BWW Reviews: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at Algonquin Arts Theatre

It's hard to image now, but theater's unofficial anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business" wasn't originally sung by thespians, but by members of a Wild West Show in Irving Berlin's 1946 sensation ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. That memorable number became the musical calling card of the show's original star Ethel Merman. To remind us of the song's illustrious beginnings, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN is now receiving a rousing new production at Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan as part of their ongoing Broadway Series.

The musical is the slightly fictionalized story of real-life sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her love affair / rivalry with marksman Frank Butler. The original production ran for a remarkable 1,147 performances and inspired both a film and a television version. In 1999, Tony-winning librettist Peter Stone streamlined the script for a revival starring Bernadette Peters. This revision not only showed greater sensitivity to Native Americans but also kicked off the show with "There's No Business Like Show Business," using it as the catalyst for a show-within-a-show concept. If nothing else, the changes put Berlin's remarkable score front-and-center. Has there ever been such a parade of hits packed into one Broadway show: "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," "They Say It's Wonderful," "I Got the Sun in the Morning," and "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)," just to name a few?

Long after the curtain rings down on the Algonquin's near-perfect production two names will stick in your mind: Irving Berlin (natur'lly) and Carter Calvert, the Broadway star who brings Annie Oakley vividly to life on the Manasquan stage. To invoke her predecessors hardly does her justice, but she has the clarion voice of Merman (with a bit less stridency) and the feminine charms of Peters (with a bit more spunk). Calvert's performance charts Oakley's Eliza Doolittle-like transformation from tattered backwoods trapper to the celebrated toast of Europe without ever sacrificing the spunky girl inside. When the star steps downstage to sing "I Got Lost In His Arms" bathed in David Sexton's lush lighting, one almost wishes the story were left behind in favor of an evening of "Calvert Sings Berlin."

But let's not short-change the robustly entertaining show that surrounds her. The musical's physical production is simply superb: sets, costumes, and a pitch-perfect 15 piece orchestra led by conductor Henco Espag. Director Gina Lupi stages the show in a brisk, presentational style that well befits the show-within-a-show framework. Samantha Amaral's ensemble choreography sometimes feels a bit anachronistic, with lots of large, busy movements that nearly threaten to upstage the celebrated score. She more than redeems herself in Act Two with a rousing dance break during "I Got the Sun in the Morning" that nearly stops the show.

I would be remiss not to mention the terrific supporting cast led by David Weitzer as Frank Butler. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Tom Wopat (who played the role opposite Peters in the 1999 revival), his rich baritone voice makes such songs as "The Girl That I Marry" and "My Defenses Are Down" memorable moments in a show already chock full of memorable moments. Lending capable support in the character roles are Kevin R. Walsh as Buffalo Bill Cody, Anthony Greco as Charlie Davenport, Jessica O'Brien as Dolly Tate, and the towering presence of Eric McDonough as Chief Sitting Bull.

As if all this were not reason enough to justify a trip to Manasquan, the Algonquin auditorium has recently replaced their seating, making seeing ANNIE GET YOUR GUN just as comfortable (and a lot more tuneful) than an evening sitting on the couch with your remote control. But hurry, because the show is only onstage now through November 2nd. Call 732.528-9211 or visit www.algonquinarts.org for tickets or information. After all, there's no business like show business!

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