Get ready for some rootin?, tootin?, shootin? fun next week as Oxford High School proudly present’s Irving Berlins ‘Annie Get Your Gun? for their spring musical.
Annie Get Your Gun tells the story of Annie Oakley, an illiterate hillbilly with a knack for shooting guns. Persuaded to join Buffalo Bill’s traveling Wild West Show, she soon falls hopelessly in love with Frank Butler, the show’s featured shooting ace.
But when Annie eclipses Frank as the show’s main attraction, she realizes she’ll have to make some hard choices if she wants to win the man she loves.
The show will be directed by Oxford resident Kelly Brock, who also directed Oxford Communities Theater’s production of ‘Tom Sawyer? in 2009.
This is Brock’s first show working with the students at OHS. ‘It’s been a lot of fun working with the students and getting to know them,? she said.
‘It is different working with high school students; it promotes different challenges than working at the collegiate level, but I was ready for that and as a director, it stretches me working with students of different ages and everything.?
Brock said the version the audience will see on stage might not have all of the songs from the original version, but with a surprise twist at the end, audience members should be delighted with the adaptation.
‘It has changed since the audience has changed,? said Brock about Annie Get Your Gun, which first appeared on Broadway at the Imperial Theater in 1946.
Annie will be played by Mallory Skilling, while Frank Butler will be played by Eric Paruszkiewicz. This is Paruszkiewicz’s first performance, while Skilling previously played little orphan Annie in the 2009 musical ‘Annie.?
Sophomore Scott Skilling and junior Shawn Wassell will play rival traveling show owner’s Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill respectively.
Annie Get Your Gun will run from Thursday, March 24 – Saturday, March 26. All showtimes will begin at 7 p.m., along with a Saturday matinee performance at 2 p.m.
Reserved seating tickets are $10; general admission tickets for adults are $7 and general admission for students is $5. All Oxford students receive free general admission tickets when accompanied by a parent.
There will also be a special dessert performance on Wednesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 for all seats. To order tickets, call the ticket hotline at (248) 969-5321 or visit www.oxfordmusical.com