Anything Goes

 

This article is about the stage musical. For the 1936 and 1956 films see Anything Goes (film).

Anything Goes
Poster for original Broadway production Anything Goes
Music	Cole Porter
Lyrics	Cole Porter
Book	Guy Bolton P.G. Wodehouse
Productions	1934 Broadway 1962 Off Broadway 1987 Broadway revival 1989 West End 2002 West End revival
Awards	Tony Award for Best Revival Drama Desk Outstanding Revival

Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The "book" was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It introduced such songs as "You're the Top", "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Anything Goes". In addition to a successful 1934 Broadway production, the musical spawned two film versions and a number of American and British revivals. With the exception of Porgy and Bess, Anything Goes is the only 1930s musical that is still regularly revived. The story concerns the shenanigans below decks on an ocean liner bound for London from New York.^[1]

History

Anything Goes was based on an idea by a producer, Vinton Freedley, who was living on a boat, having left the USA to avoid his debts. ^[2]He selected the writing team, and the star, Ethel Merman. As the show was in preparation, a passenger ship, the SS Morro Castle, burned and over 125 passengers perished. The original plot, which concerned a mad bomber running loose on an ocean liner, was deemed insensitive, and the Bolton-Wodehouse book was almost entirely recreated by Lindsay and Crouse, who became lifelong writing partners.^[3]

According to theatre legend, the show's new title, along with the title number, was born from the haste with which the show was revamped: at a late night production meeting, an exasperated and over-worked member of the production team cried out "And just how in the hell are we going to end the first act?!" "At this point," responded one of the producers, being more helpful than he realized, "anything goes!!"

Productions

The musical opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on November 21 1934 and became the fourth longest-running musical of the 1930s, running for 420 performances. The show was one of the most successful during the Great Depression, when Broadway suffered from patrons' lack of disposable income. Directed by Howard Lindsay with choreography by Robert Alton, it starred Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, William Gaxton as Billy Crocker and Victor Moore as Moonface Martin. A 1935 London production ran for 261 performances.

The production was revived in an Off-Broadway production in 1962, opening on May 15, 1962 at the Orpheum Theatre. It was directed by Lawrence Kasha and the cast included Hal Linden as Billy Crocker and Eileen Rodgers as Reno Sweeney. For this revival, the script was revised to incorporate several of the changes from the movie versions. Most changes revolved around the previously minor character Erma, whose name was changed to Bonnie. This revision was also the first stage version of Anything Goes to incorporate several songs from other Porter shows: "Take Me Back to Manhattan" from The New Yorkers, 1930, "It's De-Lovely" from Red Hot and Blue, 1934, "Friendship" from DuBarry Was a Lady, 1939, and "Let's Misbehave" from Paris, 1928.

For the 1987 Broadway revival, John Weidman and Timothy Crouse (Russel's son) updated the book and re-ordered the musical numbers, borrowing Cole Porter pieces from other Porter shows, a practice which the composer often engaged in. ("Easy To Love" was from the 1936 movie Born to Dance.) The music was rescored for a 16-piece swing band, in the style of early Benny Goodman, instead of the earlier 28-piece orchestrations. ^[4] This production opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on October 19, 1987, and ran for 784 performances. With direction by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Michael Smuin, it starred Patti Lupone as Reno Sweeney and Howard McGillin as Billy. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, and won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Revival and Best Choreography. Leslie Uggams and Linda Hart were replacement Renos.

This version was also produced in London in 1989, at the Prince Edward Theatre with Elaine Paige in the role of Reno Sweeney (she was replaced for the last month or so of the run by Louise Gold).

The National Theatre revived the musical, which opened at the Olivier Theatre on December 18, 2002 and then transferred (2003) to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in the West End. Directed by Trevor Nunn, it starred Sally Ann Triplett and John Barrowman.

Movie versions

For more information about these film versions, see Anything Goes (film)

In 1936, Paramount Pictures turned Anything Goes into a movie musical. It starred Ethel Merman (again as Reno), with Bing Crosby in the (newly renamed) role of Billy Crocker.

The book was drastically rewritten for a second film version, also by Paramount, released in 1956. This movie again starred Bing Crosby (whose character was once more renamed) and Donald O'Connor.

