NORWICH – Formed in September of 2010, the Norwich Theater Company will present its first-ever fall production – Irving Berlin’s classic “Annie Get Your Gun” – at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Chenango County Council of the Arts, 27 West Main St.

According to director Carolyn McMaster, auditions for the musical began in late April. In mid-July, rehearsals for the show got underway and now – after two months of hard work and dedication – the group is ready to hit the stage.

“This is one fabulous show,” said McMaster. “We were fortunate enough to have a lot of people audition, which enabled us to cast exactly the right people in exactly the right parts.”

With such a strong cast, she added, all that’s left is to sit back and “watch the magic happen.” In addition, much of the cast put in the extra time and effort to learn their parts outside of rehearsal, stated McMaster. This, she added, gave everyone involved an opportunity to “really polish the show” and “we weren’t struggling to make it work at the last minute.”

The cast – led by Sheila Geer as Annie Oakley and Mike Gray as Frank Butler – is extremely talented, said the director. Geer, she added, has “a wealth of experience,” not to mention that “sweetness combined with brassiness” needed to portray the title character. Gray, said McMaster, also brings a lot of talent to the table, with a “great voice that’s impossible to describe, you have to see him on stage.”

McMaster also praised supporting cast members Patti Carnrike and Steve Emmons – who portray Winnie and Tommy respectively – and called them “just about the sweetest young couple you’ve ever seen.”

Carnrike, also a member of the Norwich Theater Company’s Board of Trustees, said the show has progressed quickly since rehearsals first began.