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The Muny Sets Sail for Fun with Lively “Anything Goes”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Anything Goes
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Original Book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
New Book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman
Directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge
Choreographed by Jared Grimes
The Muny
August 20, 2024

Cast of Anything Goes
Photo by Phillip Hamer
The Muny

The Muny’s 2024 season is cruising to a lively end with a vibrant production of the classic Cole Porter musical Anything Goes. First appearing on the Muny’s stage in 1940, this is a show that’s undergone several revisions over the years, all featuring the same general story, silly old-fashioned humor, and memorable score. This latest version emphasizes style, energetic choreography, and spot-on comic timing as a stellar cast makes this show about an ocean cruise sail smoothly and with tremendous, dazzling energy and production values that fill the massive stage with music and good old-fashioned fun.

The plot has a lot going on, and it’s full of old-style stage humor, slapstick, suggestive jokes, sight gags, and plot contrivances as a disparate collection of characters find themselves on an ocean liner sailing to England from New York. Nightclub performer Reno Sweeney (Jeanna de Waal) is front and center, along with her old friend, stockbroker Billy Crocker (Jay Armstrong Johnson), who has fallen in love suddenly with debutante Hope Harcourt (Kimberly Immanuel)–to the smitten Reno’s initial disappointment. When Billy finds out that Hope is sailing to England to marry Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (George Abud), Billy stows away on board in hopes of changing her mind while avoiding his boss, Elisha Whitney (Lara Teeter), who has given Billy an important business assignment back in New York. Also on board is gangster-in-disguise Moonface Martin (Kevin Chamberlin)–Public Enemy #13, along with Erma (Adrienne Hicks), who attracts the attentions of many of the sailors. As Reno and her “Angels” (Kristen Grace Brown, Candice Hatakeyama, Bethany Ann Tesarck, Danielle Jackman) are preparing to entertain in the ship’s lounge, and the ship’s Captain (Eric Jordan Young) obsessed with finding a celebrity on board, and with juvenile delinquents Spit (Spencer Jones) and Dippy (Joe Capstick) finding enterprising ways to make money, there’s a lot of reasons for joking, singing, and dancing, making for a lively, fast-moving and hilarious show. Also, the new script has been revised to remove some problematic elements, adding to the enjoyment of the show.

The cast is great, led by de Waal’s tour-de-force performance as the singing, dancing, wisecracking and lovelorn Reno, who goes through heartbreak and newfound love in the course of the show. She along with the hilarious Chamberlain as Moonface and the smooth-voiced, slick dancing Johnson as Billy, form the core trio in this show. Johnson also has great chemistry with the also excellent Immanuel as the conflicted Hope. There are also fun comic turns by Hicks as the amorous Erma, Teeter as the nearsighted, Yale-obsessed Whitney, Ann Harada as Hope’s mother Evangeline, and Abud as the eagerly curious Evelyn. There’s also a great ensemble filling out the smaller roles with style and energy, especially in the spectacular production numbers choreographed by Jared Grimes with lots of impressive tapping. 

The show looks spectacular, as well, with an expansive set by Edward E. Haynes, Jr. that makes the most of the Muny’s enormous stage, as well as delightfully whimsical video design by Kylee Loera. The costumes by Tristan Raines are appropriately detailed, colorful, and period appropriate, and there’s also excellent lighting by Rob Denton and sound by John Shivers and David Patridge. And then there’s the impressive Muny Orchestra churning out those delightful Cole Porter melodies, led by music director Ben Whiteley. 

Anything Goes has everything–music, humor, wit, and a brilliant cast delivering a new version of this classic show in a smooth, quickly paced production. It’s simply delightful, and a marvelous way to close out the season. This has been a great summer for the Muny, and it’s ending in memorable fashion. I can’t wait to find out what next year will bring.