Television version

In 1954, Ethel Merman, at the age of fifty, reprised her role as Reno in a specially adapted television version of the musical, co-starring Frank Sinatra as the hero, now renamed Harry Dane, and Merman's good friend Bert Lahr (who had co-starred with her on Broadway in DuBarry Was a Lady) as Moonface Martin. This version was shown as an episode of the Colgate Comedy Hour, and has been preserved on kinescope. This version used five of the original songs plus several other Porter numbers, retained the shipboard setting, but had a somewhat different plot.^[5] It has been reported that Merman and Sinatra did not get along well; this was the only time they worked together.^{[citation needed]}

Synopsis

Billy Crocker, a young love-sick Wall Street broker, stows away on the S.S. American, in hopes of winning the heart of his beloved Hope Harcourt. His boss, Yale graduate Elisha J. Whitney, is also on board. He plans to relax before the tremendous sale of his own company's stock (or, in the 1962 version, to make an important business deal in England). Hope is on her way to England to be married to Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in the 1987 version), a stuffy, hapless British nobleman. Also on the boat are "Moonface" Martin, a second-rate gangster on the lam labeled "Public Enemy 13," and his friend Bonnie (originally named Erma); the two have disguised themselves as a minister and a missionary, respectively, after stranding the ship's real chaplain back at the port. They also, mistakenly, left behind their leader, "Snake Eyes" Johnson, Public Enemy 1.

On board, Crocker runs into his friend, Reno Sweeney, an evangelizing nightclub singer, who resolves to help Billy win over Hope, to the dismay of Hope's mother, Mrs. Harcourt (though she doesn't know about the original plan), who insists she marry Evelyn. Billy simultaneously learns the true identities of Moonface and Bonnie, and in exchange for his silence, they join the plot to break up Hope and Evelyn. However, as Billy doesn't have a ticket or passport, Bonnie and Moonface let him have Snake Eyes Johnson's, without telling him to whom it belongs. But the ships crew figure out that Public Enemy number 1 is on board, and Billy has to take on a number of hilarious disguises to hide from them--which at first makes Hope angry with him. As the show progresses, Hope, Evelyn, Billy, Reno, Elisha, Mrs. Harcourt, Bonnie, and Moonface all end up in a variety of compromising positions with members of the opposite sex, with Reno seducing Evelyn Oakleigh, originally just to get seen by Hope or Mrs. Harcourt so they would reject him, but eventually she wins him over for real and they even get married. Hope and Billy also get married, Mrs. Harcourt (divorced) and Mr. Whitney get married, and Moonface Martin is demoted even further from Public Enemy number 13.

Characters

• Reno Sweeney -- a nightclub singer turned Evangelist
• Billy Crocker -- assistant to Elisha, love-struck would-be suitor to Hope
• Moonface Martin -- a second-rate gangster, "Public Enemy Number 13",
• Louie
• Elisha Whitney -- Ivy league Wall Street banker, Billy's boss
• Fred
• Reno’s Angels: Purity, Chastity, Charity, and Virtue
• Luke and John -- Two mischievous Chinese heathens who are exceptional card players
• Ling and Ching -- Chinese converts and reformed gamblers, with Reverend Dobson
• Hope Harcourt -- American debutante and the object of Billy's affection
• Mrs Evangeline Harcourt -- Hope's mother
• Lord Evelyn Oakleigh -- Hope's wealthy English fiancee
• Erma (called Bonnie Letour in original and 1962 revival) -- friend of Moonface
• Mrs Wentworth Frick
• Bishop Dobson -- A Minister
• Shanty Quartet
• Captain
• Purser
• Ships crew, Young girl, Passengers, Reporters, Photographers, and, G-Men

Musical numbers

Act 1 I Get a Kick Out of You -- Reno Sweeney Bon Voyage (There's No Cure Like Travel) --Sailor, Girl and Ship's Crew and Company All Through the Night (in Act II in 1987 revival) -- Billy Crocker, Hope Harcourt and Men Easy to Love (1987 revival) -- Billy Crocker I Want to Row on the Crew (not in 1934) -- Elisha J. Whitney Sailor's Chantey -- Qartet Where Are the Men? (only in 1934) You're the Top -- Reno Sweeney and Billy Crocker Friendship (first in 1962 revival) -- Reno Sweeney and Moonface Martin It's DeLovely (first in 1962 revival) -- Billy Crocker and Hope Harcourt Anything Goes -- Reno Sweeney and Company

Act 2 Public Enemy Number One -- Captain, Purser, Company Let's Step Out -- Bonnie (only in 1962 revival) What a Joy to be Young (only in 1934) -- Hope Let's Misbehave (only in 1962 revival) -- Reno and Sir Evelyn Blow, Gabriel, Blow -- Reno Sweeney and Company Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye (not in 1934) -- Hope Harcourt Be Like the Bluebird -- Moonface Martin All Through the Night (Reprise) --Billy Crocker, Hope Harcourt and Men Buddie, Beware (1987 revival) -- Erma and Sailors I Get a Kick Out of You (Reprise) (finale for 1987) -- Company The Gypsy in Me -- Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (sung by Hope in 1934)

