Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The Stadium Theatre’s first musical of their summer season is “Anything Goes” by Cole Porter. Originally written in 1934 for Ethel Merman where it ran for 420 performances, the show’s book was revised in 1962 and then again in 1987. Director Brian Lopes takes this 1934 version of the script and infuses his talented cast with high energy to pull off these roles. The show takes place in the 1930’s aboard the luxury liner S.S. American sailing from New York to London with a group of unusual passengers. The story of boy, Bill Crocker who loves girl, Hope Harcourt who is engaged to wealthy British suitor, Lord Evelyn, who is pursued by singing and dancing evangelist, Reno Sweeney is the basic storyline of this show. Throw in boy’s heavy drinking boss, girl’s overbearing mother, public enemy # 13, his sexy gun moll, Reno’s four fallen Angels, the captain, the purser, the sailors and the passengers plus fantastic music direction by Brittany Dyer and fabulous choreography by Julia Nelson and you have a sure fire crowd pleasing musical entertainment which wins a standing ovation at the end of the night.