Jeanna de Waal, Kevin Chamberlin, Jay Armstrong Johnson
Photo by Phillip Hamer
The Muny

The Muny is presenting Anything Goes in Forest Park until August 25, 2024

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An Entertaining, Energetic “Anything Goes” at STAGES

Posted in Snoop's Soapbox, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Anything Goes
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Original Book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton, and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
New Book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman
Directed by Michael Hamilton
Choreographed by Stephen Bourneuf
STAGES St. Louis
July 22, 2015

Cast of Anything Goes Photo by Peter Wochniak STAGES St. Louis

Cast of Anything Goes
Photo by Peter Wochniak
STAGES St. Louis

In a way, Anything Goes could well be called one of the orginal “jukebox musicals”. It’s been performed in various versions for decades, with many lyric, song, and book changes, and the plot, while entertaining, is fairly slight. The show exists, essentially, to be a showcase for the songs of celebrated 20th Century composer and lyricist Cole Porter. It’s a lively show with lots of silly comedy and spectacular dancing, and it’s currently being performed in top-notch fashion at STAGES St. Louis.

The story is somewhat silly, but entertaining nonetheless. It follows nightclub singer Reno Sweeney (Julie Cardia) and friends on an ocean liner traveling between New York and London in the 1930s. Reno’s got something of a crush on her old friend, the handsome stockbroker Billy Crocker (Brent Michael DiRoma), but Billy’s newly smitten with young debutante Hope Harcourt (Heidi Giberson), who is sailing on the cruise with her mother (Kari Ely) with the aim of marrying rich English nobleman Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Dan Fenaughty). Meanwhile, gangster Moonface Martin (Bob Amaral), “Public Enemy #13”, is on the run from the law, and boards the ship in preacher’s disguise, bringing his friend Erma (Laura E. Taylor) along.  What ensues is a comedy of love triangles and quadrangles, as well as mistaken identity, gambling, singing and a whole lot of dancing.

The plot isn’t really one that bears a lot of scrutiny. It’s really just a platform for the songs and some some hilariously goofy comedy. Despite the various script updates over the years, the show does still come across as slightly dated, and there are some unfortunate stereotypes that are played for laughs. Still, for the most part it’s a fun show, and the real focus is on those lovely Cole Porter songs and Stephen Bourneuf’s spectacular choreography and excellent ensemble dancing.

This is a very ensemble-dependent show, considering all the stylish dance-numbers and intricately performed choreography. The ensemble sparkles on on numbers like the tap-dance heavy “Anything Goes” and the truly showstopping “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” led by the big-voiced Cardia as Reno.  Cardia also displays a strong sense of comedy, working well opposite both the charming DiRoma as Billy, the hilariously shady Amaral as Mooonface, and the delightfully goofy and thoroughly winning Fenaughty as Lord Evelyn.  All of these performers show great comedy skills and excellent voices, especially DiRoma, who also shares delightful chemistry with Giberson, who is also in excellent voice as Hope.  There are also fun comic performances from the always excellent Reichert as Billy’s nearsighted boss Elisha Whitney, and Kari Ely as Hope’s mother, socialite Evangeline Harcourt.  Flack as the Captain, Brennan Caldwell as the Ship’s Purser, and Taylor as Erma also give memorable performances. It’s a very strong cast, from the leads to the ensemble, working together to bring life to the classic Porter score and a great deal of laughs to the audience.

The set, designed by James Wolk, is striking, colorful and versatile, creating a vibrant 1930’s atmosphere. There are also some marvelously detailed and stylish costumes by Brad Musgrove. Sean M. Savoie’s lighting is effective and atmospheric, as well.

Ultimately, the point of Anything Goes is to entertain, and the production at STAGES does that well.  It’s a big, bold, stylish and energetic production that splendidly showcases the marvelous score and choreography. It’s also hilariously funny, with a decidedly silly sense of humor.  Despite a few drawbacks in the script, this is about as ideal a production of this show as I can imagine.

Brent Michael DiRoma, Heidi Giberson , and Ensemble Photo by Peter Wochniak STAGES St. Lousi

Brent Michael DiRoma, Heidi Giberson , and Ensemble
Photo by Peter Wochniak
STAGES St. Lousi

STAGES St. Louis’s production of Anything Goes is running at the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood until August 16th, 2015.

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