[2] Kern, who had been composing for movie musicals in Hollywood, returned to New York on November 2, 1945, to begin work on the score to Annie Get Your Gun, but three days later, he collapsed on the street due to a cerebral hemorrhage.

[6] Berlin's songs suited the story and Ethel Merman's abilities, and he readily composed the rest of the score to Annie Get Your Gun.

Annie Oakley enters and shoots a bird off Dolly Tate's hat, and then explains her simple backwoods ways to Wilson with the help of her siblings ("Doin' What Comes Natur'lly").

Over the course of working together, Frank becomes enamored of the plain-spoken, honest, tomboyish Annie and, as they travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a train, he explains to her what "love" is ("They Say It's Wonderful").

However, they then decide to follow through with Dolly's plan so that Annie will lose the match, knowing that would soothe Frank's ego allowing the two to reconcile and the merger to take place.

Sitting Bull convinces Annie to deliberately lose the match to Frank, reminding her that she "can't get a man with a gun."

Directed by Joshua Logan, the show starred Ethel Merman as Annie, Ray Middleton as Frank Butler, Lea Penman as Dolly Tate, Art Bernett as Foster Wilson, Harry Bellaver as Chief Sitting Bull, Kenneth Bowers as Tommy Keeler, Marty May as Charlie Davenport, Warren Berlinger as the Little Boy and William O'Neal as Buffalo Bill.

The first Broadway revival was staged in 1958 at the New York City Center, directed by Donald Burr and produced by Jean Dalrymple, director of the NYCC Light Opera Company.

Betty Jane Watson played the role of Annie with David Atkinson as Frank, Margaret Hamilton as Dolly, James Rennie as Chief Buffalo Bill, and Jack Whiting as Charles Davenport.

Ethel Merman reprised her original role as Annie with Bruce Yarnell as Frank, Benay Venuta as Dolly, and Jerry Orbach as Charles Davenport.

The libretto and score were revised: The secondary romance between Tommy Keeler and Winnie Tate was completely eliminated, including their songs "I'll Share it All With You" and "Who Do You Love, I Hope?

[citation needed] Jay Harnick directed a revival at the Shady Grove Music Fair starring Barbara Eden, John Bennett Perry and Sandra Peabody that ran from 1973 to 1974.

[21] In 1977, Gower Champion directed a revival for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera starring Debbie Reynolds as Annie.

[31] A short-lived London production ran at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End, starring Kim Criswell as Annie.

[32] Criswell's studio cast recording of the show - made with Thomas Hampson and conductor John McGlinn[33] - provided the impetus for the production.

This revival starred Bernadette Peters as Annie and Tom Wopat as Frank, and Ron Holgate as Buffalo Bill, with direction by Graciela Daniele, choreography by Jeff Calhoun, and music arrangements by John McDaniel.

This production had a revised book by Peter Stone and new orchestrations, and was structured as a "show-within-a-show", set as a Big Top travelling circus.

Former Charlie's Angels star Cheryl Ladd made her Broadway debut as Annie on September 6, 2000, with Patrick Cassidy as Frank Butler.

Country music singer Reba McEntire made her Broadway debut as Annie from January 26, 2001, to June 22, 2001, opposite Brent Barrett as Frank.

[40] Jane Horrocks, Julian Ovenden and director Richard Jones mounted a major London revival at the Young Vic, Waterloo.

The show opened at the off west end venue on October 16, 2009, initially booking until January 2, 2010, but with an extra week added due to popular demand.

Directed by Lonny Price, the concert starred Patti LuPone as Annie, Patrick Cassidy as Frank and George Hearn as Buffalo Bill.

The Paper Mill Playhouse produced a well-reviewed production in June 1987 starring Judy Kaye as Annie and Richard White as Frank.

In October 2015, a two night concert version was presented at the New York City Center Gala starring Megan Hilty (Annie Oakley) and Andy Karl (Frank Butler).

[46][47] In April 2023, a one night concert version was presented at The London Palladium starring Rachel Tucker[1] (Annie Oakley) and Oliver Savile (Frank Butler).

[51] Ward Morehouse of The New York Sun declared, "The big news about Annie Get Your Gun is that it reveals Ethel Merman in her best form since Anything Goes...She shouts the Berlin music with good effect.

[51] Lewis Nichols of The New York Times said, "It has a pleasant score by Irving Berlin...and it has Ethel Merman to roll her eyes and to shout down the rafters.

[51] Historians have viewed the show as inaccurate, citing among other reasons its portrayal of Annie as a loud, boisterous character, when in reality she had a quiet personality and did needlepoint in her spare time.

[citation needed] Many contemporary productions have omitted the song from their revivals, both in response to the stereotypes in the lyrics, as well as part of an overall restructuring of the musical for modern audiences.

[53] Directed and edited by Sterlin Harjo and starring Ryan Red Corn as "Hipster in a Headdress Mascot," the video plays with both the reality and the stereotypes of people who identify as Indian.