Bernadette's ANNIE GET YOUR GUN Revival

[wicked1492]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 5:44pm

I read in "At This Theatre" that in the '99 revival "I'm An Indian Too" was removed (which I knew) and some offensive laguage was removed as well. I saw the revival's tour with Marilou Henner...(don't get me started)and didn't notice any differences aside from "I'm An Indian Too." What were they?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 5:47pm

Basically, the entire book was rewritten, in order to create a metatheatrical show-within-a-show. It opened with "There's No Business Like Show Business."

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 6:19pm

"I'm a Bad, Bad Man" was also cut. Why, I have no idea.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 8:55pm

The revival cut:

The Overture (One of teh most sparkling overtures of its time)
Colonel Buffalo Bill
I'm a Bad Bad Man
I'm an Indian Too

They restored 2 songs cut from the 1966 revival:
I'll Share it all with You
Who Do You Love I hope

Tommy Keeler was portrayed as a half beed so Winnie's mother Dolly Tate could make some racist remarks. Otherwise jokes about the indians were removed.

Also removed was a good deal of the fun. ANNIE GET YOUR GUN is no literary masterpiece but it should be a fun show. Bernadette gave it star power even though she wasn't quite right for the role. Still, her "Lost in his Arms" would melt the stoniest heart, and as always she gave 150%.

Placing it as a show-within-a-show context should have overcome any lingering offense to the jokes about Chief Sitting Bull and Annie's "I'm an Indian Too." But the producers wanted to remove anything that could possibly offend and might limit the show's future stock productions. But, I am sorry this version is being made available.

BTW we had a semi-staged concert production in Toronto 3 summers ago with Louise Pitre as Annie. This version used the 1966 script (good!) but did drop "I'm an Indian Too. (bad!) Apparently if people want to do the 1966 version this is the only way they can do it now.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 9:01pm

"but did drop "I'm an Indian Too."

And yet Annie still stands up there and sings: "Folks are dumb where I come from."

[fgreene1938]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 9:45pm

I saw this revival and was thrilled by Bernadette Peters' character-filled performance. Her persona may have been at odds with the role but her performance was pristine. Including "Old Fashioned Wedding" from the '66 revival was a treat, but the creators recreated a new book that sanatized the orginal and blandly presented the leftovers. Sad.

[zamedy]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 9:51pm

I performed this musical in high school back in '97.. and it was the original production, complete with "I'm An Indian Too." I was really disappointed when I heard that was the musical we were doing, but I ended up falling in love with the music. It's Irving Berlin for God's sake. You don't mess with a musical genius.

Everyone knew it was an old-fashioned musical written many, many years ago. No one was offended.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 10:03pm

Frontrowcentre2, I also saw the Massey Hall production of "Annie Get Your Gun" and I thought it was fantasic. I didn't realize they used the 1966 script. I feel it worked really well.

A friend of mine saw both the Massey Hall version (using the 1966 script) and the 1999 revival and said the '66 script is the way to go. She said, "The 1999 version was making an old story new again. Here in Toronto, they did the show the way it was "originally" written. Its always better to see a show the way it was written. The new way is for people who thought 'Cats' was good". Her words not mine!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 3:26am

It's not quite the way it originally was (1946) because in the 1966 edition Tommy and Winnie hardly appear and their 2 songs are gone. No loss really as those numbers were basically stage waits. I loved the concert: the orchestra sounded spectacular.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 9:12am

"in the 1966 edition Tommy and Winnie hardly appear and their 2 songs are gone"

Thanks to Ethel Merman's red china marker.

[Hiram]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 9:54am

I thought the revival was a mixed bag. Ms. Peters wasn't an ideally cast Annie but she was still fun to watch and very entertaining. Why they kept in the inane "Who Do You Love I Hope?" I found puzzling. When I went back to see the sublime Reba McEntire play Annie, I didn't even notice the production's weaknesses. She rose above them. Ms. McEntire's spot on performance will always remain one of my treasured theatregoing memories.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 10:03am

In the new version, Sitting Bull has no reason to be in the show. Nearly all his jokes are gone, and the entire scene where Annie is inducted into the Sioux Nation is gone. Political correctness run amok.

Posted: 7/8/09 at 10:08am

I love Bernadette Peters, thought she was spectacular in Gypsy and was bored to tears by "Annie." Maybe she was having an "off' night but she walked through the show as if she was killing time in her podiatrist's waiting room.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 10:20am

What does Ethel Merman have to do with Red China?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 11:30am

Merman had nothing to do with the cuts made for the 1966 revival. Dorothy Fields did the book revisions in consultation with Irving Berlin, including the addition of "An Old Fashioned Wedding."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 12:08pm

"Merman had nothing to do with the cuts made for the 1966 revival."

No of course not. We all know the Merm was humble and had no ego whatsoever. We all know that she had no power to pick up the phone and say "If this revival is happening, then I sing the songs." We all know that Merm was never jealous of someone who might steal the spotlight. Funny though how the show ended up not having any songs that weren't sung by the leads.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 1:35pm

I really didn't enjoy this revival very much. The only highlight was Peters...although when Reba McEntire entered the show, she put Peters to shame. What a performance!

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:01pm

I'd love to see a revival with a younger Annie. I think Diana DeGarmo would be an interesting choice.

[Bway2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:02pm

If Reba had been the original Annie in the revival, would she have won the TONY?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:05pm

Well, Bernadette did win the Tony for it and she wasn't nearly as good as Reba. So, without a doubt, yes. Reba would have won the Tony.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:10pm

"If Reba had been the original Annie in the revival, would she have won the TONY?"

It's hard to say. She was up against Carolee Carmello in "Parade". Personally, I didn't like CC in Parade, so I would like to believe Reba would have taken the Tony.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:21pm

frontrowcentre-
Some productions do still keep "I'm an Indian, Too." The 2006 Prince Music Theatre Production with Andrea McArdle (playing the other red-headed Annie) kept it, and used the 1966 version.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:23pm

If Reba had been the original Annie in the revival, would she have won the TONY?

When the Tonys created a new category a few years ago that was meant to honor replacement performances, they mentioned that it was created so performances like Reba's wouldn't without a Tony. So yes, I'm pretty sure she would have won the Tony as well. I've heard from other Bernadette Peters fans who actually thought she deserved her Tony that Reba's performance was the stuff that theater legends are made of.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:23pm

I'd love to see a revival with a younger Annie. I think Diana DeGarmo would be an interesting choice.

I don't know if I agree with Diana DeGarmo, but I like the idea of a younger Annie.


and wasn't it Reba that got people thinking about having a Tony for replacements?

[Bway2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 2:25pm

So she was really that good? I have to finish downloading something to see for myself.