By Rikki Lee Travolta
Porchlight Music Theatre’s glitzy production of “Anything Goes”, featuring some of composer and lyricist Cole Porter’s most popular and well-known songs, is lighting up the stage in blazing glory at Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago.
The madcap storyline of “Anything Goes” is a silly one, with a tantalizing tale behind its creation. The lightbulb for “Anything Goes” came from producer Vinton Feedley. The producer was living on a boat because he was hiding from creditors he’d ditched. Thinking life on a boat to be delightful, he commissioned the team of P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton to write the book for a musical about a boat.
Feedley was pioneering a new approach to Broadway. – rather than commission a book, music, and lyrics and then when satisfied start mounting a show, the producer first signed his stars and then had the musical developed around them to showcase their talents.
To ensure the success of his yet-to-be-written musical about a boat, Feedley signed star Ethel Merman to play the lead and composer Porter to do the music. It would be the first of five Cole Porter musicals that Merman would star in during her career.
What the writers came up with was a zany story about a shipwreck and a desert island. However, a few weeks before the production was scheduled to open on Broadway, there was a tragedy at sea involving the death of over 100 passengers of the S.S. Morro Castle.
Fearing a musical about a shipwreck might seem in poor taste in light of these events, Feedley decided to have the book hastily rewritten. Howard Lindsay, the director of the production, and press agent Russel Crouse were hired to come up with the new storyline.
Sticking with his decision to cast first and write material around the stars, Feedley added the comedy duo William Gaxton and Victor Moore to the cast and had the roles of Billy Crocker and Moonface Martin sculpted around them.
The newly rewritten “Anything Goes” premiered in New York in 1934 and was the fourth longest-running Broadway musical of the 1930s.
There have been several Broadway revivals of what Cole Porter considered one of his two most perfect musicals (the other title being “Kiss Me Kate”). Some script revisions have taken place since the original 1934 version. Similarly, the score has been augmented with additional famed Cole Porte songs.
The version of “Anything Goes” being presented by Porchlight includes new book elements from Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. Songs that have the audience thoroughly captivated throughout include “Anything Goes” “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “You’re the Top”, and “Friendship.”
The centerpiece throughout the development process of all versions of the script was the character of Reno Sweeny – a bombshell nightclub singer and unconventional evangelist “preacher” with a preference for suggestive outfits. The part was written to showcase Ethel Merman’s bigger-than-the-room star quality and has attracted similar such headliners in subsequent mountings, including Patti LuPone, Elaine Paige, Rachel York, and Sutton Foster.
To give the show the star power it needs to be a mega-hit, Porchlight Music Theatre has recruited powerhouse Meghan Murphy. Murphy is an internationally recognized theatrical headliner, with six Joseph Jefferson Award nominations to her credit.
Murphy is one of those stars who changes the temperature of the room when she walks in the door. She is gorgeous, talented, and equipped with a figure that doesn’t quit. She has the wink-and-a-smile charm associated with stars like Bette Midler and Sutton Foster and the sexiness of a pinup model. It doesn’t hurt that she’s an incredible singer, a crazy good dancer, and a deliciously talented actress.
The highlights of “Anything Goes” are typically the music and the dance numbers – which is the case again. Porchlight’s band sits on the second story of the two-story set by designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec and associate Milo Bue. It’s fun having the band onstage, dressed appropriately for an ocean liner’s orchestra. Nick Sula’s music direction of the toe-tapping score is wonderfully executed, and conductor Linda Madonia leads the band exceptionally well.
Similarly, the production’s choreographer Tammy Mader is quite the showoff. She has the dancers hoofing like they belong on Broadway, with remarkable technique and smiles that beam to the back of the house. The tap numbers alone are worth double the price of admission even when you add on the cost of a fancy coffee and valet parking.
While Ms. Murphy could easily entertain an audience on her own, director Michael Weber has put together a fast, funny, feel-good musical filled with delightfully talented performers around her.
The story is not complex, which has allowed it to be tinkered with so much over the years. Billy Crocker is getting his start on Wall Street but decides instead to stow away on an ocean liner to pursue a girl he has barely just met. That girl, Hope Harcourt, is on her way to be wed to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh as arranged by her mother Evangeline Harcourt to save their family from financial ruin.
Conveniently, Billy is an old friend of Reno, so even though it involves swallowing her own feelings for Billy, she is able to help him in his pursuit of the girl of his dreams. Also on the boat is Public Enemy Number 13 – Moonface Martin – who has disguised himself as a priest to evade authorities. Also convenient, he’s an old friend of Reno – so she is able to help him too. A lot of things in the script happen rather conveniently. That’s part of the silliness.
