Page snags role in Oakley bio

There’s something about outdoor theatre that actor and Port Moody resident Kimberly Page finds especially appealing.

Maybe it’s the sight of crowds gathered on the grass, on blankets and lawn chairs, enjoying a romantic date or a fun family outing under the warm summer sky.

Or maybe it’s the more unexpected guests, like the animals that come out to nibble on discarded crumbs and dripping cups of hot chocolate.

“It’s very fun,” said Page, who’s currently starring as Dolly Tate in Annie Get Your Gun. “You’re under the stars, you can bring food, it’s a great crowd pleaser.”

It’s also far from the first time Page has landed a role in the popular annual theatre event known as TUTS. Annie Get Your Gun is her ninth, with previous roles in two editions of Oklahoma!, Grease, Big, The Boyfriend, Sweet Charity and Fiddler on the Roof.

As Dolly, Page gets to inhabit a “very snooty, over-the-top character” in a classic story known for songs like “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Anything You Can Do.”

The 1946 musical is based on a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields about the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley. When the travelling Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show visits Ohio Oakley falls for its handsome star, Frank Butler, just before the two square off in a shooting match.

Annie wins, prompting an invitation to join the Wild West Show, but as her fame grows the romance between her and Frank cools. In one last duel Annie deliberately loses to Frank to soothe his ego, and the two marry.

Page’s character is not only Frank’s assistant, but she’s also smitten with the man.

“She wants Annie out of the picture, so she tries to do anything she can to get rid of Annie Oakley,” Page said. “I try to ‘fix’ her gun, to ruin her chances of winning a competition to get her out of town.”

Page grew up in Coquitlam and caught the acting bug at 13. After roles in school productions at Port Moody High she pursued an acting career but eventually decided to settle down to something a bit more predictable and started teaching acting and voice classes about 12 years ago.

In 2005 she opened her own acting school, the Broadway Bound Performing Arts Studio, where she continues teaching musical theatre, acting and singing.

“I’ve done a few shows now where my students have gotten into the shows as well,” she said. “It’s really neat to teach them at the studio and then they come into a professional show and work — they’re just so excited, and I get to see it through fresh eyes.”

• Annie Get Your Gun plays until Aug. 16 at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Tickets are $29 to $36, available at www.ticketstonight.ca or 604-684-2787 and at the door two hours before shows.

Annie Get Your Gun will be directed by Shel Piercy, the Choreographer is Shelley Stewart Hunt and the Musical Director is Wendy Bross Stuart. Other cast members include the talented Warren Kimmel as Frank Butler, Stephen Aberle, as Buffalo Bill, Meghan Anderssen as Annie Oakley along with 33 musical comedy performers.

Bring the whole family to Theatre Under the Stars and kick back, relax and enjoy an evening under the stars in Stanley Park. There are few treasures like this anywhere in the world.

Last year more than 35,000 people came to TUTS for the quintessential Vancouver summer experience. What could be better than a great musical under the stars?

For more information including food and beverages:www.tuts.ca Tickets available at the door 2 hours prior to show time. from TICKETS TONIGHT at HYPERLINK “http://www.ticketstonight.ca” \t “_blank” www.ticketstonight.ca or (604) 684-2787.

Showtimes: July 9 – August 16, shows are on alternating evenings, beginning with Annie Get Your Gun

8pm nightly,

7pm on Fireworks nights – July 23, 26, 30 & August 2

2pm Saturday Matinees – August 2 & 9

Ticket Prices: General Admission Reserved Seating

Adults $31.00 $36.00

Children 15 & under $29.00 $34.00

Groups rates -10 – 29 $29.00 $34.00

Kimberly Page’s number  cell number is 604-728-4992, she plays the role of Dolly Tate

 the tate sisters - there is another fabulous performer from your area,  Nicol Spinola - she plays Winnie Tate, Dolly tate’s sister (Kimberly Page)   that would be a fun story.  Nicola is also the Dance Captain and is the owner and Artistic Director of Paper Bag Productions  and a dance teach at many studios.

you could chat with both of them.  Nicol’s cell number is 604-767-3343

Kimberly Page who plays one of the leads, Dolly Tate In Annie Get Your Gun who lives in your area, would be a great story,  she is a grad of Port Moody and teaches at her performing arts studio along with Meghan Anderssen from Surrey, who plays Annie Oakley.

