REVIEW 'Annie Get Your Gun' hits bull's-eye

Remaining performances deserve to have sold-out audiences.
By GARRY L. CLARK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The bar was raised Friday night on the quality of community theater in the area as the New Castle Playhouse presented a rip-roaring' knock-your-socks-off opening performance of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun."
Stellar performances by every single person in the large cast made this production a real treat for both the eyes and ears of the near-capacity audience who peppered the performance with frequent applause and rose to its feet for a rousing standing ovation at the curtain call.
Director Michael Cavalier has done a perfect job of casting this rousing feel-good musical about the romance of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler, and adding to the magic of the flawless performance was stunning choreography by Julie Garda.
Oakley's rise from a young, unkempt backwoods woman who also happens to be a crack shot to a legendary sharpshooting star with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show is a joy to watch as she teaches fellow sharpshooter Butler a thing or two about both shooting and falling in love. And, of course, through it all, Annie learns a thing or two, too.
Cast
Tammy Mathas gave a scintillating performance as Annie, but knows "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun." Mathas' beautiful voice rang out throughout the performance.
Also in perfect form was her co-star, Patrick Erkman as Butler, whose virtuoso performance and singing were delightful.
Perfect comedic timing attended the efforts of Neal Edman as Charlie Davenport and Lynn Nelson Rafferty as Dolly Tate, and Emily Clark, Cierra Vandervort and Andrew DiCerbo as Annie's young siblings gave wise-beyond-their-years performances in addition to just being adorable.
Phillip Clark Jr. was the epitome of his character as Buffalo Bill, and also turning in outstanding performances were Brady Flamino as Pawnee Bill and Hans Kraus as Chief Sitting Bull.
The athletic dancing of the ensemble was as excellent as their singing, and also boasted quite a few up-and-coming young men -- a lack of whom sometimes plagues community theaters.
Rounding out the cast were Bill Gallagher, TC Nedzelski, Matthew Egbert, Bradley Levine, Louis Goodrich, Ryan Jones, Daniel Marlin, Joshua Genova, Janet Falotico-Nedzelski, Mary Turner, Justin Bell, Jenise Brown, Dani Conway, Nancy L. Dietz, Casey Rae Falotico, Bonnie Humphrey, Blaise Jenkins, Terrilyn Massaro, Coy Price, Rebecca Roberts, Christina Sansone, Randy Sansone and Bryana Servedio.
NCP's "Annie Get Your Gun" is as fine a production as one can find anywhere in this region and deserves sold-out audiences through all remaining performances.
clark@vindy.com