• Take Me Back To Manhattan (only in 1962 revival) -- Reno Sweeney

(The listing shows all songs that were performed; placement of the songs varied. Source: ^[6])

Song	1934 Musical	1962 Revival	1987 Revival
I Get a Kick Out of You	Reno expresses her love to Billy in the bar at the beginning of Scene 1, reprised later near the show’s end	The song is sung later, when Reno realizes she is in love with Evelyn	Same as 1934
There’s No Cure Like Travel/Bon Voyage	The Sailors and guests board the ship, ready to depart, singing the “Bon Voyage” section of the song, but with no “No Cure Like Travel” portion	Same as 1934	The complete song is finally sung! (“No Cure Like Travel” was written for 1934, but later cut)
Easy to Love	Absent	Absent	Written for 1934, but cut. Here, Billy makes an advance on Hope. Although she turns him away, she secretly agrees with him.
The Crew Song	Absent	Absent	Originally written for “Paranoia”. Whitney prepares for a date with Mrs. Hardcourt and sings about his Yale days
Sailor’s Shanty (There Will Always be a Lady Fair)	Sung by sailors during a scene change, and later reprised	Absent	Same as 1934, with less verses and no reprise
Heaven Hop	Absent	Originally written for “Paris,” Bonnie shares a dance with Reno’s Angels	Absent
Where Are the Men?	The demanding women of the ship bother an officer, demanding men, of course!	Absent	Absent
You’re the Top	Reno gives Billy a pep talk to raise his confidence (where “Friendship” would go in the revivals). There is also an encore of the song, totaling the two to be about six minutes!	Sung in place of “I Get a Kick Out of You” in the bar scene with less verses	Similar to 1934, but sung before “Easy to Love,” also with less verses
Friendship	Absent	Originally written for “DuBarry Was a Lady”; Reno, Billy, and Moonface sing about their strong bond	Similar to 1962, but only Reno and Moonface sing, and some alternate lyrics
DeLovely	Absent	Originally written for “Red Hot and Blue”; Billy and Hope have a romantic moment where “All Through the Night” was in 1934 and “Easy to Love” was in 1987. They are joined in by the sailors and women of the ship	Sung later in the musical, near the Act I Finale. The sailors and women do not join in, and there is an extended dance sequence in the middle
Anything Goes	Sung by Reno before the Act I Finale when she considers marrying Evelyn	Now ends Act I and sung about Billy as Snake Eyes, rather than Evelyn. Some alternate lyrics	Similar to 1962, with more alternate lyrics
Act I Finale	Whereas the revivals ended the act with “Anything Goes,” the 1934 original had a scene where Hope rejects Billy, who is posing as Snake Eyes. Reno and Moonface try to cheer him up with a reprise of “You’re the Top,” to no avail. Billy is the hero of the ship to everyone but the girl he really wants.	Replaced by “Anything Goes”	Replaced by “Anything Goes”
Public Enemy Number One	After a marching-style intro by the sailor quartet, the song turns into a mock-hymn to Billy	The opening verse is cut, leaving only the hymn, sung A’Cappella-style with no instrumentals, unlike the other versions	The introduction is back, sung by the Captain and Purser instead of the sailors, and also shortened a bit
Let’s Step Out	Absent	Bonnie rouses the passengers after the quiet “Public Enemy Number One” with a dance number	Absent
What a Joy to be Young	A heartbroken Hope sings about how she preferred herself back when she was ignorant, but blissful	Absent	Absent
Let’s Misbehave	Absent	Originally written for “Paris”; Reno entertains the crowd and is joined by Evelyn	Absent
Blow, Gabriel, Blow	Sung by Reno to cheer everyone up after Billy is arrested as an imposter	Same as 1934	Same as 1934, but sung before Billy is arrested, in the manner (plotwise) of “Let’s Misbehave”
Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye	Absent	Absent	Sung by Hope after Billy is arrested...she realizes she’s in love too late
Be Like the Bluebird	Sung by Moonface to cheer Billy up in the brig	Same as 1934, but sung after “All Through the Night”	Same as 1934
All Through the Night	Sung by Billy and Hope on deck early in the show, where “DeLovely” and “Easy to Love” went in revivals, with a chorus. Reprised in the brig	Same as the 1934 reprise, with no chorus and a cut verse	Same as 1934 reprise, complete with chorus, but more cut verses
Gypsy in Me	Sung by Hope, letting her wild side out after Reno tells her that Billy loves her back	Absent	Now sung by Evelyn, turning into a comic number, and adding to the plot about his family’s disturbing secret
Take Me Back to Manhattan	Absent	Originally written for “The New Yorkers,” sung by a homesick Reno and her Angels	Absent
Buddie Beware	Sung by Reno about her problems with men, replaced in later runs with a reprise of “I Get a Kick Out of You”	Absent	Sung by Erma to the sailors who are in love with her. Less verses
Finale	Reprises of “You’re the Top” and “Anything Goes"	Appears not to have a song	Reprises of “I Get a Kick Out of You” and “Anything Goes"

