*

Anything Goes [Ghostlight 8-4452]
Our column of April 4 surveyed the many cast recordings of Cole Porter's Anything Goes in advance of the current Roundabout Theatre Company revival on Broadway, not quite anticipating that this new edition — starring Sutton Foster, and under the circumstances I suppose I should write starring SUTTON FOSTER — would belong near the top of the list. But thanks to SUTTON FOSTER, director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall and the music department (led by Rob Fisher), this new entry succeeds admirably.

The prize of the evening is SUTTON FOSTER, and of the CD too; there are seven especially good tracks, six of which feature Ms. F. I suppose that some Patti LuPone enthusiasts will emphatically turn thumbs down on this CD — perhaps without even listening to it? — in favor of the 1987 Lincoln Center cast recording. LuPone was a force of nature in that earlier revival, yes; but the nature in question, to me, was that of Patti LuPone. In the same way, I suppose, that Ethel Merman — who originated the role of Reno Sweeney — was pure Ethel Merman.

	Joel Grey and Sutton Foster in Anything Goes.
	photo by Joan Marcus

Foster fans are perhaps not quite as vehement as LuPone fans, but loyalists of either stripe are likely to love their diva no matter what they do. So let me add that I take these performances on a case-by-case basis. I have admired but never been overly impressed by Foster until I saw her in April, and once again in early June, at the Stephen Sondheim. (Why does "at the Stephen Sondheim" sound so wrong?)

With Foster acting the role, Reno Sweeney turns out to be a delightful creation rather than a costume to be fitted to the persona of the star, for which I give Ms. Foster and Ms. Marshall an extra round of applause. That's the magic which lifts this revival, the Roundabout's most satisfying outing since — what, "Twelve Angry Men" in 2004? The sense of pure joy emanating from Foster permeates the entire enterprise. This revival is not so sleek and handsome and stylish as the Jerry Zaks edition that deservedly lit the Beaumont for two years, but I find it to be considerably more fun.

That said, this Anything Goes is somewhat diminished by the problem that hampers all revivals of Anything Goes. On the CD at least, where it is more noticeable than when you are sitting delightedly in the theatre. Namely, the reconstituted score; it seems that nobody reviving the show, going back to at least 1955 and perhaps before, ever thought that Porter's original score was strong enough. There is no harm in the addition of "Friendship," one of the highlights in the present revival thanks to the clowning provided by Ms. Foster and Mr. Joel Grey. While that song wasn't written till 1939, it was tailor-made for Merman and handily fits into Anything Goes.

	Laura Osnes and Colin Donnell in Anything Goes.
	photo by Joan Marcus

The other major additions — "It's De-Lovely," "Easy to Love," "Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye" — seem to be attempts to add more songhits, and does Anything Goes need more songhits? I suppose that the people who fashioned this version — they use the Lincoln Center script — added them in an attempt to build up the Billy/Hope romance. The original Billy Crocker was not a traditional romantic lead but an overaged star comedian, which is why the romance as written was less starstruck and more cynical. And which is why we can never quite believe that Billy Crocker — who pals around with the likes of Reno — belongs with the debutante.

These songs get by in the theatre, at least in Kathleen Marshall's version; but on the CD they are far less interesting than Sutton's six songs. One non-Sutton song is similarly swell, "Buddie Beware" — a song that was introduced by Merman but cut from the show after a few weeks. Since the 1962 Off-Broadway revival, it has been sung by the soubrette Erma, and is exceedingly jolly in the hands of Jessica Stone.

Colin Donnell is okay as Billy, running head on into the central enigma of the adaptation: how can you be both a convincing romantic lead and a scampish star comic who can hold his own against Reno? The second act surprise of the show is provided by Adam Godley, as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh; his rendition with Foster of "The Gypsy in Me" is one of the grandest eccentric musical performances we've seen since Michael Jeter in Grand Hotel.

But it is Sutton's show; or, rather, SUTTON's show, and her CD. Anything Goes has never been considered a highpoint of musical dramaturgy — that would probably ruin most of the fun, wouldn't it? — but I believe every word of every lyric Foster sings on the CD, as I did every moment she spent on stage at the Sondheim.