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Regional Reviews: Cincinnati
Anything Goes premiered in 1934, and has been successfully revived several times since on Broadway, most recently in a 2011 production featuring Sutton Foster, which is the basis for this tour. The show follows numerous high-spirited characters on board a luxury liner sailing from New York to London. Billy Crocker stows away to follow the girl of his dreams, Hope, who is set to marry an Englishman upon arriving in London. Billy enlists the help of his old friend Reno Sweeney, a former evangelist turned nightclub singer, as well as Moonface, a gangster posing as a priest, to help him win back the girl. The book for Anything Goes is one that has been tweaked for nearly every major revival of the show. The original story by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse was subsequently revised by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse prior to the show's premiere. For this version, John Weidman and Timothy Crouse (son of Russel Crouse) have provided further changes. By today's standards, the plot is cheesy and very lightweight, with broad comedy, lots of one-liners (some of them admittedly quite funny), cases of mistaken identity (a staple of the day), and a predictable ending. The story plods along, with act two especially full of filler. However, what the book does provide is a structure for a plethora of wonderful Cole Porter songs and some lively dance numbers. The score boasts many of Porter's most recognizable songs, all sporting the delicious melodies and witty wordplay for which he's known. Musical gems include "It's De-Lovely," "Friendship," "I Get A Kick Out of You," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," "You're The Top" and the marvelous title number. As Reno Sweeney, Emma Stratton is sultry, brassy, graceful, and sharp as a tack. She sings with great strength and authority, and is well-suited to the material. Brian Krinsky provides a solid all-around performance as Billy, and is a perfect fit vocally for this style of music. Rachelle Rose Clark is appropriately delicate and endearing as Hope, and Dennis Setteducati does well with the uneven material of the character as Moonface Martin. Richard Lindenfelzer gets lots of laughs as the stiff Brit Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, though his English accent seems off. The remaining supporting cast and ensemble are praiseworthy and do a fine job in all respects. Director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall provides fluid staging and ensures that the comedic moments work well. However, she's unable to overcome the piece's fundamentally slow pacing, and the show doesn't come across as having enough heart. Her dances, on the other hand, exquisitely capture the many styles of the period, with the title song that closes out act one with glorious tap dancing and the jazzy "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" being especially impressive. Robbie Cowan leads a great sounding nine-piece orchestra. Scenic coordinator James Kronzer recreates Derek McLane's original sets, which are simple and functional, and feature multiple levels conveying the ship setting without taking up the stage space needed for the many dances. The lighting by Anthony Pearson features many hues capturing sunrises and sunsets. Costumes by Martin Pakledinaz (coordinated on tour by Jimm Halliday) are attractive, unique, and period appropriate with a number of very visually appealing details. Anything Goes is mindless fun, and it showcases a brilliant score by Cole Porter. But, for a show about love, it is merely enjoyable and entertaining without being emotionally engaging. The touring cast skillfully executes the superb dances and classic songs with great talent. Anything Goes continues at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati through February 22, 2015. Tickets can be ordered by calling (800) 294-1816. For more information on the tour, please visit www.anythinggoesontour.com.
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