Download Capitol Theatre`s Annie Get Your Gun

August 2005
Capitol Theatre’s Annie Get Your Gun
Retiring Capitol Theatre Manager, Marg Stacey, describes how the Summer
Youth Theatre project benefited from receiving a 2005 grant from the Osprey
Community Foundation.
A big thank you to the Osprey Community Foundation for supporting last month’s ‘Annie Get
Your Gun’ production. The Foundation’s grant went toward sponsoring the student musicians.
The show is a musically embellished true account of the life of American sure shot Annie
Oakley, her champion sharpshooter husband Frank Butler, Chief Sitting Bull, and Colonel
William Cody, known familiarly as Buffalo Bill. The songs are catchy household tunes now,
such as “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Anything You Can Do I Can Do
Better”. It’s a love story.
Eighteen year old Sarah Higgins, Nelson resident and University of Calgary theatre student
with a mighty powerful stage voice, shone in the role of Annie like her Broadway predecessors
Reba MacIntyre, Bernadette Peters and Ethel Merman. Niko Bell played Buffalo Bill with
dramatic panache, and Joel White rose to the challenge of the swaggering Frank Butler. Even
though there are a few main roles in this show, the directors know how to make everybody in the
chorus and supporting roles shine.
It’s a complicated show to do because of the many scenes and huge number of Victorian
properties and costumes that have to be used by the young cast on stage. The production
involved 29 participants from 12 to 18, a couple of young musicians, several student volunteer
assistants on the production side and a university intern in the costume department. Geoff Burns,
award-winning drama teacher, served as stage director, Canadian soprano and community choir
director Allison Girvan directed the music, veteran dance instructor Lynette Lightfoot
choreographed the show, and Douglas Scott designed it This is an amazing artistic and
instructional team that keeps the students coming, keeps them working their hardest, and keeps
them laughing while they do it.
The Capitol’s summer theatre experience is a unique program because it has the backing of
the community, a charitable society, a facility, a staff, dedicated volunteers and now an 18 year
track record of honing it to a perfect composition that benefits young people in so many ways.
Without all these support elements, the summer theatre would not have become the legendary
teaching tradition that we now see. In fact, it is a school where the benefits of increased selfesteem, skill enhancement and teamwork training are the outcomes. It is proof that when the
process is good, the product will follow in excellence.
The program embraces many levels of ability - not just young stars - we have had participants
with handicaps of financial need, medical and psychological issues. Every year we have had at
least one foreign student in the cast, whose English is amazingly improved through working in
the theatre while they make new friends. It's a place of acceptance for all, whether their parts are
large or small.
As this is my last summer as production manager and facility manager, the Annie show was a
wonderful way to retire from the theatre; this is the Capitol's program that I do love best of all.
Not only does it create future audiences, but it teaches a critical awareness of theatre's role and
content.
Once upon a time, an anonymous donor believed in the programs at the Capitol Theatre and
began the fund within the Osprey Community Foundation. We invite others to support the fund
so it can become the Capitol’s Nest Egg for future young participants.
For more information about the Osprey Community Foundation check out the website:
www.ospreycommunityfoundation.ca
or phone Foundation President Bruce Morrison at 352-7777