Sunday, April 17, 2011

Theater Review: Anything Goes with Sutton Foster & Joel Grey

It’s Delightful and Sutton Foster is De-lovely
By Lauren Yarger
A silly plot, even sillier gags, songs by Cole Porter and some powerhouse dance numbers giving Sutton Foster a chance to use some of the tap and belting skills that have been dormant in her latest Broadway roles combine to make Anything Goes a delightful revival that’s just so easy to love.

Foster is Reeno Sweeney, a club entertainer “evangelist” who pursues love interest Billy Crocker (a dreamy Colin Donnell) aboard an ocean liner. He’s pursuing someone else, however, socialite Hope Harcourt (Laura Osnes), who’s sailing with her mother, Evangeline (Jessica Walter – I saw understudy Linda Mugleston) and her fiancé, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (a very funny Adam Godley).

Also on board the ship (designed on a grand scale three levels by Derek McLane) are conman Moonface Martin (Joel Grey), posing as a priest, Erma (Jessica Stone), his partner in crime who keeps all the sailors occupied, and Billy’s boss, Elisha Whitney (John McMartin), who pursues Mrs. Harcourt. Billy was supposed to make an important stock transaction before he decided to stow away on the chance he could win Hope’s heart, and Reno, Moonface and Erma help Billy evade his boss with a number of ruses and disguises. A large ensemble completes the cast and performs the rousing production numbers directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.

The original book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton with Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse has been updated by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman and gives a storyline to Porter’s music and lyrics, which include familiar tunes like “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “Easy to Love,” “Friendship,” “It’s De-Lovely,” and “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” among others.

Foster, who burst onto the Broadway stage with a Tony-Award winning performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie hasn’t had a chance to show what she can do in subsequent roles (Little Women, The Drosy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein and Shrek), but finally, in Anything Goes, she gets to excercise her vocal range, belt like Ethel Merman and tap up a storm. She shines, and like the rest of the cast outfitted in lovely 1930s evening and cruise wear by designer Martin Paklidinaz, seems to be having a lot of fun up there. Even the lighting (Peter Kaczorowki, designer) should take a bow -- the “Easy to Love” number on the moonlit deck is particularly lovely.

The only down sides: Foster’s reserve in a few numbers where she could go even more to town, waiting until almost the end of Act One before we get a full-out production number and the arrangements of some of the songs (James Lowe is Musical Director). “Friendship” was particularly disappointing.

People were humming and singing the tunes at intermission and on their way out of the theater. All aboard for a really fun two hours and 45 minutes at the theater.

This Roundabout Theatre Company production of Anything Goes plays at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 West 43rd St., NYC. Tickets are available at http://www.givenik.com/show_info.php/Masterworks/283/individual.

Christians might also like to know:
• God’s name taken in vain
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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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