How a sudden tragedy forced Irving Berlin to rewrite a Broadway masterpiece
In short: In 1945, legendary composer Jerome Kern was poised to score a new musical for Ethel Merman. But three days after returning to New York, he collapsed and died. This sudden loss left the production in limbo, eventually forcing a pivot that would create one of Broadway's most enduring hits.
The production of the 1946 musical *Annie Get Your Gun* was marked by a series of dramatic shifts. Originally, the project was intended to feature music by Jerome Kern, who had been working in Hollywood. However, after returning to New York on November 2, 1945, Kern suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died on November 11, 1945, just days after beginning work on the score. This left producers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II searching for a replacement to complete the musical's music and lyrics.
Irving Berlin was eventually asked to step in, though he initially hesitated. He was concerned about writing music for a 'situation show' where songs needed to fit specific dramatic scenes. However, after being persuaded by Hammerstein to study the script, Berlin produced iconic hits like "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and "There's No Business Like Show Business" within days. Interestingly, while Berlin was known for writing both music and lyrics, Dorothy Fields stepped down as lyricist to accommodate his preferred style.
The musical, a fictionalized account of sharpshooter Annie Oakley's life and her romance with Frank E. Butler, became a massive success. The original Broadway production at the Imperial Theatre ran for 1,147 performances. It was a significant milestone for both the creators: it was Ethel Merman's longest-running show and Irving Berlin's longest-running show. The production's legacy has evolved through various iterations, including a 1950 film and a 1999 revival that revised the libretto to remove insensitive references to American Indians.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
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