Remembering Reba McEntire's Broadway star turn 25 years later
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Reba McEntire revisits her Broadway era. Image: Courtesy of MCA
Fans have had to wait 25 years for Reba McEntire's newest release.
The intrigue: The country queen dropped two songs from the vault that were pulled from her legendary run on Broadway in the musical "Annie Get Your Gun." She took her final bow in the show 25 years ago this week.
Why it matters: McEntire's six-month stint on the other Broadway was a dazzling financial and critical success that added to her already impressive legacy and set the stage for a new phase in her career.
Flashback: The 1998 revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" was well into its run and on life support when McEntire agreed to step into the title role. Her performance changed everything.
- Critics raved and box office hauls skyrocketed.
By the numbers: The week before McEntire joined the show, it pulled in $304,182, per the New York Times.
- A couple of months later, weekly grosses had jumped to nearly $750,000.
The latest: Now fans who couldn't make it to New York have a chance to revisit McEntire's Broadway era.
- She released the rollicking "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun" and the love ballad "I Got Lost in His Arms" on Monday, marking the anniversary of her final performance.
- The songs were recorded during her run but had become lost media in the years since.
What she's saying: "These songs are just as fun to sing now as they were on Broadway all those years ago!" McEntire said in a post promoting the new release.
The big picture: McEntire was already one of Nashville's biggest stars when she arrived in New York, but her overwhelming success as a leading lady on Broadway showed her full power extended far beyond country music.
- That star turn became a prelude to McEntire's second act. Months after she left Broadway, her sitcom "Reba" premiered, introducing her to an even wider audience.
The bottom line: Broadway helped McEntire raise her profile and sharpen her skills just in time for her debut as a network TV star.
- She also established a lane for country artists with their own Broadway dreams.
What we're watching: Nashville should be well represented on Broadway this year, with Dolly Parton's self-penned autobiographical musical expected to open in the coming months.