<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16890" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">‘Annie Get Your Gun’
is loaded with talent, but misfires <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This
review appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Times </I>papers
7/30/09</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Annie Get Your Gun</I>, which premiered on
Broadway in 1946 and is currently on the Porthouse Theatre stage, is a musical
comedy relic.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It
is the type of old-fashioned show where characters are broadly drawn
caricatures, dialogue largely serves to segue from one song to the next, and the
songs are usually ballads or the stuff large production numbers are made
of.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It offers the classic “boy
meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl” scenario amidst a frothy, creaky
storyline set to music.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
thing is, there is something quite charming and genuinely endearing about relics
whose music and lyrics are written by maestro Irving Berlin, resulting in some
of the best, most evergreen show tunes ever created.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">While
dated in form and formula, this show is nonetheless chockfull of comedy and
showmanship that continues to hold its own.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Although
the story goes nowhere, director Terri Kent, choreographer MaryAnn Black, music
conductor Jonathan Swoboda and costume designer Judith Picard Cronk make sure it
goes nowhere fast and very well appointed.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
story is a fictionalized account of real life old west sharpshooter Annie
Oakley.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After leaving a rustic,
back woods existence to join Buffalo Bill's travelling “<SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Wild West Show<I>,”</I></SPAN> she falls
hopelessly in love with smooth-talking Frank Butler, the show's featured
marksman.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When Annie becomes the
main attraction, Frank’s ego gets bruised and the two part ways, only to be
reunited in a huge production number. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>This play is all
about Annie and Frank, and the Porthouse production is blessed with two
exceptionally talented performers playing the leads—Kayce Cummings and Fabio
Polanco.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Last season,
Cummings was wonderful as Marian in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The
Music Man</I> and Hope in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Anything
Goes</I>, but she is miscast as Annie.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>She possesses an absolutely gorgeous voice that fully embraces Berlin’s
melodic songs, but it is much too gorgeous for this role.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Buffalo Bill would have featured Annie
Oakley in a cabaret act instead of a shooting exhibition.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While singing, Cummings loses all
semblance of the rough-and-tumble personality that comes through in her acting,
which beautifully showcases Berlin’s tunes but detracts from this
production.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Polanco has a
related problem as Frank.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He, too,
has an exceptional singing voice.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Although he manages to communicate his character’s playfulness through
songs like “Anything You Can Do,” he is oddly flat the rest of the time.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He never achieves that “big lug”
persona, or the charm and virility that go along with it.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He struts and frets, but generates no
chemistry with Cummings, which makes the “boy gets girl” part of the dramatic
trilogy a non-issue.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>In thankless
supporting roles, Robert Ellis as Sitting Bull, Marc Moritz as rodeo agent
Charlie Davenport, and Dick Reiss as Buffalo Bill are wonderfully
one-dimensional.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Brian Duncan and
Alyssa Bruno, as the naïve young lovers Tommy and Winnie, are adorable. MaryAnn
Black, as Frank’s nasty on-stage assistant Dolly, tries way too hard to do way
too much with what is written for her.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This production
of <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Annie Get Your Gun</I> is very pretty
to look at and a pleasure to listen to.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Though dusted off, polished and well oiled by the Porthouse players and
staff, it remains a corny, old-fashioned entertainment.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If this happens to be your cup of
sassafras, it is playing through August 9 </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN">inside the
pastoral Cuyahoga Valley National Park by the Blossom Music Center.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>