Bernadette's ANNIE GET YOUR GUN Revival

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."

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.

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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.

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!

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

Thanks to Ethel Merman's red china marker.

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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.

What does Ethel Merman have to do with Red China?

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"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.

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

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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.

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.

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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?

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