LOCKED AND LOADED
Brook Hill readies for production

The well-known Irving Berlin song declares, "There's No Business Like Show Business."

And when it comes to musical theater, no one does it better in East Texas than the Fine Arts Department at The Brook Hill School.

Theater director Glenn Ballard has selected a won- ful show for the 2007 offering to follow the successful "Fiddler on the Roof" from last year.

"Annie Get Your Gun," featuring the songs of Irving Berlin, and recently revised by Peter Stone for its Broadway revival, is an all-time favorite of many people.

The show has been cast and features senior Abby Lund and sophomore Heather Henrichson in the title role of Annie Oakley.

Noah Claytor, a senior in his seventh Brook Hill musical, will play the role of sharp-shooter Frank Butler. Cody Franklin is cast as the Wild West Show owner, Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody, and Luke Baker will play his stage manager, Charley Davenport.

Show director Glenn Ballard had this to say. "This will be the eighth full-length musical that I have directed at Brook Hill, and I am very pleased and excited about the cast we have assembled.

"For the people that saw Fiddler last year and have asked 'how will you top that?,' all I can say is "you ain't seen nothin' yet.

"We're pulling out all of the stops to give our patrons and our kids the best musical theatre experience yet. I love this show, and I think Abby and Heather and Noah and the other young actors are going to redefine High School musical performances with our production of '"Annie'."

The musical will be presented Thursday through Saturday nights, April 26-28 at 7:30 each evening on the Brook Hill stage. Reserved tickets range in price from $ 12 to $ 6 for adults and $ 8 to $ 4 for students.

The final performance of Annie will be on the Bergfeld outdoor amphitheater stage on Friday night, May 4 at 8:00 pm. This show will also be free to the public.

Tickets may be reserved by calling the school office at (903) 894-5000.