GO and do

WHAT: “Annie Get Your Gun”

WHO: Lewiston-Auburn Community Theatre

WHEN: 8 p.m. Aug. 10-11 and 17-18; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12 and 19

WHERE: Lewiston Middle School Auditorium on Central Avenue

TICKETS: $15/$13; $17 at the door. For tickets, call 783-0958 or log on to www.laCLT.com.

Loaded with laughter
CLT will present updated, revival version of ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ with hit songs – and a new opening

LEWISTON – This gun is loaded – with hit songs and hearty laughter.

Lewiston-Auburn’s Community Little Theatre will bring “Annie Get Your Gun,” Irving Berlin’s classic musical comedy, to the Lewiston Middle School stage, beginning Aug. 10.

It’s the updated, revival version that starred Bernadette Peters on Broadway a few years ago, but it also includes just about everything that made the original show a classic.

Director David E. Lock said he and others connected with CLT were amazed to learn that the 67-year-old local organization has never produced this show.

The original debuted on Broadway with Ethel Merman in 1946, and it was a hit movie in 1950, starring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel.

“Berlin is one of the greatest composers of all time,” said Lock, who expects much of the music in “Annie Get Your Gun” to be familiar to most people in the audience. “And if it’s new to anyone, they will certainly love it,” he predicted.

Liz Rollins, who plays sharpshooter Annie Oakley, agrees.

“Who wouldn’t die to sing Irving Berlin?” Lock recalls Rollins, a music teacher at Auburn Middle School, saying to him.

Among the show’s hit songs are “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Anything You Can Do,” “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “Moonshine Lullaby,” “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun,” “My Defenses Are Down,” “I Got Lost in His Arms,” “They Say It’s Wonderful,” “An Old Fashioned Wedding,” “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning,” and “The Girl That I Marry.”

Lock points out that “Annie Get Your Gun” is based on fact. Annie Oakley was a star in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Shows and she was married to Frank Butler.

Joel Biron plays Butler, and, according to Lock, he and Rollins are perfect together. “Their voices sound like they were made to sing with each other,” the director said.

A new twist to the revival version is a subplot romance between Winnie Tate, the younger sister of Frank’s bothersome assistant Dolly, and Tommy Keeler, who is part Native American. Heather Asquith plays Tate, and Chris Camire portrays Keeler.

Two other Berlin songs have been added for the new Winnie-Tommy story line: “Who Do You Love, I Hope” and “I’ll Share It All with You.”

Lock said those numbers, and the way he is presenting them, have a kind of Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers feel to them.

There is a new opening to “Annie Get Your Gun” that makes the audience a part of the show, Lock revealed. He also said the early scenes with Annie and her young brothers and sisters will be real crowd-pleasers.

“I’m an Indian Too” has been cut from this updated version for which Peter Stone did a new libretto in 1999.

Lock, who directed the show a couple of decades ago in Biddeford, said he finds that the two versions of “Annie” are not all that different.

He pointed out some connections over the years among the people putting on the CLT production. For example, Biron’s father had a role in the show Lock directed in Biddeford. Also, Camire is the son of Lois Camire, who was a noted L-A dance teacher and choreographer, and she played Dolly Tate the first time Lock directed the show.

CLT veterans Dan Crawford and Phil Vampatella play Col. Willliam F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) and Pawnee Bill, respectively.

A newcomer to the CLT production is Henrik Strandskov, who portrays Chief Sitting Bull.

Zachary Hews appears as Charlie Davenport; Sonja Cutter is Dolly Tate; and Katie Naum, Meredith Crawford and Connor Crawford play Annie’s young siblings.

Remaining members of the large cast have roles as cowboys, cowgirls, Indians, and society women. They include Jackie McDonald, Jeffrey McDonald, Garret Crawford, Bill Grant, Emily Grant, Joshua Harris, Samuel Jackson, Gregory Judd, Raedelle Knight, Derrick Lacasse, Camden Martin, Hannah Martin, Mackenzi Masselli, Crystal Packard, Vincent Ratsavong, and Geoffrey Welsh.

Kathi Asquith is assistant director; Kathleen Cutler, musical director, assisted by Delmar Small; Vincent Ratsavong, choreographer; Raedelle Knight, producer; Adam Blais, stage manager/props, assisted by Carla Henault; and Kathy Haley is rehearsal pianist.

Marianne Miller is costumer, assisted by Helen Strode and Kathy Jarboe; Scott Powers, sound design; Jim Raymond, sound operator; Richard Martin, light design; Bill Hamilton, set design; Ellen Hodgkin, set decor; Bob Moore and Chris Sabo, set construction; and Rachel Morin, publicity.