THEATER REVIEW: Everything goes well in ‘Anything Goes’
I’ve had the theme song from “Anything Goes” in my head the last two days. The song exemplifies what’s best about the play – that it serves as almost a greatest hits collection with some of Cole Porter’s most memorable music.
Songs like “It’s Delovely,” “I get a Kick out of You” and “You’re the Top” show off Porter’s knack for combining memorable music with cleverly ironic wordplay.
If you are a fan of the movie or musical “Chicago,” then there’s a good chance you’re going to like the USU theatre department’s production of “Anything Goes.” The similarities to “Chicago” are why the department chose to produce the play.
“Anything Goes” is similar to “Chicago” in that it is set in the same time period, has a similar vaudeville influence, and even has a similar theme of examining the “cult of celebrity,” said the play’s director, Artemis Preeshl.
The play takes place on the deck of a cruise ship sailing from New York to England in the 1930s. Billy Crocker is a stowaway on the ship, hoping to break up an engagement and win the heart of Hope Harcourt. She is sailing with her English fiancé, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, to be married. Crocker receives help with his quest by Moonface Martin, a conman posing as a minister, and Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer.
One of the challenges of putting on “Anything Goes” was getting the actors to jump into the over-the-top style of acting and comedy that the play requires, Preeshl said. The majority of the play sticks to this style of vaudeville-based humor revolving around Crocker (played by Jon McBride) putting on various costumes and acts to be able spend more time with Harcourt.
“Anything Goes” changes from being merely a farce to having an added layer of depth after intermission as they examine and satirize the ridiculous nature of celebrity. The cast sings a solemn hymn-like tribute to the believed mass murderer they have on board, saying “Blessings to thee, thou noble chap / For putting this boat of ours on the map,” ending their song with “amen.”
However, this interesting satire on fame is short-lived, as the play returns to the over-the-top comedy by the finale.
While the comedy may be farcical, it does create a lot of laughs, and the play’s quick pacing makes it so the play never gets bogged down. However, some comedy from the play seems somewhat dated, such as cultural humor at the expense of several Chinese characters who reflect negative Asian cultural stereotypes.
Along with McBride’s sharp portrayal of Crocker as a likable funnyman who gradually gets lost in his own act, Mark Wayne and Sam McGinnis also shine as the combustible Moonface and the stuffy, effeminate Sir Evelyn, who probably undergoes the greatest change as the play progresses.
The execution is even more impressive considering the short amount of time the theatre department had to coordinate the play. The department had planned on producing “Chicago” as its final show of the year, Preeshl said. They had already cast the play and even choreographed some of the dance numbers when they found out in December of last year that they were not able to obtain the rights to produce the play.
They began looking for a replacement play that would fit with the actors that had already been cast for “Chicago,” and “Anything Goes” was a good fit. The plays had similar settings and themes, but it still meant everyone involved was “working that much harder and putting in more time,” Preeshl said.
In particular, Preeshl said the dancers, let by Amber Rolfe and Libbi Heap, had to work hard to complete the choreography and work with the third of the cast that had never done tap-dancing before.
In only four months, they were able to complete the transition from the nightclubs of Chicago to the deck of the cruise ship of “Anything Goes.”
Overall, fans of musicals and traditional popular music should expect to enjoy the production. The play contains a host of famous American pop standards, a lot of humor and a short theme about fame that is as relevant today as when the play was originally written in 1932.
“Anything Goes” will play in the Morgan Theatre in the Chase Fine Arts Center today and tomorrow as well as April 19 through 21. The performance is free to USU students and $7-10 dollars for general admission. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tom Liljegren has the theater beat for The Utah Statesman. Comments can be sent to him at tliljegren@cc.usu.edu.