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Regional Reviews: Chicago Anything Goes Also see John's review of The Pianist of Willesden Lane
Ms. York plays Reno Sweeney with a Mae West inflection that makes perfect sense for the part, and she sings her four Cole Porter classics with a style that's as suitable for cabaret as the musical theater stage. She gets to tap up a storm in the first-act closing title song as well. And did we mention that she's gorgeous? She may not have Sutton Foster's Tony Awards yet, but she has every bit of the ability, charisma and energy of that star of the Roundabout's 2011 revival. What makes this an especially satisfying revival, though, is the quality of the supporting players. Just as Roundabout's Broadway cast included greats like Joel Grey and John McMartin, the touring company boasts the likes of Fred Applegate and Chuck Wagner. As the gangster Moonface Martin, Applegate is just a delight—with perfect timing for Moonface's dry asides and unabashedly milking the intentionally horrible puns of the script. Whether the worst of the lame jokes are the work of original librettists P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, or the contemporary adapters Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, I can't say. Either way, they have a vaudevillian nostalgic charm that is part of this show's deliberately retro appeal. But getting back to Applegate—if he's not a major Broadway name he ought to be. And if Nathan Lane (whose role of Max in The Producers Applegate played on Broadway in 2003) is going to insist on doing O'Neill, there may be a place for Applegate to be the new Nathan Lane. Wagner (Rapunzel's Prince of the original Into the Woods) is charming here as the ship's Captain, a smaller role, but with opportunity to earn some laughs and to show off his marvelous baritone voice. The rest of the supporting cast may not have quite the resumes of those previously mentioned here, but they're every bit the equal of their cast mates. New to the tour is Josh Franklin as Billy Crocker. Franklin, who understudied the role in New York, has a great bari-tenor, matinee idol looks and the ability to clown as well as be romantic. Edward Staudenmayer, a veteran of Forbidden Broadway, has fun with the goofy role of Sir Evelyn Oakleigh and then knocks us out when he finally gets to sing and dance with Ms. York late in the show. There's also great character work by Dennis Kelly as Elisha Whitney, Jeff Brooks as the purser, and Sandra Shipley as Mrs. Harcourt. As Billy's love interest Hope Harcourt, Alex Finke doesn't get to do much clowning and is a little overshadowed by all the manic energy of the other characters, but she sounds great and is a lovely and appealing presence. The ensemble is as slick and professional as any in New York, and they execute Kathleen Marshall's lively dances with skill. Anything Goes originally opened in 1934 when musicals were still mostly vehicles for stringing together a bunch of great songs and entertaining dance numbers, and Ms. Marshall unapologetically presents it just that way. The book is as silly as Cole Porter's lyrics are smart (well, some of them are actually pretty silly, too). But if the combined product is meant to be a vehicle for top-of-their game musical theater performers, the Roundabout was smart enough to know it would have been really silly to take it on the road without an ensemble cast as strong as this one. Anything Goes will play the Cadillac Palace, 151 West Randolph St., Chicago, through May 5, 2013. For tickets, visit www.BroadwayinChicago.com, call 800-775-2000 or visit any Ticketmaster outlet or Broadway in Chicago box office. For more information on the tour, visit broadwaytour.net/anything-goes-tour.
See the schedule of theatre productions in the Chicago area
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