Lyric Stage presents Anything Goes

Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter | Original Book by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse

THE TAP-HAPPY COLE PORTER MUSICAL CLASSIC DOCKS AT LYRIC STAGE JUNE 17-26

Although it has been revived in New York three times – twice on Broadway and once Off-Broadway – and is frequently produced by community and school groups, ANYTHING GOES has not been seen in its original form since it closed on Broadway in 1935. The original 1934 version of ANYTHING GOES set sail at Lyric Stage June 17-26, 2016 in the Irving Arts Center’s Carpenter Performance Hall.

When a classic Broadway musical is revived on Broadway, it is typically the same score, book and lyrics that were originally performed on Broadway. ANYTHING GOES has had a new or revised book and a revised score for each of its returns to New York—- the 1962 Off-Broadway and the 1987 and 2011 Broadway revivals. Lyric Stage’s full scale production was the first to use Cole Porter’s original score and Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse’s original book since the original Broadway production ended.

Lyric Stage music director Jay Dias spent weeks in the Library of Congress researching and copying orchestra parts from the original Broadway run for Lyric Stage’s production. Russell Bennett and Hans Spialek’s original orchestrations and Ray Johnson’s choral arrangements bridge the worlds of 1920’s hot jazz and early big band. Audiences were treated to two “new” old songs for the character of Hope and a “new” showstopper for Reno. In the original version, Hope sings the wistful ballad “What a Joy to be Young” and a duet with her intended Sir Evelyn Oakleigh entitled “Waltz Down the Aisle,” and Reno sings the show stopping “Kate the Great.”

Anything Goes is set aboard the ocean liner S. S. American, where nightclub singer/evangelist Reno Sweeney is en route from New York to England. Her pal Billy Crocker has stowed away to be near his love, Hope Harcourt, but the problem is Hope is engaged to the wealthy Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Joining this love triangle on board the luxury liner are Public Enemy #13, Moonface Martin and his sidekick-in-crime Bonnie. With the help of some elaborate disguises, tap-dancing sailors and good old-fashioned blackmail, Reno and Martin join forces to help Billy in his quest to win Hope’s heart.

Penny Ayn Maas directed and choreographed Lyric Stage’s production with music direction by Jay Dias.

After starring last season as Annie Oakley in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Daron Cockerell returned to Lyric Stage as Reno Sweeney with Andy Baldwin as Moonface Martin, Kelly Silverthorn as Hope Harcourt, Clayton Winters as Billy Crocker, Max Swarner as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Deborah Brown as Mrs. Harcourt and Rachel Reinninger as Bonnie. The cast also included David Fenley as Bishop Dodson, Christian Luu as Ching, Vahn Phollurxa as Ling, David Meglino as Elisha J. Whitney, Mark Oristano as Lord Oakleigh, James Williams as The Captain, Sarah Comley Caldwell as Mrs. Wentworth, Amy Stevenson as Mrs. Frick, Sally Soldo, Alex Heika, Scott Sutton, Mary Jerome, Kimberly Pine, Ally Van Deuren, Sydney Kirkegaard, Haley Jane Schafer, Jackie Raye, Caroline Ellis, Abigail Gardner, Trevor Martin, Tyler Jeffrey Adams, Peter DiCesare, Tatem Lee, Jonathan Hardin, Jack Bristol, Rhett Warner, Jordan Crites, Chapman Blake, Ryan C Machen and Patrick Shukis.