Awards and nominations

• 1962 Revival

Outer Critics Circle Awards-Best Revival

• 1987 Revival

Outer Critics Circle Awards-Best Revival

Tony Awards

Reproduction (Play or Musical) WINNER

Best Choreography WINNER

Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Bill McCutcheon) WINNER

Best Actor in a Musical (nominee)

Best Actress in a Musical (nominee)

Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Anthony Heald) (nominee)

Best Scenic Design (nominee)

Best Costume Design (nominee)

Best Lighting Design (nominee)

Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)

Drama Desk Awards

Outstanding Revival WINNER

Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Patti LuPone) WINNER

Outstanding Choreography WINNER

Outstanding Actor in a Musical (nominee)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (McCutcheon, Heald) (nominees)

Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee)

Outstanding Orchestration (nominee)

Outstanding Costume Design (nominee)

Outstanding Lighting Design (nominee)

Outstanding Set Design (nominee)

In popular culture

• The song "Anything Goes" achieved a minor revival when it was used in the famous Monty Python's Flying Circus "Courtroom sketch". The Pythons also introduced a completely different song called "Anything Goes" by "the other Cole Porter". ("Anything goes in, anything goes out, fish, bananas, old pyjamas, mutton, beef and trout...")
• One of the most widely-seen versions of the song Anything Goes is the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) sings the title song in Mandarin at a Shanghai club Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is visiting. The first part of the Mandarin lyrics is: ^[7]

Yi wang si-i wa ye kan dao

Xin li bian yao la jing bao jin tian zhi Dao

Anything goes.

• In the play Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel, the song "Anything Goes" plays on the radio in Act 2 and is then sung by Gerry Evans while dancing about in the back yard and lane. "In old times a glimpse of stocking, was looked on as something shocking...Now, Anything goes..." The song summarizes the whole play-of times changing and the new world having an influence.
• In the 1974 movie Blazing Saddles, "I Get a Kick Out of You" is performed comedically by Cleavon Little and the other actors portraying black railroad workers, complete with a full harmony arrangement.
• In the Family Guy episode Saving Private Brian, the Sergeant trainer claims Anything Goes to be one of his most favorite shows. Also, in the episode Brian: Portrait of a Dog, Lois sings the first lines of the song "Anything Goes."
• Lucy and Ethel sing "Friendship" in an episode of I Love Lucy.
• Felix and Oscar from The Odd Couple sang "Friendship" on their 1973 record called The Odd Couple Sings.
• The song "Anything Goes" is used prominently in the 1972 film Sleuth, with main character Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier), complaining that they "don't write songs like that anymore".
• in an episode of Summer Heights High Mr. G cancels a production of "Anything Goes" one week before opening.
• Betsy Randle sung "Anything Goes" on a Boy Meets World episode, As Time Goes By.

References

1. ^ Information from Broadway.com
2. ^ Cole Porter: A Biography, Charles Schwartz, page 132, 1979, Da Capo Press, ISBN 0306800977
3. ^ P. G. Wodehouse:Portrait of a Master, David A. Jasen, page 143, 1974, paperback published by Schirmer Trade Books, 2002, ISBN 0.8256.7275.9
4. ^ New York Times, October 18, 1987, Stephen Holden, p. 90
5. ^ The Insider, Ken Mandelbaum, October 5, 2005
6. ^ http://www.ibdb.com/Show.asp?id=1640 Internet Broadway Database for "Anything Goes"
7. ^ Kahn, James (1984). Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-31457-3 ( Mandarin lyrics excerpt from book)

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing for premier production
• Lortel listing for 1962 off-Broadway revival
• Internet Broadway Database listing for 1987 revival
• Internet Broadway Database listing for 2002 concert
• Tams-Witmark listing for 1987 production
• Tams-Witmark listing for 1962 production
• Notes on history of Anything Goes

Cole Porter musicals

See America First • Hitchy-Koo • Paris • Fifty Million Frenchmen • Wake Up and Dream • The New Yorkers • Gay Divorce • Nymph Errant • Anything Goes • Jubilee • Red, Hot and Blue • You Never Know • Leave It to Me! • Du Barry Was a Lady • Panama Hattie • Let's Face It! • Something for the Boys • Mexican Hayride • Around the World • Kiss Me, Kate • Out of This World • Can-Can • Silk Stockings • Happy New Year

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