'Annie Get Your Gun' provides some good old-fashioned fun

When I was a wee little thing, I was a pretty good shot. At Golden Arrow Day Camp my counselor deemed me "little Annie Oakley." So you could imagine my curiosity with "Annie Get Your Gun" in town.\nThis is a show I had never seen before, so I really had no preconceived notions about the premise or even the music -- although for the record I must state that the one song I do love is "Anything You Can Do," and I eagerly awaited its catchy music and spunky lyrics. But since the song came at the end of the show, I figured that I would just get comfortable and enjoy it from the start.\nThe premise of the show is a basic love story. But there are some plot twists and gender role deviations along the way. The show focuses on the telling the love story between Frank Butler (played by Stephen Valahovic), and Annie Oakley (played by Bonnie Estes). Frank is a good-looking, hot-headed sharp shooter. He is the hallmark of Buffalo Bill's (played by Chris McDaniel) traveling show. The show tours from town to town showing off various acts, including a "shoot-out" between Frank and the town's best shooter. Frank vows that he can outshoot any poor sap from any old town. That is, until he meets Annie Oakley.\nYep, you guessed it. Annie Oakley shows Frank up. This illiterate, redheaded country girl proves that she can shoot with the best of them. She is even invited to join Buffalo Bill's cast as Frank's assistant.\nLike every classic love story, this one follows suit. Girl meets boy, girl swoons over boy, girl beats boy in shooting match, boy's ego is damaged by girl, but boy and girl fall in love anyway. After Annie joins the show, her place in Frank's shadow is quickly replaced by a place in the spotlight. Suddenly, this uncultured country bumpkin is shooting better than the best shot -- in fancy-fitted dresses nonetheless.\nBut as Annie's shooting improves, Frank's self-esteem hits rock bottom. Suddenly he is no longer the best shot around -- his title has been usurped by a girl. So he leaves Buffalo Bill's show to join another where he can reign supreme.\nDespite Frank's damaged ego and Annie's rise to stardom, the two manage to fall in love with each other. And they manage to put their differences aside. Well…after they have one last shooting match. \nJackpot, I get to hear my song. \nA musical fight erupts. Annie claims that anything Frank can do she can do better, and of course Frank is having none of this claptrap. So they duke it out -- rifle style. But since Annie's gun has been tampered with she misses her shots. And since Frank decides to swallow his ego for the sake of love, he misses his shots as well. The match is a draw, and the two happy hunters can gallop off into the sunset.\nAll in all, the show was cute. The actors looked like they were having a grand old time. Like the opening song says, "there's no business like show business," and the acting really proved it. They danced and sang like they really meant it.\nAlthough I wished that Valahovic had spread that enthusiasm throughout some of his songs, such as "The Girl That I Marry," he had a lovely and passionate voice. And while Estes was animated on stage, she went a little flat during some of her singing. But I was impressed that she managed to stay in character so well. She was an extremely convincing Annie Oakley, especially when singing "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun."\nMcDaniel had some pretty impressive talents. Not only was his acting great, but man, could he twirl a lasso and crack a whip. Those techniques made me feel like I was watching a real traveling western show instead of a traveling troupe of performers.\nThe ensemble, which included IU graduates Chris Klink, Joe Komara and Brendt Reil, also did a great job. They just looked like they were having such a great time. It made me smile and want to get on stage with them.\nThe characters Charlie Davenport, played by Maclain Looper, and Dolly Tate, played by Ann Mathews, were also a lot of fun. Dolly, Frank's original assistant before Annie, had the voice of a southern belle but was stuck up. Charlie was the director of the Wild West Show and, as part of his role, had a spotlight put on him as he called out each scene for the rest of the cast to set up.\nThe costumes were right out of the "Old West." Everything from leather chaps to bustles could be seen up on that stage. The scenery, while there wasn't a lot of it, included a train (complete with girls from the ensemble acting as the wheels) and a couple of tents, which added to the authenticity of the show.\n"Annie Get Your Gun" was just a downright fun show to watch. Although the singing didn't always hit the target, it was fast-paced with catchy musical numbers and nice choreography. "Annie Get Your Gun" made me proud to be "little Annie Oakley.\nIDS Arts Editor Jamie Sanders contributed to this story.