Reviews From TCP's Production of
Annie Get Your Gun

New Hamburg Independent review

K-W Record review

CKWR review

Annie steals the show in TCP’s rousing spring musical

DOUG COXSON, New Hamburg Independent
Originally Published May 11, 2005

NEW HAMBURG
Coming to the stage closely on the heels of 2003’s Oklahoma!, The Community Players’ production of Annie Get Your Gun utilized the tested success of a western-themed musical for a nearly sold-out New Hamburg audience last week.

The Community Players know how to stage a big crowd-pleasing production and their interpretation of this Irving Berlin classic didn’t disappoint fans of the genre.

Telling the tale of hillbilly sharpshooter Annie Oakley’s meteoric rise to become the top draw in Col. Buffalo Bill Cody’s famous Wild West Show has been a staple of musical theatre since it opened in 1946. Revised by Playwright Peter Stone for the Broadway revival in 1999, much, but not all of the politically-incorrect dialogue and hokey humour has been removed and filled with a sub-plot involving Frank Butler’s assistant Dolly Tate, her sister Winnie and half blood Native American Tommy Keeler.

Motivating the drama is Annie’s romance with the man she supercedes in Buffalo Bill’s show, Frank Butler, played with confidence by TCP verteran Dale Brubacher Cressman.

But just as Annie steals the show from Frank, it was Nora Endicott as Annie who stole the show from the rest of the cast.

Straight from her opening scene and the corny but cute performance of “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly” to the production’s signature song “Anything You Can Do”, Endicott’s stunning voice, brilliant acting and firm grasp of the dialogue put her heads above the rest.

So strong was Endicott’s performance that scenes lacking her presence seemed slightly drained of colour and life.

TCP’s new stage director Chris Leberg demonstrated her keen talents as a director with this consistently entertaining production. But she may have played it alittle too safe with the material, keeping the few bits of mildly-ribald humour muted and easily missed. It would have been refreshing to see the cast push the envelope with some of the more sexually-charged dialogue, but this is a family friendly production afterall.

At nearly two and a half hours, Annie could have benefitted from some careful edits to create a leaner, more tightly-paced production. A few scenes that did little to advance the plot fell flat, leaving the audience eagerly awaiting the reappearance of the leads.

Overall the ensemble cast of characters kept pace with Annie, helped along by Laurel Brown’s cheerful, often zany choreography.

Apart from some sound glitches that left Annie momentarily speechless during a few key songs, the production was flawless.

Jeff Blain’s colourful and warm lighting design emphasized Brent Roth’s strong art direction.

Connie Zehr’s detailed costumes looked incredible and musical director Jennifer Hoffman kept the orchestra on key and tight throughout the performance.

It won’t be long before TCP begins contemplating next year’s production and, as always, that announcement will be eagerly awaited. Their tendancy to follow each safe bet performance with a production of lesser known material keep’s TCP’s talented group of performers and the army of behind the scenes people striving to improve on last year’s production. From what I’ve seen so far, they never disappoint.

New Hamburg's Annie - They say it's wonderful

HARRY CURRIE, The Record
Originally Published May 6, 2005

NEW HAMBURG
It's a continuing source of wonder that the Community Players of New Hamburg can attain such a high standard in their musical productions year after year.
Opening on Wednesday with this year's offering -- Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun -- they manage to turn a skating rink into a theatre, put a very good 24-piece orchestra together, pack some 55 performers on stage, build sets, install lights and a professional wireless sound system, costume it magnificently, and thoroughly entertain for over two hours.

The story of Annie Get Your Gun, based on the real life of legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley, tells how the simple country girl who couldn't read or write became the star attraction of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, travelled North America and Europe, winning accolades and medals, matured into a classy lady, and married her principal rival, Frank Butler.

The musical stretches their rivalry out over several years, with Butler leaving Buffalo Bill's show for rival Pawnee Bill's similar show, but that's all show biz.
The truth was that Butler recognized Annie's uncanny ability from the start, married her, and quickly gave her the limelight, becoming her manager and assistant. But that wouldn't make for a good plot, so enter Herbert and Dorothy Fields, who wrote the book -- that's the script of the musical -- Berlin was only hired to write the music and lyrics by producers Rodgers and Hammerstein when first-choice Jerome Kern died suddenly.

