1999's Best Musical Revival coming to the Round Barn Theatre for eight week run.

NAPPANEE, Indiana - "Annie Get Your Gun" won this year's Tony for Best Musical Revival on Broadway and the Best Actress in a Musical award for Bernadette Peters. Amish Acres eight week production of the fifty three year-old show runs from September 8 through October 31. "This is the fourth musical we have produced in the last two years that was running on Broadway during our run of the show," said producer Richard Pletcher. "They included "State Fair," "1776" and "The Sound of Music," which is still running. These classic shows simply don't wear out; new generations are constantly rediscovering them." Several bus loads of Annie's hometown fans are coming to Amish Acres following their festival and parade in honor of the sharpshooter on September 26.

Rodgers and Hammerstein, on the heels of "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel," organized a production company to produced shows for Broadway that they had not written. "Showboat" was the first fruit of that venture, "Annie Get Your Gun" was the second and the last. Jerome Kern, with whom Oscar Hammerstein II wrote "Showboat" was induced to write the music for the show about Annie Oakley, a sharp-shooter with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Kern, who lived in Hollywood, returned to New York to begin work on the musical when he suffered a fatal stroke. Richard Rodgers emerged from the stunned silence of Broadway's loss to suggest that Irving Berlin was the only suitable composer to carry on where Jerome Kern left off. Berlin was reluctant and took a weekend in Atlantic City to consider the offer. He came back with two songs,"Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and "They Say It's Wonderful," written. Possibly never before and never again in the history of Broadway will a Richard Rodgers produce the works of an Irving Berlin.

To top off the collaboration Ethel Merman agreed to play Annie Oakley while she was in the hospital delivering her son, and Herbert and Dorthy Fields agreed to write the book and lyrics. Josh Logan, the director, was promised to everyone involved. The stage was set for Broadway history.

Like Dolly Levi in "Hello, Dolly!," most musical theatre actresses covet the role of Annie Oakley. Mary Martin, Ginger Rogers, Patti Page, Martha Raye, and Debbie Reynolds have played her; Judy Garland was cast in the movie although Betty Hutton completed the project.

At the end of the century "Annie Get Your Gun" is instructional in its original treatment of Native Americans that was more than just comic. Numerous revisions to the script have removed what have become offensive references. "Musicals change with the times," said artistic director Jerry O'Boyle. "Theatre is the only living, breathing art form we have. Every production reflects on the values of the society for whom it is produced."

History has proven that Lewis Nichols of The New York Times understated the impact of the show's music when he wrote, "Mr. Berlin has written a good, steady score, with numbers that fit the events and the story. He has also fitted gay, brisk words to his tunes." "Variety" came closer to understanding the show's potential impact, "A great Irving Berlin score; laughs, too. …As melodious as any group that ever stemmed from the master of pop compositions." By its 1978 revival Clive Barnes of the New York Post admitted, "Annie" was probably Berlin's best musical." Cole Porter knew that; he modeled his masterpiece "Kiss Me Kate" directly after "Annie Get Your Gun." As "God Bless America," "White Christmas" and "Easter Parade" were Berlin national anthems, so "There's No Business Like Show Business" became another from "Annie Get Your Gun," although Berlin nearly dropped it from the show because he in error thought Rodgers didn't like it. Luckily it stayed in the show and Berlin's portfolio of over 3,000 songs.

The real-life lovers Annie Oakley and Frank Butler died just 18 days apart.

In Germany, Annie shot a cigarette from the mouth of Wilhelm Hohenzollern, then Crown Prince. Years later, during World War I, she wrote the Kaiser that she was sorry she had been so accurate, and asked for another chance.

Other memorable songs for "Annie Get Your Gun" include "I Got the Sun in the Morning," "Anything You Can Do," "They Say It's Wonderful," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "The Girl That I Marry,"

Joanna Armington has been seen on the Joseph Stein Stage as the Narrator in both productions of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and a principle role in "Indiana Music on My Mind" in last season's production on the Locke Township Meeting House stage. "Joanna sang several songs written for Ethel Merman by Indiana's Cole Porter in that show," said Jerry O'Boyle, Artistic Director of the theatre. "Because Irving Berlin wrote the entire score of "Annie Get Your Gun" for Ms. Merman, Joanna's audition happened during her performances." She combines Ms. Peters red hair with Ms. Merman's musical style and our audiences are going to find her very attractive and believable as Annie Oakley."

"Annie Get Your Gun" opens at the Round Barn Theatre September 8 and runs through October 31. Friday evening theme buffets will be September 10 & 17 and October 22 and 29 in the Barn Loft Grill before the 8 pm show. Packages can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 800-800-4942 or online at www.amishacres.com.

"Meet Me In St. Louis" will round out the nine month repertory season November 16 through December 31.

"Plain & Fancy" continues though November 6 and "A Grand Night For Singing" continues through October 28.