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Anything Goes” Will Blow Muny Audiences Out of the Water
by Pat Lindsey
This is it. This is the last show of The Muny’s seven-show season and it’s a doozy. Even though every one of the other six shows was perfectly wonderful, The Muny seems to have a tradition of saving the best for last. Get ready for “Anything Goes” to come tap dancing into your heart.
Who would have thought that a 1934 post-Depression musical would be able to thrill, delight and crack up audiences in 2024? The last time it played The Muny stage was 1999. The music and lyrics by Cole Porter are the main reasons “Anything Goes” has survived 90 years. Add to that outstanding choreography and enough silly humor to appeal to all ages and you have a show with staying power worthy of being The Muny’s finale show.
All of the action takes place on an ocean liner bound for London from New York. The passengers include a number of wealthy people, some sailors, a handful of showgirls, a few gangsters and crooks, and a stowaway. Back in that day, celebrity-searching was apparently the recreational onboard activity during an ocean crossing. Unfortunately for these passengers, the SS American is short on celebrities, so the gangsters and crooks give them photo ops by pretending to be famous people.
The plot is simple. Billy Crocker (Jay Armstrong Johnson) has fallen in love with Hope Harcourt (Kimberly Immanuel), but Hope is sailing to London with her fiance, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (George Abud) to be married. Hope is being pushed into the marriage by her mother, Evangeline Harcourt (Ann Harada), because they lost all of their money in the stock market during the Depression and Lord Oakleigh is wealthy.
The love triangle becomes a square when Reno Sweeney (Jeanna de Waal), one of the entertainers on the ship, declares her love for Billy Crocker (Johnson) in a duet of “You’re the Top.” The plot thickens when we ask, “Will Billy win back Hope? Will Hope marry Lord Oakleigh? Will Billy fall in love with Reno?” You’ll have to see the show to find out.
From her opening song, “I Get a Kick Out of You,” it is obvious that Reno Sweeney (deWaal) is the star of this show. Her range is remarkable. She can sing like an Old Hollywood starlet or a Fanny Brice-type comedienne. DeWaal can really turn up the volume when she needs to blast out the title song, “Anything Goes,” or deliver a rousing “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.” Jeanna deWaal is the gold thread that sews this production together.
Billy (Johnson) and Hope (Immanuel) lift up their beautiful voices in “Easy to Love,” “It’s De-Lovely,” and “All Through the Night.” Johnson has previously performed in four Muny shows, but this is Immanuel’s Muny debut.
The Broadway, film, and TV actor who ignites much of the lame comedy in this show is lovable Kevin Chamberlin, who plays Moonface Martin. He joins Reno (deWaal) and Billy (Johnson) in singing a familiar tune, “Friendship.”
Cole Porter’s music has produced many an earworm over the past century. Once you hear a Cole Porter song, it’s difficult to get it out of your head. From the overture to the finale, Ben Whitely sends this score sailing over the massive Muny amphitheater. He, along with Choreographer Jared Grimes and Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge, have created a dazzling production that bubbles up like sparkling champagne. All the audience has to do is sit back, marvel at the gorgeous costumes and sets, and enjoy the show.
I’d be remiss to not recognize Scenic Designer Edward E. Haynes, Jr. for the awesome painting of an ocean liner that spans the entire Muny stage. It sets the scene for all the hilarity and joy on the high seas during “Anything Goes.”
Your last chance to see this fabulous show will be Aug. 25. Tickets are available at muny.org or by calling 314-534-1111. Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson will announce the 2025 show lineup on Oct. 30. Stay tuned.
