The Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society will stage a new production of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun at the Artscape Theatre next month.
The show will be staged by award-winning director Teddy Davies, with musical direction by Alastair Cockburn. Roxy Levy will choreograph the many dance numbers and Keith Anderson will design the sets, with costumes co-ordination and lighting design by Heather Earp-Jones and Fahiem Bardien respectively.
The show is based on a true story. Annie Oakley (Tracey Petersen or Stacey Rae) is the best shot around and manages to support her little brother and sisters by selling the game she hunts.
When she is discovered by Buffalo Bill (Shaun Browne) and his manager, Charlie Davenport (Andrew Weiss), they persuade this sharpshooter to join their Wild West show. It takes only one glance for her to fall head over heels for dashing shooting ace Frank Butler (Gary Mahnke/Selim Kagee), who headlines the show, assisted by Dolly (Lisa Wener), his blowsy, brassy sidekick.
Annie soon eclipses Butler as the main attraction - which, while good for business, is bad for romance.
Butler hightails it off to join Pawnee Bill's (Mike Tompson) rival show, his bruised male ego leading the way, but is ultimately pitted against Annie in a final shoot-out.
Other important roles are Chief Sitting Bull (Brian Commins) and hotel owner Foster Wilson (Mike Tompson) and Mac (Wayne Tucker).
There is a large singing and dancing ensemble (including three alternating casts of children) and musical highlights include You Can't Get a Man With A Gun, They Say It's Wonderful, Doin' What Comes Natur'lly, I Got the Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night, Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better and the show-biz anthem There's No Business Like Show Business.
Booking: Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat, 021 421 7695.