top of page
Annie Get Your Gun
 

Armidale Town Hall, Armidale - September/October 1976

Stage Direction by Jim Graham
Musical Direction by Tim Coupland

Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields. By arrangement with Chappel & Co (Aust) Pty Ltd.

​

SYNOPSIS

In the late 19th and early 20th Century, Travelling Wild West Shows were very popular and one of the most popular was Colonel William F Cody's who was better known as Buffalo Bill.

The play opens with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in Ohio and there we meet the people who belong to that show, especially the Star of the Show, Frank Butler, who is a Sharpshooter. Their peace is disturbed by the arrival of Annie Oakley, who, as well as bringing up her smaller brother and sisters, is also a crack shot. And so the confrontation begins between Annie and Frank.

Annie proves to be a better shot than Frank and this mars the mutual attraction developing between them.

We follow Annie and Frank's problems through the play and watch how characters try to bring them together until, of course, we reach our happy ending.

​

SCENES

Act I

Scene 1: The Wilson House, a summer hotel on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio, July.
Scene 2: A Pullman Parlour in an Overland Steam Train. Six weeks later.
Scene 3: The Fair Grounds at Minneapolis, Minnesota. A few days later.
Scene 4: A Dressing Room Tent. The same day.
Scene 5: The Arena of the Big Tent. Later that night.

Act II

Scene 6: The Deck of a Cattle Boat. Eight months later.
Scene 7: Ballroom of the Hotel Brevoort, New York, New York. The next night.
Scene 8: The Governor's Island Ferry. Next morning.
Scene 9: Governor's Island, Near the Fort. Immediately following.

​

MUSICAL NUMBERS

​

Act I

'Buffalo Bill' - Charlie and ensemble
'I'm a Bad, Bad Man' - Frank and girls
'Doin' What Comes Natur'lly' - Annie, sisters, brother and Wilson
'The Girl That I Marry' - Frank
'You Can't Get a Man With a Gun' - Annie
'Show Business' - Buffalo Bill, Charlie, Frank and Annie
'They Say It's Wonderful' - Frank and Annie
'Moonshine Lullaby' - Annie and Trio
'I'll Share It All With You' - Winnie and Tommy
'Circus Dance' - Show People
'Show Business' (reprise) - Annie
'My Defences Are Down' - Frank and ensemble
'Wild Horse Ceremonial Dance' - Wild Horse, Braves and Maidens
'I'm An Indian Too' - Annie
'Adoption Dance' - Annie, Wild Horse and Braves

​

Act II

'Lost In His Arms' - Annie
'Who Do You Love I Hope' - Winnie and Tommy
'Sun In The Morning' - Annie and ensemble
'They Say It's Wonderful' (reprise) - Annie and Frank
'The Girl That I Marry' (reprise) - Frank
'Anything You Can Do' - Annie and Frank
'Show Business' (reprise) - Company

​

CAST (In order of appearance)

Charlie Davenport: Geoff Perry, Mac: Peter Howard, Little Boy: Adrian Smith, Foster Wilson: Bob Stacy,Dolly Tate: Margaret Phipps, Winnie Tate: Lesley Hancock, Tommy Keeler: Rod Sharp, Frank Butler: John Armbruster, Annie Oakley: Frances McCann, Little Jake: Stephen Uther, Nellie: Christine Keoghan, Jessie: Patricia Keoghan, Minnie: Kim McConville, Colonel William F Cody: John Herlihy, Mrs Little Horse: Cherie Ellem, Mrs Black Tooth: Dianne Read, Mrs Yellow Foot: Libby Drynan, Trainman: Roeland Wiesfelt, Waiter: Graeme Hancock, Porter: Peter Robertson, Chief Sitting Bull: Doug Hewitt, Wild Horse Ceremonial Dancer: Andrew Heap, Pawnee Bill: Graeme Hancock, Mrs Potter-Porter: Barbara McConville, Cowgirls: Kim Levett, Mary-Alice Lloyd, Oona McDermott, Gabrielle McHugh

Singing and Dancing Ensemble: Janine Schofield, Judy Steadman, Leigh Rivers, Sarah Lisle, Tracey Smith, Patricia Smith, Judie Davis, Jan Browne, Nancy Evans, Linda Tilbury, Lou Tilbury, Mary-Alice Lloyd, Belinda Taplin, Jill Scholes, Betty Dizick, Barbara McConville, Ros Brady, Anne Sanders, Dianne Read, Kim Levett, Lyn Forbes, Cherie Ellem, Libby Drynan, Lynne Quast, Gabrielle McHugh, Oona McDermott, Phillipa Schaefer, Michael Mulligan, Duncan Fraser, Stuart McKern, Peter Robertson, David Tilbury, David Johnson, Phillip Holcombe, Adrian Smith, Robert Perkins, Peter Howard, Jim Robinson, Jon Presser, Rob Murray, Andrew Heap, Bob Stacy

​

ORCHESTRA

1st Violins: Lois Kesteven (Leader), Eunice Allingham, 2nd Violins: Elfi Sturmer, Kerry Hawkins, Viola: Norman Tullett, Flute: Margaret Hawkins, Clarinet: Elizabeth McDonald, Bassoon: Jim Hawkins, Trumpet: Peter Cobcroft, Percussion: John Grigg, Piano: Betty McEachern

​

PRODUCTION TEAM

Stage Director: Jim Graham 
Musical Director: Tim Coupland
Stage Manager: Tony Marjoram
Lighting: David French
Sound Effects: David Pitt
Prompt: Barbara De Lange
Costumes: Frances O'Brien with Sylvia Pink, Clarice Faint
Properties: Karen Smith, Els Coventry
Make-up: Robyn Busby
Posters: Gwenda Hardie
Rehearsal Pianist: Allison Henry
Publicity: Jim Robinson
Business Manager: Peter Robertson
Coffee: Pat Smith
Usherettes: Rita Farrell

​

THANKS

Armidale Demonstration School for rehearsal venue

bottom of page