Corrie Miller stars as the irrepressible Annie Oakley in Boiler Room Theatre's 11th season opening production of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, running February 11 through March 12 in Franklin.
"Annie Get Your Gun is about as classic as a musical gets. It contains some of themost familiar songs in musical theatre history," said BRT's Jamey Green, who pulls double duty as director and musical director of the time-honored classic musical.
"Annie Oakley is one of the most beloved musical theatre characters as well as one of the true great American characters. Of course the musical does play with historical facts a bit, but certainly the feel for the period of time certainly comes through. There's a wonderful balance in the music between authentic rural American foot-stomping Western and sophisticated Broadway."
The classic musical was revived on Broadway in 1999, complete with a revised libretto by Tony Award and Oscar winner Peter Stone. Newsday callEd Stone's revisions "sweetly ingenious, and the show is a dream." Stone reshaped the1946 book to create a Wild West show-within-a-show that frames the ageless love story of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. The book was updated in ways that pass the political correctness test.
With a memorable Berlin score that includes songs that have become standards of American pop music (including "Doin' What Comes Naturally," "The Girl That I Marry," "Old-Fashioned Wedding," "Moonshine Lullaby" and "There's No Business Like Show Business"), Annie Get Your Gun will always be a musical for the ages and one of the Broadway theatre's most enduring triumphs. The original book was written by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields.
"The 1999 revival version we are doing is noted for being more 'p.c.' than the original. But what I really like about this version is that it was nicely streamlined, focusing on the love stories without losing any of the feel or scope of the time period," Green explains. "The new vocal arrangements are sensational, very jazzy. It's great fun. Nothing too deep. And of course, BRT has specialized, since it began, in shows about putting on a show and this is one of the very best."
Annie Get Your Gun stars Nashville theater veteran Corrie Miller in the title role. Previously, she's played an array of roles at BRT, including the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Betty Rogers in The Will Rogers Follies, Sister Robert Anne in Nunsense and Luisa Contini in Nine. Playing opposite Miller, in the role of Frank Butler, is Matt Baugher.
Also featured in the cast are David Arnold, Annette Delatorre, Ara Vito, Brandon McCabe, Marc Mazzone, Phil Perry, Fred Mullen, Joe Levitt, Lindsay Terrizzi Hess, Dan Ziegler, Laura Amond, Will Sevier, Melissa Silengo, Bryce Conner, Cat Arnold, Scott Stewart, Erica Cantrell and Lucas Phillips.
Performances will be held on Tuesday, Thursday (March 10 only), Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., with discount Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on February 20 and March 6. A special Valentine's Day show will be offered on Monday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.(special pricing applies; no discounts offered; see website for pricing and details).
Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors (age 60 and up) and students (age13 through college with valid ID, and $21 for children ages 3 through 12. Matinee prices are $2 less respectively. All Tuesday shows are two-for-one ($27 for two tickets; no other discounts apply). Tickets may be purchased by calling the Boiler Room Theatre at (615) 794-7744 or ordered online at www.BoilerRoomTheatre.com.
BRT's 2011 season also includes Crimes of the Heart, I Do! I Do!, A Streetcar Named Desire, The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Rocky Horror Show and Oliver! Season passes are available by calling the box office or may be purchased online at the company website.
Pictured: David Arnold, Corrie Miller and Matt Baugher
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