Anything Goes

Anything Goes
Music & Lyrics: Cole Porter. Book: Timothy Crouse and John Weidman based on the original by P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay & Russell Crouse. Babirra Music Theatre. Director: Tyler Hess. Musical Director: Anthony Barnhill. Choreographer: Craig Wiltshire. October 7 – 15, 2016

With Anything Goes Babirra have reached new heights. The set was amazing! Walking into the auditorium we found portholes along the walls. There were projections on the side, often depicting video of the ocean. There were a couple of structures with stairs which were rolled into different positions for various scenes.

 

The overture started and four tap dancers went into action, and as the music changed, other characters appeared. There was not only music for the scene changes, but the tap dancers often reappeared. In “All Through the Night” Billy wanders out of his cell to the side of the ship to sing, the stage goes dark as the set is changed and Hope comes down the staircase to join him and finally the bars of his cell drop down from the flies as the song finishes. It was magic.

In the Ethel Merman role of Reno Sweeney, Sharon Wills sang and danced up a storm. She presented a likeable character and got most of the best songs. Adam Bianco crooned beautifully as Billy, and his falsetto was a delight. Olivia Fildes was a convincing Hope, torn between love and duty.

The strength of the cast was evident when the comics got a chance to sing. Adam Jon, as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, and Emily Mignot, as Erma, were both suitably over the top. However, in the second half they both had their chance to shine vocally, and shine they did! Ben Moody was a very funny Moonface, who also sang well.

I thought Crazy for You had a lot of dancing, but Anything Goes seemed to top that. They warned us the act 1 finale was coming, and it must have gone for at least ten minutes of high energy, tight, well-choreographed tap dancing. There was a real buzz at interval.

The sound was generally good and the lighting excellent, though one soloist lost his spot as the sails suspended from the roof got in the way. The orchestra was top notch.

A thoroughly enjoyable night at the theatre.

Review by Graham Ford

Photographer: Gavin D Andrew

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