Race track bettors have a saying: "You pays your money, and you takes your chances." When theater reviewers sneak into dress rehearsals to watch for free, the odds are very long indeed.

Sometimes though, the jockey and the nag the tipster sold you do deliver. Joaquina Calvo Johnson and the Yuba-Sutter Master Chorale certainly did at a recent rehearsal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Requiem."

At the First Lutheran Church in Yuba City last week, Johnson and her 37-member chorale group and star pianist, Kami Davis out of Sacramento, were at work in the side chapel practicing their parts as the out-of-town soloists arrived.

The soloists included bass-baritone Burr Phillips, tenor Marco Stefani and soprano Kathryn Donovan-Rueb from the Stockton area. Also featured was local soprano Karen Wilson Trefzger. Assembled, they were ready to run through W.A. Mozart's "Requiem."

Opera fans here may recall Trefzger from her role as the mother in Johnson's November production of "Amahl and the Night Visitors."

The title, "Requiem," is ironic. Mozart died while writing it, and another composer finished the clefs and bars.

Now, in the spirit of truth-in-advertising, I readily admit that what I know about chorale music would fail to fill a hummingbird feeder.

But I do like opera, and I can distinguish a baritone-bass from a bass balalaika. I have heard the San Francisco Opera Company do another Mozart work, "Cosi Fan Tutti," so I feel prepared to say Johnson's production of "Requiem" is a must-see.

Johnson, the chorale, their guest soloists and an orchestra are scheduled to perform at 3 p.m. April 20 at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 1390 Franklin Road, Yuba City. Tickets are $10 for adults; $7 for students; and $25 for families of four.

But that's not the most interesting part of this story.

There was also a birthday celebration that evening, something I guessed was afoot as soon as I entered the timbered chapel's attached assembly room and saw a table spread with forks, plates and a couple of cakes with candles.

The chorale — an ecumenical group of men and women who ranged in age from their early 20s upward toward the 80s — honored Johnson's birthday at the break.

"She'll be ..." a helpful bystander tried to explain, but I hastily interrupted.

"No! Please, don't tell me. If I hear how old she is, I will have to report it, and not all women like having their age revealed to thousands of eager readers." (Or so editors have warned in the past.)

The number "7" outlined in candles on one of the cakes was a clue I could ignore.

After all, it might have been part of "37," only they didn't have enough candles to make the "3," right?

But in due course, the animated Johnson — looking trim in a dark skirt and top and a flowing scarf, and with her hair recently coiffed and every strand correctly in place — mounted the conductor's stand to thank everyone for remembering that she would be 70 on April 3.

So much for keeping secrets.

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Also in dress rehearsals this week is Pierrette Jensen's musical production of "Annie Get Your Gun," which opens Friday at The Acting Company on B Street in Yuba City and runs through May 18.

There were a couple of photographers there, so a main advance story about this happy show is likely to be found elsewhere here (see E3), but I thought I'd stick in a couple of plugs and a few tidbits of history that might enhance theater-goers' experience.

"Annie" premiered on Broadway in 1946 starring the booming-voiced Ethel Merman. It ran for 1,147 performances before moving to London's West End and then on U.S. and worldwide tours in 1947.

Dorothy Fields conceived the musical about sharpshooter Annie Oakley, with her friend, Merman, to star in it.

The two women together pitched the idea to the new team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II to produce the show.

Jerome Kern was supposed to write the music to the book and lyrics that were to be written by Fields and her brother Herbert Fields, but fate stepped in and Kern croaked.

The producers went to Irving Berlin to ask him if he'd write both the music and the lyrics. Turns out, Berlin wasn't too thrilled with the idea. A love song writer, Berlin wasn't sure he could write tunes and words to fit specific scenes. However, director Josh Logan eventually talked him into it.

And the rest is history.

Every song in the show proved a memorable hit, including "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," "They Say It's Wonderful," and "Anything You Can Do."

Most amazingly, the musical's showstopper, "There's No Business Like Show Business," was almost cut after Berlin mistakenly thought one of the producers, Richard Rodgers, didn't like it. But they kept it, and it went on to become the virtual theme song for all of musical theater.

The star of this production is Candee Parker, as Annie Oakley. My early peek tells me she's going to be great. But there are some other standout performances in the making, including that of Stephanie Balmer as Dolly.

As with all stage shows still in rehearsals — musicals especially — there are things that need to be cleaned up. That one guy in black-tie and tails really should get some long pants on by opening night.

Tickets for "Annie" are $15.

Award-winning journalist and author Tom Nadeau has written for and acted on stage, screen, radio and television. Write to him at theaterland@gmail.com.