REVIEW: 'Annie Get Your Gun' at Senior Center for the Arts

With leaden pacing, uninspired direction, clumsily executed choreography and the lack of chemistry among the cast's principals, Annie Get Your Gun--now onstage at the Senior Center for the Arts' Nashville Dinner Theatre--may well be one of the season's biggest disappointments.

One of the most memorable shows in musical theatre history, Annie Get Your Gun is Irving Berlin's masterpiece, including some of the best songs ever written for the stage; unfortunately, it also has one of the creakiest books ever written to accompany those wonderful tunes. Although that script was updated and re-tooled for the 1999 Broadway revival, SCA decided to go with the older (probably from the 1966 revival), lamer and (we hate to say it) more racist version. It was not a good choice, particularly when the 1999 revival script is available; its judicious editing resulted in a tighter script and a quicker pace to make the show more palatable to contemporary audiences-especially in 2009.

To be sure, Berlin's songs are as wonderful as ever, but the performances seem lackluster and no matter how great the songs are, inartful delivery will render them pointless ("They Say It's Wonderful" and "Old-Fashioned Wedding") and rather inane ("I'll Share It All With You" and "Who Do You Love, I Hope"). Even Berlin's theatrical anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business" lacks its customary, and expected, emotional jolt. Coupled with the dated book by the brother-and-sister team of Dorothy and Herbert Fields, which is racist in its stereotypical depiction and heavy-handed treatment of Native Americans, this production comes across like a high school production of the second level. Again, I ask: Why didn't the producers use the Peter Stone-revised script that effectively excised those racist overtones while retaining the show's charm and humor?

Directed by Jane Kelley Watt, who also handles the musical direction, Annie Get Your Gun seems under-rehearsed and the ensemble seems uncertain throughout the two-and-a-half-hour show. This is a big show and her split focus may have resulted in Watt being over-extended. (I must admit that I have enjoyed a long professional and personal relationship and friendship with Jane Kelley Watt and writing this is no walk in the park for me.) Clearly, she is one of the most prolific and most capable people actively pursuing a theatrical career in Nashville (and this is her fifth production of Annie Get Your Gun to date), but this production would have benefited if she'd passed off one of her hats to someone else.

Choreography duties were handled by Kate Adams Johnson, certainly the busiest choreographer in town, whose past work has been exemplary. However, in Annie Get Your Gun, her dance steps seem rather pedestrian and none of the big dance numbers show much energy or inventiveness. The show's opening "Colonel Buffalo Bill," during which the cast enters through the audience, lacked the feeling of excitement needed and when the scene morphs into "There's No Business Like Show Business" there's a lack of cohesion and fluidity.

Donna Driver and Kevin Driver are cast in the pivotal roles of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler and despite the fact that the two are married in real life, onstage they display little if any chemistry, which is needed for the musical to work on many levels. Both of the Drivers have nice voices, but there's something lacking in their duets ("Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" is the prime example). Donna Driver's "Moonshine Lullaby" shows what she is capable of, but the promise of that number is lost in "You Can Get a Man With a Gun," which is sadly lacking. That very same contrast can be seen in Kevin Driver's pleasing rendition of "The Girl That I Marry" and the lumbering "My Defenses Are Down" that is stultifyingly performed and embarrasingly choreographed.

Two of the second leads fare much better: John Pyka is an impressive Buffalo Bill, although he appears to be a shade too young (what's with the dark brown wig?). However, he gives the larger than life portrayal that is expected of the master showman/entrepreneur. Charley Roman, as Buffalo Bill's right-hand man Charlie Davenport, gives a confident and assured performance, and both men give two of the production's best vocal performances.

Lloyd Mullins emerges as an effective Sitting Bull, despite the dated script. As Dolly Tate, Beverly Grant is shrewish and unlikable (again due in large part to the script) although she gamely tries to infuse her character with good humor. Melissa Pardo is the production's most gifted dancer and she shows an eagerness and verve as the show's soubrette Winnie Tate. Richard Sparkman is fine as her "half-breed" suitor Tommy Keeler, although their musical numbers lack the spark necessary to win the audience's affections.

Some of the show's shortcomings may be explained by second-night letdown, so the company has time during the run to get back into the groove and to deliver a production that's high-spirited and rollicking. While it's easy to say "this is just a community theatre production" and pass off any problems as simply that, this show's pedigree (Berlin's score, Watt's direction and musical direction, Adams-Johnson's choreography and SCA's production resume) leaves its audience expecting--and wanting--much, much more.

--Annie Get Your Gun. Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields. Arranged by Peter Stone. Directed by Jane Kelley Watt. Musical direction by Jane Kelley Watt. Choreographed by Kate Adams-Johnson. Produced by Jane Schnelle and Richard Sparkman. At the Nashville Dinner Theatre at the Senior Center for the Arts, Donelson. Through October 18. For reservations, call (615) 883-8375. Visit the company website at www.seniorcenterarts.org.

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