“Anything Goes”, a show of mistaken identities but the right guy ending up with the right girl at the end anyways, entertains and keeps the audience laughing from beginning to end.
“Anything Goes” takes places on the S. S. American, leaving port from New York City and headed to England. On board is Elisha J. Whitney, played by Christian Lebnon, a rich stockbroker hoping to seal a huge deal in the land of fish ‘n chips. Also along for the trip are Hope Harcourt, played by Jenna Wigman, a pretty dame destined to marry the staunch Englishman Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, played by Chris Lukos, also on board, and accompanied by her overbearing but well-intentioned mother, acted by Pamela Heintzelman. Last, but certainly not least, to board is the infamous Reno Sweeney, played by Natalie Roy, a nightclub singer and her singin’ and dancin’ group of Angels.
Also on board are several stow-aways – Billy Crocker, played by Sean O’Donnell, who must spend the entire trip hiding from his boss Whitney while trying to win back the love of his life, the lovely Hope, and “Moonface” Martin and his accomplice Bonnie, played by Tyler Rich and Laura Cole, desperately trying to escape America to live in England.
Needless to say, the plot continues to twist and turn throughout the show, with characters discovering old friends and creating plots to break up new loves and reunite old flames. Anything goes on the S. S. American, literally, and everyone goes home happy in the end.
The show is expertly performed by some of the best talent the music theatre department has to offer. Roy steals the show with her beautiful singing, talented acting and strong dancing skills. Wigman is a vision as the gentle and quiet Hope who comes alive when she finds her old love, Billy, played wonderfully by O’Donnell. The show’s comic relief rests strongly and capably on the shoulders of Rich and Cole, as “Moonface” and Bonnie, two hysterical characters dropping one-liners and singing funny songs throughout the show.
And no show is complete without its supporting cast of Reno’s dancing and singing Angels and the rest of the sailors, crew and passengers. Everyone came together to bring the story to life.
Lisa Travis and her assistant, Plymouth State student Jason Smith, worked on the choreography for “Anything Goes.” Smith worked mainly with the tap dancing numbers while Travis took to the task of melding traditional 1920’s dance moves with fun theatre movements. The choreography was refreshing and new but still kept many of the classic 1920’s dance moves. Particularly impressive is in the closing number of the first act, with the entire company on stage. The dancing is well-executed and the tapping is done, at one part, a cappella, one of the most difficult tasks for a tap dancer.
Costumes bring to life a show, and “Anything Goes” is no exception. The costumes were beautifully crafted by the costume designer, bringing us back to roaring twenties. She made exquisite costumes that sparkle and shine on stage. Pay particular attention to a stunning blue dress worn by Hope and a drop-dead-gorgeous, black, sparkling number worn by Reno.
The set was also creatively designed – there is always a significant challenge to build a set that will satisfy the audience’s need for setting and still allow the actors to move about on stage. There is a stationary smoke-stack and deck that sits stage right, and underneath the deck opens to reveal sleeping quarters.
At the end of the night, “Anything Goes” is absolutely worth the trip down to Hanaway Theatre. The songs are strong, the dancing is impressive and the acting is superb. Just beware – the song named after the show is particularly catchy, and one just might find themselves singing it long after the show is over – a testament to the legacy of great theatre.