Review of Annie Get Your Gun

Not very often a person gets the rare privilege of watching a musical grow from the ground up.
I was very fortunate to see that growth with Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun. Director Carolyn Bodensteiner has lived with this musical for over a year. I have been able to watch her vision unfold since the auditions in mid August.
What a spectacular vision she had. Bodensteiner was also generous in teaching her skills to her assistant director, Bev Bullard. There is a scene in the show where the character Dolly Tate is up to no good and Bodensteiner handed it over to Bullard to give her a chance to spread her wings and direct.
Every person affiliated with this show has given of their own time and energies to make this show a success. And a success it will be. Village audiences love musicals and there is so much to love about this one. Annie Get Your Gun is loaded with beautiful tunes and a cast that can bring them to life with sultry, soulful sounds.
The two leads have lower pitched voices with nice rich tone. Village audiences are familiar with Jack Larsen’s ability to inhabit the character of romantic leads. He is excellent as the confident Frank Butler. Larsen shows a good deal of range and playfulness in this character. The Butler character is stubborn, brash and vulnerable. An interesting combination.
Jessieville School teacher Lydia deSambourg is appearing in her first role with the HSV Players as the Annie Oakley. deSambourg can sing rings around most anyone in the Village, just like the real Annie Oakley could shoot a gun. Her voice is steady, warm and lush. Her acting ability kicks butt. We watch Annie go from a grime covered urchin to a bejeweled lady over the course of two plus hours. There is subtleness and nuance in deSambourg’s performance.
Glen Robertson appears as Buffalo Bill Cody. His rich deep speaking voice makes it a pleasure to listen to his soliloquies. Robertson is new to the HSV Players and I am sure we will see him again in the future.
Roger Cannell breathes life into the character of Charlie Davenport. He is naturally funny and his character has some of the best lines in the show. He also has some of the loudest wardrobe choices. Cannell has appeared many times on the Woodlands stage.
Sandy Johansen embraces the character of Dolly Tate. Hip! Her character is not the brightest bulb in the pack. She gets tongue tied and is oh so obvious in her adoration of her boss Frank Butler. Tate would like to be Oakley’s competitor for Butler’s affections but it is not in her cards. Johansen shows range and isn’t afraid to look silly. In fact, she milks silly for all that it is worth. She has a solid singing voice and it is a pleasure to hear her pipe up from time to time.
Jennifer Goff is new to the HSV Players. She portrays Winnie Tate, the younger sister of Dolly. Also new to the players is Winnie’s love interest Tommy Keeler played by Mark Lynch. Goff and Lynch are perfect as the young couple with life in front of them and stars in their eyes. The two have good chemistry. Goff also demonstrated above-standard dancing skills. Lynch can croon a love song with the best of ‘em and curl a few toes in the process.
It’s a toss up as to my favorite character in the show, I loved Jeff Smith as Chief Sitting Bull and Frank Nilson as Foster Wilson. These character actors bring so much to their minor characters. This is a case of there is no small part. They both tickled me and I am sure you will enjoy their characterizations as much as I did. Dan Johnson brought to life the character of Pawnee Bill. It was a thankless job. Pawnee Bill’s character didn’t get a chance to shine that often. Johnson gave a smooth delivery.
There are four children in the cast of Annie Get Your Gun. All four are very good on stage and I am sure we will see lots more of them in the future. The character of Annie Oakley has two sisters and a brother played by Megan Baker, Madison Wilson and Ben Carey. These children can sing, act and more. The last child in the cast is AnnMarie Goff, daughter of the woman playing Winnie. The petite Goff shadows the character of Charlie in the opening number. Her job is to just be cute and she does it well.
Members of the ensemble were tasked with singing, sometimes dancing, and also providing one liners for smaller roles. The actors filling all those requirements included Pat Barkley, Tina Cooper, Gene Cross, JoAnn Dobscha, Chuck Fish, Sharon Gardner, Raybon Gilbert, Randy Harkins, Vic Harrington, Bill Jervis, Robyn Johnson, Kathy Joseph, Mary Langston, Crys Larsen, Maureen Morgan, Sheila Rhoades, Cheryl Robertson, Dennis Sisson, Patsy Slezak and Marlene Zenker. These men and women did an excellent job. They stepped up to the plate and added the flavor necessary to make a musical a hit. They provide the background in many scenes and all are good at what they do.
Special recognition must be paid to one of the ensemble members, Robyn Johnson. Johnson is deSambourg’s understudy in addition to her duties in the ensemble. On nights when deSambourg had other obligations or was not feeling well, Johnson stepped up to the plate and provided a perfectly delightful interpretation of Annie Oakley. Not the same as deSambourg’s but endearing in its own way.
We have a hit on our hands here in the Village. If you already have your tickets to Annie Get Your Gun, good for you. If you are waiting to see how your friend in the opening night audience likes the show you may be out of luck. Tickets are going fast for the latter performances. Good seats are still available on opening night. Tickets are on sale at the Woodlands box office. The show is reserved seating.