HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-10-30, Page 19Crossroads—Oct. 30, 1985
eisures fe tures an e 'tcrtri ment
Serving over 20,000 homes
in Ontario's heartland
"A good old-fashioned smash"
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Irving Berlin said it when his play
"Annie Get Your Gun" opened on
broadway in 1946, starring Ethel
Merman as Annie Oakley and Ray
Middledton as Frank Butler. Forty
years and countless thousands of per-
formances later "Annie" is still "a
good old-fashioned sntash",and will be
again when Music Alive Productions
of Listowel, under the sponsorship of
the Listowel Rotary Club present this
fast-moving show about the glamor-
ous Wild West shows of a century ago,
at Listowel District High School Audi-
torium November 13-16.
Now in its fourth season, Listowel's
very own musical theatre company
has performed "Brigadoon",
"Carousel", and "South Pacific".
Local live theatre has been a very
successful venture. All proceeds this
year as in the past will be used for the
community projects and international
service work of the Listowel Rotary
Club.
Local businessman and popular en-
tertainer, Peter Dekker was instru-
mental in founding the group in 1981
and has been the producer of all four
shows. Kitchener area professional
musician, Earl Riener, who has been
the group's director since its inception
is back with his musical expertisp and
artistic talent to direct "Annie',. An
• ensemble of the Stratford Festival
Orchestra will also be returning for its
fourth season of providing profes-
sional accompaniment for the Music
Alive productions. .
For Atwood musician, Mary Chap-
_
man, four seasons as rehearsal
accompanist have been a labour of
love but now she will get a well-de-
served reward. Mary feels it quite an
honour to be invited to play keyboard
with the Festival ensemble this year.
Starring in Sthe title role of Annie
Oakley who, history tells us, catapult-
ed from simple, backward, gan-
shootin' hillbilly girl to international
celebrity "athriat' overttight, is- .Lynn
( Hamilton) Kerr. A lifelong Listowel
resident, Lynn, a former soloist with
the LDSS chorus and Miss Paddyfest
1980, works at the Ontario. Chiroprac-
tic Centre in her home town.
Playing suave, man -of -the -world •
Frank Butler, the.show's leading man
• who is Annie's rival sharpshooter and
her hero, is Jim Newman. Originally
from Millbank, Jim got his musical
training at LDSS and Western Uni-
versity and is a Bell Canada em-
ployee.
' Cast in the supporting roles as Dolly
and Charlie, stage assistant and
manager of Buffalo Bill's Wild West
Show are Anne -Marie Senek and Dr.
Dennis Nuhn. Other principal parts
are played by Father Jim Higgins' as
-Buffalo Cody; -Ted Smith- as
rival show -owner, Pawnee Bill; Harry,
Hicks portraying Big Chief Sitting
Bull; and Jack Brown in the role .of
hotel proprietor, Foster Wilson.
"There's No Business Like Show
Business" is perhaps the best known
and most loved' broadway tune of all
time.
Joyful, rousing choruses of the,
showbusiness song keep bubbling up
throughout "Annie GetYour Gnn"
from overture tifinale, Other songs to
set the audience .swaying and toe -
tapping to the music are "I'm .a Bad
Bad Man", "My Defenses Are Down"
and "I Got the Sun In The Morning".
The lyrics of "Doin' What Comes
Natur'lly" and "You Can't Get A Man
With. A Gun" are sure-fire laugh-
. getters. "Moonshine Lullaby" is de-
lightful with its touch of barbershop
style harmony and while "They Say
It's Wonderful" is a very persuasive
promotiofi for falling in love "Any-
thing You Can Do I Can Do Better"
may foster a bit of strife in theatre-
going,
couples.
"Annie Get Your Gun" is a rootin'-
tootin', shootitc cowboys and Indians
racy vaudeville style show presented
with professionalism, color, flare and
pizzaz by Listowel area singers,
actors, stage technicians and artists.
Indeed "a good old-fashioned smash".
See it at Listowel District Secondary
School November 13-16. Tickets are
avaiable from all Listowel Rotary
Club and Music Alive members, at a
number of area stores and businesses
or by calling 291-3820.
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• • r
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S *OW
Top - Lynn Kerr
Middle - Ann Marie Senek
Bottom - Dr. Dennis Nuhn
(TOP LEFT) GUN -SHOOTER MEETS BULL-SHOOTER—when marksman Frank Butler
(Jim Newman) meets Wild West show -owner Col. Buffalo Bill Cody (Jim Higgins) in
"Annie Get Your Gun" to open November 13 et L.D.S.S. Auditorium.
(MIDDLE LEFT) OVERNIGHT CELEBRITY world championship sharpshooter Annie
(Lynn Kerr) is really still an unrefined hillbilly girl who creates quite a stir at a society
ball. Lynn is pictured third from !eft among ballroom guests Jalna,Calguhoun, Jack
Brown and Keith Moore.
(BOTTOM LEFT) THE CAST includes a number of children. Posing for this are Mae
Helene Trainor, Ryan McLean and Kent Trainor.