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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Anything Goes Also see Gil's review of Les Misérables
The show takes place on a ship sailing to England and features various characters on board, mistaken identities, Chinese missionaries, gangsters, romantic possibilities and the headliner for the cruise, Miss Reno Sweeney. With such well-known Porter songs as "You're the Top," "It's Delovely," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and the title song, set around a very funny book, it's understandable why the show has been revived on Broadway and is a staple at theatres across the country. Anything Goes has been revised several times since its first Broadway production back in 1934. Songs have been removed and other songs added in from other Porter scores. The 1962 Off-Broadway revival was the first to include such songs as "Friendship" and "It's Delovely" while the 1987 revival made more changes and featured a revised script co-written by the son of one of the original book writers Timothy Crouse, and John Weidman. Phoenix Theatre is presenting the 1987 version. While Anything Goes is an ensemble piece, the focus is on Reno Sweeney, and Phoenix Theatre regular Debby Rosenthal makes a mostly good impression in the part. Her singing is refined, her comical line delivery winning, and she jumps right in with her younger costars in the exuberant and intricate dancing. I just wish she had a bit more zing and lift in her vocals and a drop more sexual razzle-dazzle in her overall character portrayal. As Reno's conniving cohort Billy Crocker, Jonathan Hoover has the right looks, demeanor, and style of early 1930s Manhattan and brings plenty of charm to the part, along with some lovely vocals that make an overall winning performance. Jon Gentry is Moonface Martin, the comical public enemy who is disguised as a minister so as not to get caught. Childsplay regular Gentry is fun and lovable in the part, though a bit more subdued than other Moonfaces I've seen. As Hope, the woman Billy is in love with, Trisha Hart Ditsworth's voice soars on her few songs including nice vocals on "All Through the Night," that she sings with Hoover, and she does a nice job getting across the fact that Hope doesn't quite agree with some of Billy's actions in wooing her. D. Scott Wither is Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, the slightly crazy Englishman that Hope is engaged to marry. Wither has a commanding stage presence, evokes a hilarious British accent, and has a lot of fun with the part. As Moonface's friend Erma, Lynzee Foreman is a hoot, with a brassy delivery of her lines and songs. The rest of the ensemble has no problem enacting director/choreographer Robert Kolby Harper's infectious dances and, in a small part, Brad York brings a nice amount of crazed determination as the ship's frenzied captain. Director Harper keeps the show moving along at a fast clip, with some fun use of the staircases and second level platform in his staging. Harper has also created a lively and varied assortment of choreography for the production. Design elements are excellent. Yoon Mae's ship deck set design is full of color, unlike most productions of this show that stick to standard white. The rich, vibrant color palette adds art deco hints throughout. Adriana Diaz's costume designs are sublime, period and character appropriate, and Mike Eddy's lighting is stunning, providing some especially lovely moments during the night scenes on the ship. While Anything Goes is a bit of a warhorse now when it comes to musical theatre, with very little new to bring to the now well-known plot, Phoenix Theatre's production is solid and colorful. You will leave the theatre with a big smile on your face and humming the many Porter hit songs as well as singing the praises of the talented cast. Anything Goes runs through March 22nd, 2015, at the Phoenix Theatre at 100 E. McDowell Road in Phoenix. Tickets can be purchased at phoenixtheatre.com or by calling (602) 254-2151. Director/Choreographer: Robert Kolby Harper Cast: *Members of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors & stage managers in the U.S.
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