ANYTHING GOES, dynamic dancing, fanciful farce and
great music at The Palace
Cleveland may not have
great athletic teams, but it is a pennant contender when it comes to theatre. The local area is one of the top
subscription sales stops on the Broadway series tour. Often the shows start their treks to other venues by opening
here. Such is the case with
ANYTHING GOES, which unleashed its 25 city tour last Friday at the Palace
Theatre.
You’ve seen ANYTHING GOES
before? Well, maybe yes, maybe no,
depends on where and when you did the viewing. No less than four official versions of the Cole Porter show
exist. The original 1934 version, a
1962 revision, and a 1987 revival which
further altered both the story and the score. In 2011 another face-lift was done with songs cut,
other reassigned to different scenes and/or given to different characters to
sing. Porter songs from other
shows were added. (The newest revival
starred Sutton Foster and Cleveland native Joel Grey.) It’s the latest version
of the script that is lighting up the stage at The Palace.
Interestingly, even before
the show opened in New York in its original form, changes had to be made. The initial plot involved a bomb threat
on an ocean liner, a shipwreck, and fun and games on a desert island. A couple of weeks before the show’s
opening a fire broke out on the cruise ship SS Morro Castle, which caused the
deaths of over one hundred passengers.
Obviously, that was not a good time to use an ocean disaster as a plot
for a light-hearted musical.
So, the idea was scrapped and the new story line developed.
Since shows of the day
were escapist, not like the well-made musicals of today where storylines drive
the plot, and songs and dancing meld flawlessly, making the change was no big
deal.
ANYTHING GOES takes place on an ocean liner
bound from New York to London. Handsome,
young Billy Crocker stows away in order to pursue his attempt to win over his
love, Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to uptight Brit, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Also on board is Moonface Martin who is
Public Enemy #13, Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer and “evangelist,” two
Chinese sinners, a “minister,” four “angels,” an airheaded floosy, Crocker’s
wealthy boss, and lots sailors and passengers.
The story? Billy pursues Hope, whose mother wants her to marry Oakleigh
for his money, while Reno pursues both Billy and Oakleigh, the passengers want
to sail with celebrities and are thrilled when they find out Public Enemies # 1
(well, not really) and #13 (for real) are on board.
Get the idea that this is just fun stuff that
requires no thinking and little will be learned? You are right.
And you are along for one heck of a fun ride, while listening to such great
Porter classics as I Get a Kick Out of
You, You’re The Top, Easy to Love, It’s De-lovely, All Through
the Night, and The Gypsy in Me. Yes, all these are part of this version
of this script.
But, that not all. The first act show closer, Anything Goes, explodes into an exciting
long tap dance number that brought the audience to its feet. To add to the enjoyment, early in Act
Two Blow
Gabriel, Blow becomes a prayer
meeting song and dance extravaganza that caused so much excitement that the
show actually had to pause because the audience wouldn’t stop clapping.
The touring show is
dynamically directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. She misses no chances to excite and
delight the audience.
Fred
Applegate convulses the audience as Moonface Martin. He is the consummate stage comedian, with a mobile face and
light-up-the-stage presence. His
version of Friendship, sung and
mugged with York, is one of the show’s many highlights.
Leading
man handsome Erich Bergen has the right boy next door presence, sings and acts
well, but appears a little dance challenged, finessing some of his moves.
Alex
Finke makes for an adorable Hope, Sandra Shipley is properly uptight as her
mother, and Edward Staudenmayer is a total delight as Lord Oakleigh. Dennis Kelley, makes for fun, as Eisha
Whitney, Billy’s near blind boss.
CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ANYTHING GOES is a total delight and a must see! You’ll come out of the theatre thinking
of the show that “It’s De-lovely,” that “I Get a Kick Out of You” because
“You’re The Top,” and so “Easy To Love.”
