One of my Broadway disappointments is that although there was a planned TV production of Annie Get Your Gun to star Reba McEntire, it never got made. McEntire had never been on Broadway before, nor as far as I know had done much acting. But she was convinced to take over the role of the revival that had started with Bernadette Peters. And by all accounts, she was amazing in the role. So much so that there had been no talk of a TV version, but it only occurred after people saw her. I don't know why it didn't take place -- some reports say that the network didn't offer enough money, and she didn't want to do a barebones production. Other reports say that after a couple TV musical failures, TV got (no pun intended) gun shy. Whatever the reason, it didn't happen.
And it's made all the more disappointing because there is bootleg footage of her entire performance, and she is indeed tremendous in the role. I even broke a rule and posted one particular song she does, "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun," because it SO great, and because there were no alternatives to see it, and that it was a part of theater history.
The problem with that bootleg footage, besides being bootleg, is that the quality is awful. Well, I just came across an eight-minute medley of Reba McEntire in the production, and it appears to have been filmed professionally by the show itself, and is excellent quality.
It's not enough -- not nearly. But it beats having nothing, and so, here (starring opposite John Schneider) it is.
And it's made all the more disappointing because there is bootleg footage of her entire performance, and she is indeed tremendous in the role. I even broke a rule and posted one particular song she does, "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun," because it SO great, and because there were no alternatives to see it, and that it was a part of theater history.
The problem with that bootleg footage, besides being bootleg, is that the quality is awful. Well, I just came across an eight-minute medley of Reba McEntire in the production, and it appears to have been filmed professionally by the show itself, and is excellent quality.
It's not enough -- not nearly. But it beats having nothing, and so, here (starring opposite John Schneider) it is.
By the way, being a medley, this only includes short excerpts from the songs. If you want to see her perform the full version of that aforementioned, "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," which she signs the bejeepers out of, you can watch it here. (The full clip is excellent, with several songs, but for those who want to see this particular song only, it begins at the 5:50 mark.)
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