Calling all gunslingers, sharpshooters and songbirds: The chance to shine on stage is Tuesday.

The Rend Lake College Theatre Department will hold auditions for its upcoming spring musical. Theatre Director Tracey Webb is going with “Annie Get Your Gun,” which opens March 5.

The auditions for the show will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Actors age 16 and up will be asked to perform a song of their choice. Sheet music or a karaoke CD must be with them at the audition. Acapella performances will not be heard.

Those auditioning will also be asked to “cold-read” from the script and to dance a few simple steps learned during the auditions.

As for the show itself, “Annie Get Your Gun” will run March 5 through 8 with performances at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and a final performance at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased, beginning Feb. 2, by calling the RLC Box Office at (437) 5321, ext. 1467, or by going online to www.rlc.edu and clicking on the RLC Online Box Office logo.

Visa/Mastercard/Discover will be accepted.

“Annie Get Your Gun” is the life of Annie Oakley (1860-1926), on the stage and bigger than life. Oakley was a sharpshooter from Ohio and she had an on-again, off-again romance with Frank Butler.

Webb went with the work of famous composer Irving Berlin to hit the mark with audiences of her 31st production at RLC. Songs from “Annie Get Your Gun” that became hits include “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun,” “They Say It’s Wonderful” and “Anything You Can Do.”

Webb said she finds Berlin’s music catchy and crowd-pleasing.

“It’s very memorable music. It sticks in your head,” she said. “This is a good comedy, based on an actual historical figure. I kind of like my musicals to bring education to the actors and their audience. After all, we are a college. Theatre provides a very interesting reflection of real life and, by being entertained, people can sometimes learn more in a theatre than in a classroom. For example, in the musical, the Sioux Chief, Sitting Bull, takes Annie in and calls her ‘Little Sure Shot.’ That is a true story based on actual events. He took her into the tribe and kind of adopted her.”

“Annie Get Your Gun” is crowded with compelling characters like Annie, Frank and Sitting Bull. Others include hotel owner Foster Wilson, the knife-wielding Tommy Keeler, Wild West Show owner Buffalo Bill Cody, show manager Charlie Davenport and more.

So brush off the boots, polish up the prop pistol and take a shot at showing your stuff on the RLC stage. Auditions will be on a first-come, first-served basis.