'Anything Goes' in Cole Porter musical this week

Amy Paterson / staff photographer Cole Porter's witty musical, "Anything Goes," opened Tuesday and runs through Saturday at Latimer-Shaeffer Theatre.

Filled with cheerful numbers and zany antics, "Anything Goes" is a light-hearted musical tale guaranteed to bring smiles. With excellent performances, sets and choreography, the cast successfully brings to life the sparkle and verve of the jazz age at Latimer-Shaeffer Theatre in Duke Hall.

Romance and shenanigans abound aboard the S.S. American, a cruise liner heading for London. On board are Billy Crocker (senior Kevin C. Murphy), a failed stock broker who stows away in an attempt to win his love, heiress Hope Harcourt (senior Beth Abrams). Hope is traveling with her fiancé, the foppish Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (junior Michael Harrison).

Also sailing are evangelist-turned-nightclub singer Reno Sweeney (junior Meredith Holcomb) and her sexy backup singers, "The Angles," along with Public Enemy No. 13, Moonface Martin (senior Keith Foster), and his mistress, Bonnie (sophomore Lyndsey Cole). Billy befriends Reno, Moonface and Bonnie, and they work together to stay out of trouble and win the ones they love.

Featuring classic Cole Porter tunes such as "It's Delovely, I Get a Kick Out of You," and the title tune, "Anything Goes," along with lively dancing, the musical transports the audience back to the roaring '20s.

It has the improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters and slapstick humor characteristics of a farce, but is grounded in the excellent performances of the cast.

Murphy and Holcomb have the confidence and spark necessary to portray vibrant lead characters, although Holcomb's vocal performance suffered from occasional pitch problems. Abrams brought sweetness and grace to her role, but her voice was quiet and often too heavy on the vibrato.

It was Harrison, Cole and Foster's excellent comedic performances in the supporting roles that stole the show, eliciting the most laughs from the audience. Harrison's effeminate accent and physical comedy worked brilliantly to capture the Englishman's naive charm, and Cole's bright singing voice and sassy performance were delightful.

Foster, in particular, was hilarious as a foolish, yet endearing, mobster trying to raise his number on the most wanted list. His vocal performances also were wonderful, although the role didn't allow him many opportunities to sing.

The sets were beautifully crafted and detailed, transporting the audience to a deck of a 1920s cruise liner. The set also had multiple levels and extensions into the corner of the stage that allowed the action to move all around.

The choreography also was excellent, sharp and crisp and visually interesting. The show featured many rousing tap numbers that received great audience applause, particularly the a capella dance during "Anything Goes."

However, one major problem with the show was the cast's inability to project their voices throughout the theatre. With the exception of Foster, the cast was particularly hard to hear, especially when singing over the orchestra. No microphones were used, as is typical in theatre, but most of the cast needed them.

The costumes, while good representations of period clothing, lacked unity or cohesiveness, particularly in the chorus. In the large production numbers, the leads did not stand out as a result. Some other costumes were just ugly and seemingly pointless, such as the strange half robes "The Angels" wear in the "Blow Gabriel, Blow" number.

Despite these issues, "Anything Goes" still is a wonderful show. It's escapist theatre — more about making the audience happy than making them think. And, in that sense, it's a total success.

Produced by the school of theatre and dance and the school of music, "Anything Goes," is running in Latimer-Shaeffer Theatre in Duke Hall nightly through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.