Annie Get Your Gun

For the 3rd time in less than a calendar year, Ella got to take the stage in a musical production!  This spring she was thrilled to land a part as Nellie Oakley, Annie Oakley's little sister, in our high school's performance of Annie Get Your Gun.  Now, this was a full length play-- with 9 scenes, 19 songs, about 35 cast members, and a million lines and lyrics to learn.  It had many long practices, sometimes going pretty late at night.  It was not without its share of stress and really hard work, but being on this side of performance weekend, we are all still on a high!  The play was PHENOMENAL, thanks to the many gifted people who worked tirelessly to help the kids on stage really shine.  People like our amazing director, fun choreographers, a group of stage moms who do the sets and costumes, and an insanely talented cast, including our lead, Megan, who I'm convinced has a future in acting or singing!

This play was two and a half hours long and Ella was not in all of it, so here are some pictures of just her scenes (which I think were some of the most fun!).

We meet the Oakley family in all their hillbilly glory.  They sing "Doin' What Comes Naturally".  We learn that Annie is a very talented marks-woman.

Annie inadvertently challenges Frank Butler to a shooting contest.  Awkward, since she actually really likes him!  He's got a fancy set up with assistants and props.  Annie has an old shotgun, a fertilizer bag, and her scruffy little siblings.  But, she wins the contest!

She is offered a job with Frank Butler in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, learning what show business is from the song "There's No Business Like Show Business".  She takes her little brother and sisters on the road with her, including train rides across the country.  In this scene Annie is singing the littles to sleep with the song "Moonshine Lullaby".  We joked that Ella has a special knack for sleeping convincingly on stage!

To win Frank's heart, Annie plans a very special display of shooting.  This was Ella's hardest job on stage-- pulling a VERY heavy horse, with Annie riding it, around the stage as Annie shot balloons off the heads of people in the audience.

The trick was a success, but unfortunately Annie's great skill makes Frank insecure, so he leaves her.

Lot of drama and romance in the second act, but in the exciting conclusion, Annie and Frank battle it out with the song "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" and then another shooting match in which they both choose to lose in order to win the other back.

The play was performed 3 nights and on 2 of the nights, the cast took their bows to standing ovations!!  This was a thrill for Ella!

Some pictures with friends on closing night.  Below is Megan, who played Annie, and who actually became a dear friend to Ella-- something so special since she is a high school senior!  Megan is an outstanding young lady, who shines brightly on stage and off.  She really made an effort to mentor the younger members of the cast and went out of her way to text me regularly, from telling me Ella got the part the day the cast list went up, to checking on her the morning after she got sick backstage one night, to repeatedly telling me how much she loved and admired Ella.  We just love Megan and wish her all the best in the future!

So, the curtain closes on yet another busy play season.  These are lifelong memories Ella is making and skills she's developing.  It's SO much work, but we're happy to invest in this passion of hers.  Next fall's high school play has already been announced-- it's Singin' In the Rain.  And you can bet Ella plans to be a part of it!