Stage review: 'Annie Get Your Gun' is wonderful

"ANNIE GET YOUR GUN," through July 17, Rodgers Memorial Theatre (801-298-1302); running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (one intermission)

CENTERVILLE — As the prerecorded music for "Annie Get Your Gun" started, I found myself thinking, "You just can't go wrong with Irving Berlin."

And you really can't.

Song after song, from "There's No Business Like Show Business" to "I Got the Sun in the Morning." Each song makes you want to sing along — I'd be lying if I said I didn't pause for a moment and think, "Why isn't anyone writing music like that anymore?"

But moving on, Maurie Tarbox has directed a very fun, energetic telling of the classic tale about a couple of hard-nosed sharp-shooters: The dashing Frank Butler and the only woman around who can hold her own against him, Annie Oakley.

There is so much that works well in the Rodgers production, making for an entertaining evening.

First of all, the talent — Weber State students Angela Jeffries and Kyle Olsen (double cast with April Ann Lindgren and B.J. Whimpey) played the gunslingers on Friday night. Both have marvelous voices, doing wonderful justice to the soaring Berlin score.

The only thing better than their respective solos ("You Can't Get a Man With a Gun," and "My Defenses Are Down") are the times they're on stage together — building a believable budding romance.

Dave Hill as the down-on-his-luck Buffalo Bill, Brian M. Gardner as his sidekick, Charlie, and the three kids all contribute nicely, creating likable characters.

Rodgers kept the action moving by cleverly covering the many set changes the show requires with song or dance, and it worked well.

Throw into the mix clever staging (especially Annie's world tour), some fun special effects (Annie's gun trick) a great shooting match between Oakley and Butler, and colorful period costumes (Shelley Davies and Tannie Flammer) and you've got your money's worth.

There were only a couple of glitches. On Friday night, the actors seemed to struggle when they began singing with the minus track, missing the first few words or several songs. Perhaps they couldn't hear it or didn't have enough rehearsal time with the finished track, but that will likely mellow as the run progresses.

I would also like to see the poster of Annie hung on the side wall of the stage, rather than directly upstage — we only get to see Annie's back as she marvels at seeing herself on a poster for the first time.