Roundabout Theatre Company laid out the gangplank for a first preview on March 10 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Tony Award winner Foster plays the nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney, who gets the lion's share of hit songs by composer-lyricist Porter: "You're the Top," "Friendship," "I Get a Kick Out of You," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and "Anything Goes."
Here is a look at the opening night:
Tony winner Kathleen Marshall (The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town) directs and choreographs the 1934 confection, which has songs by Porter and a libretto by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, who drew on the original Depression-era script (by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse) for this 1987 version of the show.
Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Women, Shrek the Musical) plays Reno, whose love interest is Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, played by British star Adam Godley (of the most recent Broadway Private Lives). Tony winner Joel Grey (Cabaret, The Grand Tour, Chicago) plays a low-grade, charming public enemy named Moonface Martin. Laura Osnes (South Pacific, Grease, Bonnie and Clyde) plays Hope Harcourt, the ingenue sought by Billy Crocker (played by Colin Donnell, once of Jersey Boys and recently of Merkin Hall's All the Things You Are concert).
John McMartin (Follies, Sweet Charity, A Free Man of Color) plays Elisha Whitney, who is smitten with Hope's mother, Evangeline, played by Jessica Walter (Broadway's Rumors and TV's "Archer" and "Arrested Development").
The company also features Walter Charles as the Captain, Jessica Stone as man-trap Erma, Robert Creighton as Purser, Andrew Cao as Luke, Raymond J. Lee as John, with Clyde Alves, Ward Billeisen, Joyce Chittick, Nikki Renée Daniels, Margot De La Barre, Kimberly Fauré, Josh Franklin, Justin Greer, Daniel J. Edwards, Tari Kelly, Shina Ann Morris, Linda Mugleston, Kevin Munhall, Adam Perry, William Ryall, Jennifer Savelli, Anthony Wayne and Kristen Beth Williams.
According to Roundabout, "When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail."
Tickets for Roundabout's Anything Goes are available by visiting Telecharge.com or calling (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250. Visit roundabouttheatre.org.
