingenuity.
Originally produced by Rodgers and Hammestein, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN starring Ethel Merman opened at the Imperal Theatre in New York City on May 16, 1946, and ran for 1,147 performances. The road company had Mary Martin as the star and the show ran four years in London. 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." NEXT SHOW >>
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