GNTC (Great Northern Theatre Company) presents the great Broadway show Annie Get Your Gun primarily based on the life of Phoebe Ann Mosey. She was born in a log cabin in 1860 in Ohio. She fired her first shot at the age of 8 and by age 12 was the chief provider for her big family by selling wild game to a Cincinnati hotel owner.
The recognition of this superb small shooter exploded all though Ohio and the mid-west when she beat Frank Butler, vaudeville's champ marksman and trick shot. They married a year later and were brought to the attention of the genius owner of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She modified her name to Oakley to honor a pal from Ohio.
Touring Europe with the Wild West Show in 1887, Annie twice gave private demonstrations for Queen Victoria, defeated Grand Duke Michael of Russia in a match prepared by the Prince of Wales, and in Berlin shot a cigar from the lips of Kaiser Wilhelm. After career ending train accident, Annie retired from the Wild West Show in 1901. She starred in a Broadway play, THE WESTERN GIRL, in 1902 and '03 and continued to perform at charity events?Annie Oakley never refused a Charity request if the beneficiaries were orphaned girls, deserving young women, or actors.
Annie Oakley's accomplishments as a sharpshooter are over-the-top. At 30 paces she shot a cent from between her husband's thumb and forefinger with a .22 rifle and with this weapon could hit two-inch flying balls by sighting them in the shiny surface of a bowie knife. In one case she hit 943 out of 1000 flying balls in a rapid fire demonstration and, at the age of 56, using 3 double-barreled guns, punctured in midair 6 balls sprung from as many traps. Her gift was enshrined in the terminology of Broadway when, in the pre-computerized days of hard tickets that were collected at the door and sorted to add up the number of audience members, complimentary tickets were identified by the holes punched in them. They were called "Annie Oaklies" since they replicated the holes Annie shot in flying playing cards.
Annie Oakley died in Greenville, Ohio on November 3, 1926. Frank Butler died eighteen days later and are buried side by side in Brock Graveyard, only one or two miles from her birthplace.
The recognition of this superb small shooter exploded all though Ohio and the mid-west when she beat Frank Butler, vaudeville's champ marksman and trick shot. They married a year later and were brought to the attention of the genius owner of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She modified her name to Oakley to honor a pal from Ohio.
Touring Europe with the Wild West Show in 1887, Annie twice gave private demonstrations for Queen Victoria, defeated Grand Duke Michael of Russia in a match prepared by the Prince of Wales, and in Berlin shot a cigar from the lips of Kaiser Wilhelm. After career ending train accident, Annie retired from the Wild West Show in 1901. She starred in a Broadway play, THE WESTERN GIRL, in 1902 and '03 and continued to perform at charity events?Annie Oakley never refused a Charity request if the beneficiaries were orphaned girls, deserving young women, or actors.
Annie Oakley's accomplishments as a sharpshooter are over-the-top. At 30 paces she shot a cent from between her husband's thumb and forefinger with a .22 rifle and with this weapon could hit two-inch flying balls by sighting them in the shiny surface of a bowie knife. In one case she hit 943 out of 1000 flying balls in a rapid fire demonstration and, at the age of 56, using 3 double-barreled guns, punctured in midair 6 balls sprung from as many traps. Her gift was enshrined in the terminology of Broadway when, in the pre-computerized days of hard tickets that were collected at the door and sorted to add up the number of audience members, complimentary tickets were identified by the holes punched in them. They were called "Annie Oaklies" since they replicated the holes Annie shot in flying playing cards.
Annie Oakley died in Greenville, Ohio on November 3, 1926. Frank Butler died eighteen days later and are buried side by side in Brock Graveyard, only one or two miles from her birthplace.
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GNTC will hit the bullseye when it presents the music of Irving Berlin in the musical Annie Get Your Gun for 6 evening performances Aug 9-11th and August 15-17th at 7:30pm and one matinee on Sun., August 12th at 2pm in the recently air-conditioned Glanville Smith Auditorium.. The box office in front of the auditorium at Rocori Highschool opens TODAY July 17th for you to purchase your tickets in person and will be open Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30pm thru Aug 7th.
