Anything Goes

Ryan Steer, Bobby Pestka, Rachel York, Jeremy Benton, Kristopher Thompson-Bolden. Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus, 2012

Looking for the perfect summer escape? Cole Porter's Anything Goes is just the ticket. The popular nautical-themed musical is anchored for a limited engagement at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre in a smoking-hot revival by Roundabout Theatre Company.

First staged at the Neil Simon Theatre in 1934, the show concerns the romantic adventures of two pairs of lovers aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker (Josh Franklin), a young Wall Street broker, stows away on the S.S. American with the intention of wooing his beloved heiress Hope Harcourt (Alex Finke) who is engaged to marry the English Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Edward Staudenmayer). With the help of his best friend, the sassy nightclub singer Reno Sweeney (Rachel York), the notorious gangster Moonface Martin (Fred Applegate) and his sailor-obsessed assistant Erma (Joyce Chittick), Billy must overcome a series of obstacles, including disguising himself from his boss Elisha Whitney (Dennis Kelly) and some FBI agents on board the ship, on the path to finding true love.

Featuring dazzling sets by Derek McLane and costumes by Martin Pakledinaz, this wildly funny, sexy and glamourous production is simply spectacular to watch. Director and choeographer Kathleen Marshall gets terrific performances out of the entire cast, with York firmly at the helm—her knock-'em-dead vocals soaring—in the charismatic role of Reno Sweeney. The musical is packed full of toe-tapping numbers, including classics such as "I Get A Kick Out of You," "You're The Top," "It's De-lovely" and, of course, a show-stopping performance of "Anything Goes."

This is live entertainment of the highest quality. Don't miss the chance to get on board! Anything Goes runs until August 18 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Visit mirvish.com for more information and to buy tickets.

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