Welcome to the Show! 

There's No Business Like Show Business

Indeed!

For the first time in many years Central students and staff (supported by parents) are hard at work on a production of one of Broadway's long-time favorites, "Annie Get Your Gun." A great 1946 musical by Irving Berlin (based on a book of the same name by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy), the original Broadway hit ran 1,147 performances. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860-1926), who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.

By the way, Annie Oakley was a real person - her real name was Phoebe Ann Mosey - whose starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show made her one of the first female American superstars.

The production fulfills a long-term desire of Ben Blazer, music director, who performed in "Annie Get Your Gun" in high school. The show will become a reality soon with the support of music department chair Stephen Wilensky, other faculty members and departments as well as the school administration.

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The Making of a Musical: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

When we say "hard at work," we really mean it. Since it's a musical, not just a play or a recital, there are essentially two intricate performances that need to be melded together. The production takes a cast of about 60 students - actors, singers, orchestra pit players, costume assemblers and others. Support comes from the art department (sets), music department and even the physical education department (Susan Marinari as seamstress). According to Stephen Wilensky, music department chair, in his many years at Central, this is the biggest multiple-department collaborative effort in the arts.

When you watch early rehearsals of a show like this one, you wonder how a cohesive performance will ever come to pass. Improvisations, innovations, corrections and adjustments are made on the fly. As rehearsals progress, there is less reading from the script on stage and you notice that things move more smoothly. Students begin to rehearse on their own while waiting for the session to start. Chaos is reduced and the show begins to gel.

Rehearsals for the different acts take place each Monday through Thursday, usually in the auditorium. It's a very tight and demanding schedule. And it's not as if the students and teachers have all that much spare time; there is no letup in academic requirements just for the musical. Participation in the production, like taking part in athletics, requires that students maintain academic standards.

According to stage manager Hannah Utain-Evan, 270 (headed for DePaul University), it's "both fun and a pain in the neck" to help run the show. While the pain fades as soon as the real performance starts, she advises that it can be difficult keeping everybody "on board".

Ankit Dahal, 271, member of a trio of cowboys, is climbing the proverbial performance ladder. "Annie Get Your Gun" is his second Central performance.  He refers to the first one as being "a bit scary."  However, Clair Adams, 273, is a veteran of the stage and has been taking part in performances since elementary school. And she should be, as she tells us that "mom and dad met in theater" and both continue to be involved.

Take in the show and see the results for yourself!