A Summer Tradition

Jesus Christ Superstar and Annie Get Your Gun

You know that summer is really here when Vancouver’s beloved Theatre Under the Stars opens at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. This summer’s productions will run alternating nights starting with “Jesus Christ Superstar” opening July 9th and closing August 16 and “Annie Get Your Gun” opening July 10th and closing August 15.

“ANNIE GET YOUR GUN:, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin is one of the most beloved musicals ever and has seen huge success as a Broadway revival. The book was revised by Peter Stone and is structured as a “show within a show” and the story takes on a modern perspective with Buffalo Bill telling his story of Annie Oakley from a different point of view than the original. Some of Broadway‘s most famous tunes come from this show – “I Can Do Anything Better than You”, “ I Got the Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night”, “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun” and the all time hit, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”. This rousing musical will have Vancouver on its feet. (or ready to two step!) .

Annie Get Your Gun will be directed by Shel Piercy, the Choreographer is Shelley Stewart Hunt and the Musical Director is Wendy Bross Stuart. Other cast members include the talented Warren Kimmel as Frank Butler, Stephen Aberle, as Buffalo Bill, Meghan Anderssen as Annie Oakley along with 33 musical comedy performers.

Bring the whole family to Theatre Under the Stars and kick back, relax and enjoy an evening under the stars in Stanley Park. There are few treasures like this anywhere in the world.

Last year more than 35,000 people came to TUTS for the quintessential Vancouver summer experience. What could be better than a great musical under the stars?

For more information including food and beverages:www.tuts.ca Tickets available at the door 2 hours prior to show time. from TICKETS TONIGHT at HYPERLINK “http://www.ticketstonight.ca” \t “_blank” www.ticketstonight.ca or (604) 684-2787.

Showtimes: July 9 – August 16, shows are on alternating evenings, beginning with Annie Get Your Gun

8pm nightly,

7pm on Fireworks nights – July 23, 26, 30 & August 2

2pm Saturday Matinees – August 2 & 9

Ticket Prices: General Admission Reserved Seating

Adults $31.00 $36.00

Children 15 & under $29.00 $34.00

Groups rates -10 – 29 $29.00 $34.00

Groups over 30 - Call 604-687-0174

Tickets are available at Tickets Tonight, 604-684-2787 or

on line at HYPERLINK “http://www.ticketstonight.ca/”www.ticketstonight.ca

For further information visit HYPERLINK “http://www.tuts.bc.ca/”www.tuts.ca.

Backgrounders:

Annie Get Your Gun

Music & Lyrics: Irving Berlin

Book: Herbert & Dorothy Fields

Annie Get Your Gun opened at the Imperial Theatre on May 16, 1946. It had been written specifically for Ethel Merman. Playwright Dorothy Fields had felt that casting Merman as Annie Oakley would guarantee a surefire hit.

The story revolves around Annie Oakley, an illiterate hillbilly with a knack for shooting guns. Persuaded to join Buffalo Bill’s travelling Wild West Show, she soon falls hopelessly in love with Frank Butler, the show’s featured shooting ace. But when Annie eclipses Frank as the show’s main attraction, she realizes she’ll have to make some hard choices if she wants to win the man she loves.

The New York production of Annie Get Your Gun ran for 1,147 performances and was the third longest running musical of the 1940s. It was the biggest Broadway hit of Merman’s career. In 1966, she returned to the role for a revival at Lincoln Center. The 1950 screen adaptation starred Betty Hutton and Howard Keel.

