The classic 1930s musical comedy by Cole Porter takes place aboard an ocean liner ferrying the zany combination of nightclub evangelist Reno Sweeney (Cynthia Dale), débutante Hope Harcourt (Elizabeth DeGrazia), stowaway Billy Crocker (Michael Gruber) and Moonface Martin, Public Enemy No. 13 (Jimmy Spadola), and his No. 1 gal, Erma (Sheila McCarthy), across the Atlantic.
The score includes "You're the Top," "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."
The original book of Anything Goes is by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, and Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The new book, written for a 1987 production at the Lincoln Center, is by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman.
The show's director and choreographer at the renowned Stratford Festival is Anne Allan, with assistant director and assistant choreographer Phillip Hughes. The musical director is Berthold Carrière, director of music for the Stratford Festival. The designer is Patrick Clark, the lighting designer is Kevin Fraser and the sound designer is Peter McBoyle.
Anything Goes also features Carla Bennett as Chastity, Douglas Chamberlain as Elisha Whitney, Patricia Collins as Evangeline Harcourt, Bruce Dow as Quartet Tenor #1, Nigel Hamer as FBI Agent #2, David Hogan as Fred, Phillip Hughes as Quartet Baritone #1/Trumpet Player, Grant Linneberg as Henry T. Dobson, Adele Mackenzie Maybury as Purity, Laird Mackintosh as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, George Masswohl as FBI Agent #1/Quartet Baritone #2, Jodi-Lynn McFadden as Virtue, Rhonda Roberts as Charity, Jason Sermonia as John, Julius Sermonia as Luke, Aaron Walpole as Quartet Tenor #2, Barrie Wood as the Purser and Shawn Wright as the Captain. The ensemble is Christine Donato, Randy Ganne, Barbara Fulton, Noah Henne, Mark Huculak, Chad McFadden, Dayna Tekatch, Mike Tracz and Cindy Willems. The swings are Michael Falcucci and Tammy Nera. Also in the cast is Marianne McCord. Official opening is June 6. The staging plays in rep at the proscenium Avon to Oct. 31.
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