Ninety years after its original Broadway opening, Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” is a rare 1930s musical comedy still loved by audiences around the world. The wildly joyous musical runs from Aug. 19 to 25 at The Muny and closes the theater’s 106th season.
“Composer and lyricist Cole Porter is one of our great American songwriters,” said Mike Isaacson, artistic director and executive producer at The Muny. “The score for ‘Anything Goes’ is unbelievable and still holds up as fresh, vibrant and moving after all these decades.” But don’t come to this show looking for heavy themes or life lessons, Isaacson said.
The show is nonstop joy and silliness. “A musical farce is hard because you’ve got to keep the action going, and the music can stop it, but this is the perfect balance,” he said. “We've got Jared Grimes choreographing, who played the Scarecrow in ‘The Wiz’ in 2018.
He is a premier dancer and choreographer, renowned around the world for his tap choreography.” In this romp on the high seas, two unlikely pairs aboard the S.S.
American set sail for true love and a boatload of comedic chaos. Unforgettable songs include “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top” and the showstopping title tune. The show was last produced at The Muny in 1999.
“It ’ s one of the great treasures of our musical theater canon,” said director Marcia Milgrom Dodge, who has helmed Muny productions including “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” (2023), “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” (2021), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” (2019) and “Meet Me in St. Louis” (2018). “‘Anything Goes’ is a pure bubble-gum, frothy, Hollywood musical-centric kind of production that celebrates all the things you love about great musical comedy — the music, dancing, singing and comedy,” said Dodge.
The creative team also includes music director/conductor Ben Whiteley, who has music directed 14 Muny shows. Dodge has directed four previous productions of “Anything Goes” but says each one is different. The Muny production is based on the 1987 Lincoln Center revival rewritten by the sons of the original authors.
“The DNA shifts every time you recast the show or your collaborators are different or your designers are different,” Dodge said. “The Muny presents a whole new opportunity for us to create this luxury liner. Branding each number as an iconic Hollywood movie musical moment will also be really fun to do at The Muny.
” The cast of “Anything Goes” includes Jeanna de Waal (Reno Sweeney), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Billy Crocker), Kevin Chamberlin (Moonface Martin), George Abud (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh), Kimberly Immanuel (Hope Harcourt), Adrianna Hicks (Erma), Ann Harada (Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt), Lara Teeter (Elisha J. Whitney), Eric Jordan Young (Captain), Danny Gardner (Ship’s Purser), Spencer Jones (Spit) and Joe Capstick (Dippy).
“Anything Goes” is proudly presented by Commerce Bank and Commerce Trust Co. As the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater, The Muny welcomes more than 350,000 audience members each summer for seven world-class productions. The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theater, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park.
When: 8:15 p.m. Aug.
19 to 25; free preshow festival begins at 6:45 p.m. nightly.
Where: The Muny, 1 Theatre Drive, Forest Park. Cost: $21 to $135, plus the first-come, first-served free seats. More info: Call 314.
361.1900 or visit muny.org/anything-goes .
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