Phoenix Theatre’s “Anything Goes” doesn’t contain a single dull moment.
The show is packed with hilarious misadventures, mistaken identities, wanted stowaways, glitzy musical numbers and eccentric-yet-charming characters willing to do anything for their chance at love — even pretend to be someone else.
Performed by a cast of dynamic, talented actors all worthy of a guest spot on Saturday Night Live, “Anything Goes” is the story of the S.S. American’s voyage and its eclectic guests, which include a flirtatious nightclub singer, a gangster disguised as a priest, an extremely gullible English aristocrat who can’t seem to get his English slang quite right and a Wall Street banker who really should own a second pair of glasses.
First performed on Broadway in 1934, the Tony Award-winning musical has become a classic, performed on stages across America. It was even adapted into a film. Directed and choreographed by Robert Kolby Harper, the Phoenix Theatre production lives up to all of the show’s expectations.
The cast includes a few Phoenix Theatre favorites. There’s Trisha Hart Ditsworth, who played Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins”; Debby Rosenthal, who portrayed Judy Denmark in “Ruthless!”; and D. Scott Withers, who performed in “Gypsy” and “Hairspray.”
The production’s set design by Yoon Bae and Tyler Welden is bright, colorful and gorgeous. The set makes the production all the more realistic as the characters gallivanted throughout the ship, all determined to fulfill their own personal missions, which sometimes warranted treacherous acts such as throwing a puppy overboard, trying to tempt a man into cheating on his fiancee, and knocking out a passenger and stealing his clothes.
Alongside the witty dialogue and shocking acts, the musical numbers are what make the show as highly entertaining as it is. Some of the best numbers include “You’re the Top,” sung by Rosenthal and Jonathan Hoover, “It’s De-lovely”, performed by Ditsworth and Hoover and “The Gypsy In Me” –- a beyond-hilarious performance by Withers.
Then, of course, there’s the one song everyone was waiting for – the namesake of the musical, “Anything Goes.” Rosenthal did an incredible job with this number, and it was unquestionably one of the most popular scenes of the show, warranting a roaring applause and the most likely culprit behind the standing ovation at the end of the finale.
“Anything Goes” is one of the most fast-paced, funny and magical musical comedies ever written. It’s one plot twist after another, and it keeps the audience enthralled the entire time with endearing characters who will win your heart almost immediately. And from the title, it’s also clear exactly what the moral of the story is.
“Anything Goes” will be performed on the Phoenix Theatre stage through March 22. Tickets start at $30, but student discounts are available. Any unsold tickets 15 minutes before the show starts are $15 with student ID.
Contact the author at jasmine.barta@asu.edu. Contact the columnist at mbilker@asu.edu.