The show is goofy and fun. It’s filled with cases of mistaken identity and similar hijinks on the high seas. Porchlight’s “Anything Goes” is feel-good theatre that has been given the star treatment, and that is just what Chicago needs to survive another winter. With Meghan Murphy’s talents powering the ship, Porchlight has another blockbuster on its hands.
The entire cast is fantastic. Luke Nowakowski is very charming as the romantic lead Billy Crocker. Let’s face it, almost anytime you perform dialogue written almost a century ago you’re going to need to use a little charm at times to make it work. When he sings, there is power yet with a gentle lilt. It’s very enjoyable.
Billy’s love interest Hope is nicely placed by Emma Ogea. She has a pristine voice and all the prerequisites required of being an ingenue.
Moonface Martin is a character that can be a laugh riot when played with the right comic touches, which is exactly what Steve McDonagh does. As an actor seen regularly in Chicago, McDonagh repeatedly shows that he has a wonderful way of connecting directly with the audience, and that is clearly the case again with “Anything Goes.” He is always a joy to see perform.
Jackson Evans is comic ecstasy as the priggish Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, who it turns out might not be as hopelessly boorish as he first seems. To be able to dance spasmodically in one number and with elegance in another, Evans is full of surprises.
Also helping to turn “Anything Goes” into a “Must See” are the talents of cast members Logan Becker, Tommy Bullington, Rachael Dec, Tafadzwa Diener, Nick Dorado, Josiah Haugen, Ciara Hickey, J. Christian Hill, Emily Ling Mei, Delsey MacDonald, Hannah Remain, Nataki Rennie, Jenna Schoppe, Gabriel Solis, Mack Spotts, Jerod Turner, Genevieve VenJohnson, and Anthony Whitaker.
The costumes that Rachel Boylan has created for the amazing cast range from lovely to sassy to sizzling. Boylan clearly has a talent for making people look their best. Every cast member looked sharp in their Boylan threads.
Lighting designer Max Maxin IV and sound designer Matthew R. Chases get their jobs done very nicely, as does the property designer Patrick McGuire. Intimacy choreographer Sheryl Williams keeps the actors comfortable without sacrificing the suggestive humor of the script.
The production’s director Michael Weber is also the artistic director for Porchlight, and I’m a fan. Weber set the bar high for Chicago area theatre productions in 2023 with his mounting of “Cabaret”. He’s doing it again in 2024 with “Anything Goes”.
The production plays Wednesdays through Sundays, with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays – now extended through March 10 due to overwhelming popularity! Information on open caption productions and post-show discussions is available online. For tickets visit www.PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/Anything-Goes or call (773) 777-9884.
Ruth Page Center for the Arts is located at 1016 N. Dearborn Ave. in downtown Chicago.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
For more reviews visit: Theatre in Chicago – your source for What’s on Stage in the Chicago Area.
Feedley was pioneering a new approach to Broadway. – rather than commission a book, music, and lyrics and then when satisfied start mounting a show, the producer first signed his stars and then had the musical developed around them to showcase their talents.
To ensure the success of his yet-to-be-written musical about a boat, Feedley signed star Ethel Merman to play the lead and composer Porter to do the music. It would be the first of five Cole Porter musicals that Merman would star in during her career.
What the writers came up with was a zany story about a shipwreck and a desert island. However, a few weeks before the production was scheduled to open on Broadway, there was a tragedy at sea involving the death of over 100 passengers of the S.S. Morro Castle.
Fearing a musical about a shipwreck might seem in poor taste in light of these events, Feedley decided to have the book hastily rewritten. Howard Lindsay, the director of the production, and press agent Russel Crouse were hired to come up with the new storyline.
Sticking with his decision to cast first and write material around the stars, Feedley added the comedy duo William Gaxton and Victor Moore to the cast and had the roles of Billy Crocker and Moonface Martin sculpted around them.
The newly rewritten “Anything Goes” premiered in New York in 1934 and was the fourth longest-running Broadway musical of the 1930s.
There have been several Broadway revivals of what Cole Porter considered one of his two most perfect musicals (the other title being “Kiss Me Kate”). Some script revisions have taken place since the original 1934 version. Similarly, the score has been augmented with additional famed Cole Porte songs.
The version of “Anything Goes” being presented by Porchlight includes new book elements from Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. Songs that have the audience thoroughly captivated throughout include “Anything Goes” “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “You’re the Top”, and “Friendship.”
The centerpiece throughout the development process of all versions of the script was the character of Reno Sweeny – a bombshell nightclub singer and unconventional evangelist “preacher” with a preference for suggestive outfits. The part was written to showcase Ethel Merman’s bigger-than-the-room star quality and has attracted similar such headliners in subsequent mountings, including Patti LuPone, Elaine Paige, Rachel York, and Sutton Foster.
To give the show the star power it needs to be a mega-hit, Porchlight Music Theatre has recruited powerhouse Meghan Murphy. Murphy is an internationally recognized theatrical headliner, with six Joseph Jefferson Award nominations to her credit.
