Colonel Buffalo Bill brings his famous Wild West show to Cincinnati, wherein the leading man Frank Butler challenges anyone in town to a duel. Foster Wilson, the owner of the hotel where the performers are staying is not pleased with their antics and bets Frank he can find someone who can out shoot him. Sharpshooter Annie Oakley arrives in town and, impressed by her shooting, Foster persuades her to face Frank in the shoot-off.

Annie runs into Frank, not knowing he will be her opponent, and immediately falls for him. She asks if he feels the same way, but he declares he wants a woman who is soft and fragile. They meet again at the shoot-off, and Frank is furious when Annie wins. Buffalo Bill manages to convince Annie to join the show permanently by explaining “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and she agrees.

On the road, Frank begins to fall in love with Annie. The show stops in Saint Paul, Minnesota while the rival company Pawnee Bill’s Far East Show is stopped in nearby Minneapolis. Buffalo Bill asks Annie to perform a special trick to draw people to their show, and she agrees, as it will surprise Frank. Meanwhile, Frank plans to propose to Annie after that night’s show. Annie’s trick goes down a storm, and green with envy, Frank decides to join the rival Pawnee Bill’s show instead and leaves Annie behind.

Buffalo Bill takes the show across Europe with Annie as the star, but both his company and Pawnee Bill’s shows go bankrupt. The two impresarios agree to meet to discuss a merger, with each thinking the other has money to pay for both companies. Annie still misses Frank. When it is revealed that neither company has any money, Annie decides to sell her many shooting medals which have a combined worth of one hundred thousand dollars, declaring she only needs the simple things in life.

Frank and Annie reunite and immediately fall back in love. They decide to finally get married, but they both want very different things for the wedding. When Annie shows Frank her medals, he becomes furiously jealous once again. They agree to a final duel to settle the score. Annie and Frank both deliberately miss their shots so the shoot-off ends in a tie, and they run off to be married as both shows carry on together.

Act I

• “Overture” – Orchestra
• “Colonel Buffalo Bill” – Charlie Daveport, Dolly Tate and Company
• “I’m A Bad, Bad Man” – Frank Butler
• “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly” – Annie Oakley and Siblings
• “The Girl That I Marry” – Frank and Annie
• “You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun” – Annie
• “There’s No Business Like Show Business” – Frank, Buffalo Bill, Charlie, Dolly, Annie and Company
• “They Say It’s Wonderful” – Annie and Frank
• “Moonshine Lullaby” – Annie and Siblings
• “I’ll Share It All With You” – Winnie Tate and Tommy Keeler
• “Ballyhoo” – Company
• “There’s No Business Like Show Business (Reprise)” – Annie
• “My Defenses Are Down” – Frank and Company
• “Wild Horse Ceremonial Dance” – Company
• “I’m an Indian, Too” – Annie and Company
• “Adoption Dance” – Company

Act II

• “Entr’acte” – Orchestra
• “I Got Lost In His Arms” – Annie
• “Who Do You Love, I Hope?” – Winnie and Tommy
• “I Got The Sun In The Morning” – Annie and Company
• “They Say It’s Wonderful (Reprise)” – Annie and Frank
• “The Girl That I Marry (Reprise)” – Frank
• “Anything You Can Do” – Annie and Frank
• “There’s No Business Like Show Business (Reprise)” – Company

Please note: Revised editions of the musical may not contain some songs mentioned above and may contain new songs.

1999 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Bernadette Peters)

1999 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Bernadette Peters)

1999 Grammy Awards: Best Musical Show Album

2001 Drama Desk Awards: Special Award (Reba McEntire)

UK: R & H Theatricals

USA: R & H Theatricals