Annie Get Your Gun #2
OPENING: March 4th, 1999.
CLOSING: September 1st, 2001.
Seen: January 1st, 2000.
LOCATION: Marriott Marquis Theater
It should come as no surprise that I was absolutely hooked on theater by this point. I think it’s fair to say, even now when I’m well into my adult years, that I was a different kid. Spice Girls? Ew. Backstreet Boys – why? Julie Andrews – might as well be royalty.
So when I decided that all I wanted for my summer vacation was to take a friend to see Annie Get Your Gun and saved up my allowance to take myself and an extra person, my friends and their parents were confused and maybe a little scared. When I finally did get someone to go, her mom insisted on paying for the ticket. I was a little offended, but hey! I was introducing someone to the magical world of Broadway! And I was going to see Bernadette and right the wrong that I had been subjected to in January!
My mom was relieved. I’m convinced that she didn’t want to buy one for herself, which I didn’t take into consideration when I coughed up the cash.
On the way down to the city in the car, I chattered with excitement. But looking back – I think the friend said yes because her mom made her say yes. But at the time, I didn’t realize it. And even if I had, I don’t really think I would have cared. As far as I was concerned, this was the best day ever! We were going to see Bernadette and Tom! Tom and Bernadette! But mostly Bernadette.
But when we got to the theater, there was the dreaded white slip; Tom had an understudy!
I was sad for about a total of two minutes. I wanted to see Tom and Bernadette. But I was there to see Bernadette and she was safely marked as present, so it was all good. I had seem Tom in January, after all.
This was the year 2000. Ticket prices were a lot different then. But looking back, I’m now 90% sure that my mom – and maybe my friend’s mom – supplemented the funds for the tickets because we were somehow in the front center orchestra. There’s no way that at age eleven I could have pulled that one off. But it was heaven. Bernadette was every bit as lovely as I imagined she would be. It was so worth blowing a year’s worth of allowance!
But the best part was when Bernadette sang I Got Lost in His Arms. Even now, anyone who knows me knows that I don’t usually go for the love songs. Even when I was idolizing the album, this was the song I usually chose to skip. But we were so close to the stage and eleven year old me was CONVINCED that at one point, Bernadette made eye contact with me. It was the most magical moment of the night and it truly thrilled me.
My friend wasn’t thrilled that I wouldn’t stop raving about that moment on the way home. Did she like the show? Considering that my classmates started bullying me harder over my love for Annie Get Your Gun after this, so I would say no. But for that one day, it was absolutely worth it.
Annie Get Your Gun held a special place in my heart and I considered it my favorite musical for several years. And it took a very special musical to take that title away. A musical that still holds that spot. But for three years, I revered Annie Get Your Gun. And because of how much I loved it at the time, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
CAST: REPLACEMENT
CONFIRMED UNDERSTUDIES:
Kevin Bailey for Tom Wopat
Tom Schmid for Kevin Bailey
Brian O’Brien for Tom Schmid
Brian Shepard for Cleave Asbury
BUFFALO BILL (Col. William F. Cody): Dennis Kelly
FRANK BUTLER: Tom Wopat
DOLLY TATE: Michelle Blakely
TOMMY KEELER: Andrew Palermo
WINNIE TATE: Nicole Ruth Snelson
MAC, THE PROPMAN: Tom Schmid
CHARLIE DAVENPORT: Peter Marx
FOSTER WILSON: Gerry Vichi
CHIEF SITTING BULL: Kevin Bailey
ANNIE OAKLEY: Bernadette Peters
JESSIE OAKLEY: Kate Kahanovitz
NELLIE OAKLEY: Ashley Rose Orr
LITTLE JAKE: Christian Valiando
BALLERINA: Alice Rietvold
HOOP DANCE SPECIALTY: Adrienne Hurd
RUNNING DEER: Tom Schmid
EAGLE FEATHER: Carlos Lopez
MOONSHINE LULLABY TRIO: Cleve Asbury, Michael Serapiglia, David Villella
PAWNEE BILL (MAJ. GORDON LILLIE): Gerry Vichi
MESSENGER: Tom Schmid
BAND LEADER: Marvin Laird
MRS. SCHYLER ADAMS: Deanna Dys
SYLVIA POTTER-PORTER: Emily Hsu
ENSEMBLE: Cleve Asbury, Brad Bradley, Randy Donaldson, Deanna Dys, Madeline Ehlert, Jason Gillman, Emily Hsu, Adrienne Hurd, Carlos Lopez, Desiree Parkman, Alice Rietvold, Emily Rozek, Tom Schmid, Michael Serapiglia, Kelli Bond Severson, David Villella, Patrick Wetzel.
STANDBYS AND UNDERSTUDIES: Kevin Bailey (Frank Butler); Tom Schmid (Frank Butler, Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull); Michelle Blakely (Annie Oakley); Karyn Quackenbush (Annie Oakley, Dolly Tate); Deanna Dys (Dolly Tate); Randy Donaldson (Tommy Keeler); Carlos Lopez (Tommy Keeler); Brian Shepard (Tommy Keeler, Swing); Alice Rietvold (Winnie Tate); Emily Rozek (Winnie Tate); Brad Bradley (Charlie Davenport); Patrick Wetzel (Charlie Davenport, Pawnee Bill, Foster Wilson, Sitting Bull); Jenny Rose Baker (Jessie Oakley, Nellie Oakley); Ashley Rose Orr (Little Jake); Leasen Beth Almquist (Swing); Patti D’Beck (Swing); and Brien O’Brien (Swing).