Murphy is one of those stars who changes the temperature of the room when she walks in the door. She is gorgeous, talented, and equipped with a figure that doesn’t quit. She has the wink-and-a-smile charm associated with stars like Bette Midler and Sutton Foster and the sexiness of a pinup model. It doesn’t hurt that she’s an incredible singer, a crazy good dancer, and a deliciously talented actress.
The highlights of “Anything Goes” are typically the music and the dance numbers – which is the case again. Porchlight’s band sits on the second story of the two-story set by designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec and associate Milo Bue. It’s fun having the band onstage, dressed appropriately for an ocean liner’s orchestra. Nick Sula’s music direction of the toe-tapping score is wonderfully executed, and conductor Linda Madonia leads the band exceptionally well.
Similarly, the production’s choreographer Tammy Mader is quite the showoff. She has the dancers hoofing like they belong on Broadway, with remarkable technique and smiles that beam to the back of the house. The tap numbers alone are worth double the price of admission even when you add on the cost of a fancy coffee and valet parking.
While Ms. Murphy could easily entertain an audience on her own, director Michael Weber has put together a fast, funny, feel-good musical filled with delightfully talented performers around her.
The story is not complex, which has allowed it to be tinkered with so much over the years. Billy Crocker is getting his start on Wall Street but decides instead to stow away on an ocean liner to pursue a girl he has barely just met. That girl, Hope Harcourt, is on her way to be wed to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh as arranged by her mother Evangeline Harcourt to save their family from financial ruin.
Conveniently, Billy is an old friend of Reno, so even though it involves swallowing her own feelings for Billy, she is able to help him in his pursuit of the girl of his dreams. Also on the boat is Public Enemy Number 13 – Moonface Martin – who has disguised himself as a priest to evade authorities. Also convenient, he’s an old friend of Reno – so she is able to help him too. A lot of things in the script happen rather conveniently. That’s part of the silliness.
The show is goofy and fun. It’s filled with cases of mistaken identity and similar hijinks on the high seas. Porchlight’s “Anything Goes” is feel-good theatre that has been given the star treatment, and that is just what Chicago needs to survive another winter. With Meghan Murphy’s talents powering the ship, Porchlight has another blockbuster on its hands.
The entire cast is fantastic. Luke Nowakowski is very charming as the romantic lead Billy Crocker. Let’s face it, almost anytime you perform dialogue written almost a century ago you’re going to need to use a little charm at times to make it work. When he sings, there is power yet with a gentle lilt. It’s very enjoyable.
Billy’s love interest Hope is nicely placed by Emma Ogea. She has a pristine voice and all the prerequisites required of being an ingenue.
Moonface Martin is a character that can be a laugh riot when played with the right comic touches, which is exactly what Steve McDonagh does. As an actor seen regularly in Chicago, McDonagh repeatedly shows that he has a wonderful way of connecting directly with the audience, and that is clearly the case again with “Anything Goes.” He is always a joy to see perform.
Jackson Evans is comic ecstasy as the priggish Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, who it turns out might not be as hopelessly boorish as he first seems. To be able to dance spasmodically in one number and with elegance in another, Evans is full of surprises.
Also helping to turn “Anything Goes” into a “Must See” are the talents of cast members Logan Becker, Tommy Bullington, Rachael Dec, Tafadzwa Diener, Nick Dorado, Josiah Haugen, Ciara Hickey, J. Christian Hill, Emily Ling Mei, Delsey MacDonald, Hannah Remain, Nataki Rennie, Jenna Schoppe, Gabriel Solis, Mack Spotts, Jerod Turner, Genevieve VenJohnson, and Anthony Whitaker.
The costumes that Rachel Boylan has created for the amazing cast range from lovely to sassy to sizzling. Boylan clearly has a talent for making people look their best. Every cast member looked sharp in their Boylan threads.
Lighting designer Max Maxin IV and sound designer Matthew R. Chases get their jobs done very nicely, as does the property designer Patrick McGuire. Intimacy choreographer Sheryl Williams keeps the actors comfortable without sacrificing the suggestive humor of the script.
The production’s director Michael Weber is also the artistic director for Porchlight, and I’m a fan. Weber set the bar high for Chicago area theatre productions in 2023 with his mounting of “Cabaret”. He’s doing it again in 2024 with “Anything Goes”.
The production plays Wednesdays through Sundays, with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays – now extended through March 10 due to overwhelming popularity! Information on open caption productions and post-show discussions is available online. For tickets visit www.PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/Anything-Goes or call (773) 777-9884.
Ruth Page Center for the Arts is located at 1016 N. Dearborn Ave. in downtown Chicago.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
For more reviews visit: Theatre in Chicago – your source for What’s on Stage in the Chicago Area.