Of course, you couldn't imagine Annie without the Berlin songs, every one a pure gem -- The Girl That I Marry, Doin' What Comes Naturally, They Say It's Wonderful, I Got the Sun in the Morning, My Defenses Are Down, Anything You Can Do, and what has become Broadway's anthem -- There's No Business Like Show Business.

This cast is amazing. Starting from the top there's Annie herself, played by Nora Endicott, and, for my money, she's the absolute best Annie I've ever seen in a live performance, and I've probably seen at least 10 productions of this musical, including a New York-based touring cast. Endicott has the perfect voice for the part: strong, clear, just the right amount of trained sound without ever becoming operatic. The vibrato is controlled and suits her voice. Endicott has the ability to change her approach and style depending on the nature of the song. The big hit You Can't Get a Man With a Gun is funny, a bit brash and twangy, yet she turns around and sings one of the finest ballads ever written -- I Got Lost in His Arms -- and does it with a pure sound and wistful longing.
Add to all that her natural presence on stage, delightful facial expressions and dialogue delivery, and with gestures so right for every spoken or sung line that she looks born to the part.

Endicott is well supported. Dale Brubacher-Cressman is a fine Frank Butler, full of bravado and swagger, with a natural, light baritone that works for him. Kirk Lackenbauer is a great Buffalo Bill, showing his resonant voice to good effect, and Rob McEwen, as Buffalo Bill's road manager Charlie Davenport, adds fun with his befuddled organization.

Young love is introduced by Dane Wendell and Shannon Theune as Tommy Keeler and Winnie Tate. They have excellent voices, dance well, and do a terrific job with the duet Who Do You Love, I Hope? Charlie Seifried's Chief Sitting Bull is a great character, with dry humour, Jenn Zutt's Dolly Tate is perfectly overplayed (and she has a very good singing voice though only heard briefly), and Steve Young's Pawnee Bill is typical of the hail-fellow-well-met showman that he is. The myriad other characters just fitted in and around at all the right moments. There were lots of kids involved, and they steal every scene without trying, especially Annie's three siblings played by Victoria Whiteman, Kiah Brubacher-Cressman and Jessi Elgood.

The chorus work is quite amazing in balance and overall sound, the choreography by Laurel Brown simple but very effective, and special mention must be made of the cowboy trio -- Gary Goeree, Dave Kroetsch and Connor Rea, who not only sing remarkable harmony, but bring the house down with their antics.

Jennifer Hoffman was musical director, Chris Leberg stage director, and Brent Roth was artistic and scenic director.

The Community Players slogan is "community theatre at its very best," and after seeing Annie Get Your Gun I don't think anyone would disagree with that.

Annie Get Your Gun
CKWR YourFM Radio Review

VIC FOLLIOTT, YourFM, 98.5 FM
Originally Broadcast May 6, 2005

NEW HAMBURG
So we went to see Annie Get Your Gun with The Community Players of New Hamburg last night, and I must say they have put together another wonderful production this year. This Irving Berlin classic has lots of great music and some good dance numbers as well.

And the star, Annie herself played by Nora Endicott is just wonderful, she has a great singing voice, a fine actress. And her nemesis, gun shooting competition and eventual partner in the play, Frank Butler is played by Dale Brubacher Cressman, good actor, an ok singer in an acting kind of way.

The star of last year's show Kirk Lackenbauer plays a relatively small part this year as Buffalo Bill Cody, just didn't hear enough of his fine singing voice. And I thought Marianne Guistini as hotel owner Mrs. Foster Wilson was terrific.

Talked to a few folks during intermission and we all agreed, that overall quality surpassed what one might expect from a regional theatre production, the standing ovation at the end of the whole thing, would indicate most agreed.

©2008 The Community Players of New Hamburg email: onstage@thecommunityplayers.com
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