Andrea McArdle: Aims - Shoots - Scores!

As most know, Andrea McArdle burst onto the scene in 1977 when she originated the title role in the hit musical Annie, becoming the youngest person ever nominated for a Tony for Lead Actress in a Musical.  Remarkably, she captures that youthful "Annie" charm and spunk as Annie Oakley. "I've always worried just a little when people tell me Andrea sounds the same as when she did Annie," remarked her lovely mom, who was joined by the entire McArdle clan. I assured her that is a compliment! And yes, you can hear that youthful timbre ringing clear in her delivery of this wonderful Irving Berlin score. "Not bad for a girl of 43," remarked Andrea's delightful 90 yr. old grandmother, who wouldn't miss this for anything.

While McArdle is the driving force behind the Prince's production, the rest of the production leaves a lot to be desired. The talented Barrymore-winning actor Jeffery Coon fails to capture the rough, charming appeal of Frank Butler. Coon's vocals, in both his solos and duets with McArdle, are extremely well-delivered, but his take on the character falls disappointingly short. Joining him in quality are frankly unmemorable performances by Dan Schiff, again another talented Philly favorite, and Arthur Ryan, who plays Pawnee Bill and Sitting Bull, respectively. However, Mary Martello's Dolly Tate takes on a personality all its own and holds up for nicely with well-thought out comedy as only Martello can muster.

An interesting and somewhat complex storyline was written for this Irving Berlin classic, as Berlin had taken on the job of composing the score after the original choice, Jerome Kern, collapsed suddenly and died. At first Berlin was reluctant, as he was unaccustomed to writing the kind of book-driven musical that Rodgers and Hammerstein had recently pioneered. Despite his hesitation, however, Berlin dashed off three hit songs in a single weekend, and Annie Get You Gun became what is widely considered to be his finest musical. The score includes hit after hit: "Doing What at Comes Naturally," "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun," "Anything You Can Do," "I Got Lost In His Arms," and the showstopper "There's No Business Like Show Business."

In 1966, the authors revised the show for a major revival at Lincoln Center that again starred Ethel Merman, and added a new song, "An Old Fashioned Wedding," to Act II. This is the version that the Prince is producing, including the famous and at-times controversial "I'm an Indian Too," when Annie Oakley is adopted into the Sioux Nation by Chief Sitting Bull.

"We wanted to delve into the original story-telling impulse of these amazing authors", commented Director Richard Parison, "and that included the rich relationship between Annie Oakley and Chief Sitting Bull. We've done a lot of research about the historic characters who inspired the show, and that song seems essential to the story." While these historic values may be met, more thought might have been given to actually casting or making the Prince's Indians actually look more like Native American Indians. It is obvious, from Sitting Bull to the male Indian chorus number, that this cast is nowhere close to being able to pass as Indians. Mercedes Ellington's choreography is tedious at best. Todd Ivins scenic designs are repetitive and lack interest.

The young Oakley siblings are adorable and play off nicely from McArdle's cues. Costume designer Maggie Baker-Atkins has done a fine job with costuming for the ladies and especially for Christopher Council's Buffalo Bill get-up, which Council wears well; his take on Buffalo Bill holds up well, also.

Director Richard M. Parison, Jr. fails to incite much spark in the action from scene to scene with the first Act laboring a bit too long.  A great missed opportunity was the "surprise trick" scene, which takes place with little excitement and surely nothing that would break up the team of Butler and Oakley/Oakley and Butler. As Annie flips, dangles and shoots from the sky, there is little to no reaction on stage or in the audience. For as much as they fought for the Indian adoption scene to be accurate, it was a mismatch of casting and loose, lengthy choreography.

All in all, this is a case of a pedestrian production with a star that carries the show. McArdle is worth the ticket price just to hear her deliver these Irving Berlin songs. If McArdle does not win or at the very least get a Barrymore nomination for her performance, I will eat my cowgirl hat.

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin, Book by Herbert & Dorothy Fields. Directed by Richard. M. Parson, Jr.

Annie Get You Gun is playing at The Prince Music theater from December2-31, 2006. For tickets and more information: www.wstoline.org or call 215.574.3550.

Photo 1 - Andrea McArdle & Jeff Coon ( Annie Oakley & Frank Butler) photo credit Mark Gavin

Photo 2 - Andrea McArdle and young cast members of Annie Get Your Gun
Photo 3 - Andrea McArdle and family
Photo 4- Andrea McArdle's family members

additional photo credits: Jim Weiner

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