Annie Get Your Gun — Piano & Theory Lessons

Annie Get Your Gun

The Hutt News of the 21st January 1948 tells of how “Annie get Your Gun” is having a record run in Melbourne. It states that ‘the show is unusual, though it is a song and dance concoction. It is full of pep, with gorgeous dressing and the Indian dance scene is the best since the totem pole hit of ‘Rose Marie’’.

Rogers and Hammerstein were the show’s producers of the initial Broadway production. This production cost $300,000 which meant that it had to run for at least eight months so the investors could be paid back and the weekly running costs covered. The play was written by siblings Herbert and Dorothy Fields and the music was written by Irving Berlin. This production had Ethel Merman in the title role.

In the Ashburton Guardian on the 27th July 1949 there is an article about the J.C. Williamson production of “Annie Get Your Gun”, a production that had just completed its third year in Australia would begin its tour of New Zealand in September 1949.

On the 13th October Evie Hayes, the star of “Annie Get Your Gun” gave a talk at a meeting of the Travel Club at the D.I.C in Christchurch.

In the Press dated 14th October 1949 there is an article about a mannequin parade of clothing at the DP.I.C. tearooms in Christchurch. The parade was arranged to aid the funds of the Young Contingent of the Victoria League food for Britain parcels. Evie Hayes, the actress who played “Annie” in “Annie Get Your Gun” opened the parade and she was accompanied by many members of the cast, some of whom acted as mannequins (think models).

In the Otago Daily Times dated 28th October 1949 there is an article concerning Evie Hayes, the actress in the leading role of “Annie Get Your Gun”. It covers how she believes in being well groomed on and off the stage. Some of her clothes were designed by Norman Hartnell and Jacques Faith. It goes on to tell of Evie Hayes first appearing on stage at the age of six. Later she worked in films but late returned to the stage. Shooting, it tells, was her main hobby and she had won several trophies for her ability with a gun, so, as it says ‘so in the role of “Annie” she is much in her element.

Evie Hayes who sang the role of Annie Oakley in the New Zealand production in 1949 stated that the role was one of the most demanding ever written. On the 5th November 1949 Evie Hayes had by then performed the role about 900 times. In the Otago Daily Times on the 8th November 1949 there is a comprehensive report of how the costumes are cleaned and maintained for the show. In the 15th November 1949 Otago Daily Times it tells of a party of 80 members of the “Annie Get Your Gun” company being entertained by the Dunedin Travel Club. They went on a motor drive and had afternoon tea at the Brown House.

On the 1st December 1949 the Otago Daily Times it discusses the film version of “Annie Get Your Gun”. It states ‘Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought “Annie Get Your Gun” in 1947 for $650,000. It has gone before the cameras for the second time with Betty Hutton as the new leading woman and George Sidney as the new director. Although Metro spent four weeks and close to $500,000 on the project last April with Judy Garland as the star and Busby Berkeley as the director, none of the footage filmed will be used now. Except for the switch in the Annie Oakely role, the cast will remain the same”. (The actor who played Buffalo Bill had died at the time of the writing of the article). It goes on to state that Miss Garland was disciplined for walking off the set.

In the Gisborne Herald on the 15th April 1950 there is an article about the length of time that “Annie get Your Gun” has run at the Coliseum in London. It had been announced that it will be closed on the 1st May after 1304 performances and during that time nearly 2,500,500 people had seen it.

On the 4th March 1949, the newspaper the Gisborne Herald informs their readers that Australian commercial radio stations have banned 175 records which were deemed to be “unsuitable for broadcasting”. One performer, Ronald Frankau had 86 songs banned. Some of the titles of his songs included “If I were a dic-dictator”, “Brevity is the Soul of Wheat” and “She hit him on the Head with a Hammer”. Four songs that are included in this list come from “Annie Get Your Gun”. These four songs are “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun”, “I’m an Indian Too”, “Doin’ what Comes Naturally” and “I’m Going to Move to the Outskirts of Town”.

The ballet dancers, part of the performers in “Annie Get Your Gun”, formed a company so that they could give afternoon ballet recitals while the show was on tour. These dancers wanted relief from the routines that they were performing in the show. In their spare time they practiced classical and modern ballet, partly to keep themselves in practice and because of their love of dancing. In this company there were eight female and eight male dancers.

The Otago Daily Times dated 23rd November 1950 informs their readers ‘after seeing “Annie Get Your Gun’ 89-year-old William H. McDonald, an American banker, who lent Buffalo Bill Cody 4000 dollars to start his first travelling show, had a word of criticism: Ethel Merman and Betty Hutton were far more lively than the real Annie Oakley. As her remembered her, she “was a nice quiet little woman”.

In the Press dated 20th December 1973 the pupils of Medbury School, their readers are told, performed “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Dame Ngaio Marsh Theatre. By doing so they raised $100 for the Commonwealth Games fund. The school wanted the money to be used for a tangible purpose, so it was suggested that it be spend on paying for the shooting medals at the event.

In the Press dated the 21st February 1989 there is an interesting article about the Christchurch Operatic Society requesting turkey feathers for an upcoming show. This show included an item from “Annie Get Your Gun”. It states ‘’ turkey feathers are sought because ordinary hen’s feathers would be too small and eagles are just a bit scarce around these parts’.

www.paperspast.natlib.nz