By Rachel Stillman, for Grunion Gazette
"Anything Goes" In Spectacular Musical

Cole Porter's classic 1934 musical may be called "Anything Goes," but it could just have easily have been dubbed "Spectacular-Spectacular." Musical Theatre West's production of ANYTHING GOES has everything you could ever want in a musical - comedy, romance, a luxurious ocean liner, mob members, Cole Porter songs, excellent singing and dancing numbers and terrific performances. It never slows down during the two-and-a-half hour running time.

The plot itself isn't that exciting. It's a poor boy, stockbroker Billy Crocker (Kevin Earley), meets rich girl, debutant Hope Harcourt (Melissa Fahn), story with conflicts that are sure to not keep the two young lovebirds apart. ANYTHING GOES even goes a bit - ahem - overboard with the melodrama and kitsch, but that's exactly what's needed in a musical with such a playful tone and zealous dedication to pure entertainment.

At the heart of ANYTHING GOES are those good old musical favorites - Cole Porter entertaining sidekicks, dazzling footwork and charming performers with killer voices. The song line-up includes "You're the Top," "I Get A Kick Out of You," "Blow Gavriel, Blow," and "It's De-Lovely." And that's just for starters.

Don't forget Billy and Hope's romance, and Billy and evangelist-siren Reno Sweeny (Bele Calaway and Reno and mob-???? Lesli Margherita playing a Marilyn Monroe-esque role, right down to the breathy voice and quartet of adoring men, as mobster moll Erma. Or the sassy way Bele Calaway belts out her songs.

Then there are the gorgeous costumes; sparkling, mood-enhancing, elegant and authentic to the period. Suffice it to say costume coordinator Heather Carlton did an excellent job.

Musical Theatre West goes the extra mile, adding to the inherent mayhem of the musical with other unique little touches that enhance the production and the theater-going experience.

My favorite touch was the choice to free the orchestra players from their usual pit - and raise them to new heights, literally placing them above all the action. They sit on top of the ship in question. In back of them, lights in hues of blue, purple and orange establish the time of day and mood.

Since the orchestra space is not being used, the set and action can extend farther. And instead of filling the extra space with more props and stage scenery, they go for the minimalist approach. A bar and the ship's cabins only make brief appearances and quickly roll on and off the stage on wheels.

These details help create the feel of a much larger stage, which is just what this grandiose musical needs.

Without the additional space, the stage would look, and probably feel (for the actors), cluttered and awkward for all those big numbers. In short, for an absolutely delightful experience at the theater, skip, dance or sing your way over to Musical Theatre West for ANYTHING GOES.

7/13/2006

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