The 1999 Broadway revival showcased Bernadette Peters. While she lacks Merman’s brass and crassness, Peters stands as the prettiest and sexiest Annie to date, not to mention probably the greatest singer of the bunch. The show was somewhat updated for modern times. Not only did Peter Stone make revisions to Herbert and Dorothy Fields’s original book (the story is now a show within a show, namely Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show), but there have been revisions to Berlin’s original score as well.

Overture

There’s No Business Like Show Business

Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly

The Girl That I Marry

You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun

There’s No Business Like Show Business (Reprise 1)

I’ll Share It All With You

Moonshine Lullaby

There’s No Business Like Show Business (Reprise 2)

They say It’s Wonderful

My defenses are Down

You can’t get a man with a Gun (Reprise)

Entr’acte

I Got Lost In His Arms

Who Do You Love, I Hope?

I Got The Sun In The Morning

An Old fashioned Wedding

The Girl That I Marry (Reprise)

Anything You Can Do

They Say It’s Wonderful (Reprise)

Finale Ultimo

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics: Tim Rice

Conception: Tim O’Horgan

Bios

Annie Get your Gun

SHEL PIERCY – DIRECTOR
For over 30 years, Shel has been writing, directing and producing theatrical plays and musicals, television series and specials, documentaries and feature films. His association with TUTS goes back to 1970 when he was a member of Roger Smith’s stage crew for My Fair Lady.  He was stage manager for the 1977 production of West Side Story and Production Stage Manager for the 1978 season of HMS Pinafore and Annie Get Your Gun.  Following the fire in 1982 he wrote (with Roger Smith) and directed The Spirit of Malkin Bowl, a production that was truly under the stars and also directed Grease for the 1984 season and Oklahoma for last season. 
 
Recently he wrote and directed the Second Season musical theatre show for Storyeum in Gastown and directed Knowledge Network’s fourth season of Reach for the Top.  He also produced and directed World Christmas premiering this December on Bravo.  He produced and directed CTV’s Ben Johnson, Drugs & The Quest For Gold, (New York Festivals Gold Medal Award winner).  He has written and directed the films, Leo’s Journey; The Story of the Mengele Twins; Guinea Pig Club (Winner of 5 Leo Awards and Gemini nominated); Love & Duty: Canadian Red Cross Women In WW ll (Gemini award winner), and the performing arts special Swinging Nutcracker starring Jeff Hyslop.  He is currently producing Girls Don’t Fight for CTV directed by Jill Sharpe and Fire Mountain – a docu-drama chronicling the 1980 Mount St. Helen’s explosion for England’s BBC and Discovery Channel International
 
 
WENDY BROSS STUART – MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Born and raised in New York, Wendy is an ethnomusicologist – specializing in native Canadian music, Japanese traditional music and Jewish music – musical director, choral director, arranger, piano accompanist and vocal coach.  She holds degrees from McGill and UBC (M.Mus. in ethnomusicology) and an advanced teaching license in Japanese shamisen and koto following many years study of traditional music in Japan.  As an ethnomusicologist, Wendy is the author of two books:  Gambling Music of the Coast Salish Indians (National Museum of Man) and Northern Haida Songs (University of Nebraska Press).  Twenty of her choral arrangements have been published in the U.S. and Canada.  She has recorded four CD’s of Jewish music. 
 
Musical theatre credits (music director, conductor) include Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I and Crazy For You® at TUTS, Peer Gynt and The Beggar’s Opera (UBC Theatre Department), music supervision for the soundtrack of Leo’s Journey (Infinity Films), Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! (11th season),  Company (Skycorner Productions), It’s A Wonderful Life (Carousel Theatre) , music direction/music-scape Funny-Faced Ogre (Gateway Studio Theatre), The Last Five Years (Roaring Lion), Ruthless! The Musical (Ophidian).  Wendy is a three-time Jessie nominee.  Wendy and her husband – anthropologist and producer Ron Stuart – have two daughters Fiona and Jessica.