Annie Get Your Gun is one of the most popular musical comedies in theater history. The show opened on Broadway in New York City on May 16, 1946, and ran for 1,147 performances. Irving Berlin composed the score (music and lyrics). The book (dialogue) was written by the brother-and-sister team of Herbert and Dorothy Fields.
Annie Get Your Gun tells the story of Annie Oakley, an American sharpshooter. Oakley became famous during the late 1800’s as a star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Exhibition. The musical portrays the romance between Annie and a rival sharpshooter named Frank Butler. The Wild West Exhibition was the show’s setting for several production numbers that feature large choruses of Native Americans and cowboys.
The musical was a great personal success for the Broadway singer and actress Ethel Merman, who played Annie. Ray Middleton was her co-star as Frank Butler. Berlin wrote many of his most famous songs for the show, notably “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Other hits included “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “The Girl That I Marry,” “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.”
Joshua Logan was the original Broadway director for Annie Get Your Gun. Helen Tamiris was the choreographer (dance designer). A motion-picture version of the musical was released in 1950, with Betty Hutton as Annie Oakley and Howard Keel as Frank Butler.
See also Berlin, Irving; Buffalo Bill; Oakley, Annie.
