Annie Get Your Gun (1946 - )

Photographer unknown: Beth Dean in the J.C. Williamson production of 'Annie get your gun', 1947

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The Australian production of Annie Get your Gun, an enterprise of the J. C. Williamson organisation, opened in Melbourne on 19 July 1947. Its first season in Australia just over twelve months after its Broadway premiere heralded the arrival in this country of the new, post-World War II Broadway musical.

In 1947, as was common practice at the time, the J. C. Williamson organisation had endeavoured to find a leading lady overseas to play the role of Annie Oakley, the sharpshooter on whose life the musical was freely based. Instead they found the right person in Australia, local vaudeville star Evie Hayes. Born in America, Evie Hayes had been in Australia since 1938 with her husband Will Mahoney performing in vaudeville on the Tivoli Circuit. Together they had established the Cremorne Theatre in Brisbane as a famous variety venue. Hayes' success in Annie Get Your Gun was instant and she went on to play the role for six years and give over 3,500 performances. Other leading roles in Annie Get Your Gun were cast with imported actors most of whom returned home to America at the end of the run.

The original Australian production of 1947 saw, however, the arrival in Australia of Beth Dean and Victor Carell both of whom would remain in the country at the end of the season and go on, as husband and wife, to make a significant contribution to the development of dance in Australia. In Annie Get Your Gun Dean played the role of the Riding Mistress, and Carell that of Foster Wilson. 'Ladies of the ballet' for the 1947 production were from the Jennie Brenan Academy.

In the revival of the work in 1952 Dean's role was danced by Betty Pounder, who also reproduced the dances and ensembles from the original production. Pounder again reproduced the dances for the 1963 revival when she also directed the work.

For a National Library of Australia holdings list and a brief performance history of the work in Australia see Annie get your gun - Australian seasons, 1947-1963.

See also: Brenan, Jennie ; Dean, Beth ; J. C. Williamson Ltd. ; Pounder, Betty

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Other resources

Find more about Annie Get Your Gun in:

• Internet - Google
• Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
• Pictures - Picture Australia