Anything Goes To Stephen Sondheim
UPDATED September 30, 2010
Earlier today,
Roundabout Theatre Company announced that
Kathleen Marshall's upcoming Broadway revival of
Cole Porter's classic musical
Anything Goes would be staged at its newly rechristened
Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
As previously announced,
Sutton Foster will star as Reno Sweeney.
Joel Grey will portray Moonface Martin, it was announced on September 30. The rest of the cast is yet to be announced.
In addition to using the revised 1987 book from
Timothy Crouse and
John Weidman, this mounting of
Anything Goes will be produced in its full glory,
according to Roundabout's Artistic Director
Todd Haimes. (Is Haimes taking a cue from frequent criticism that too many recent Broadway revivals have been whittled down to chamber pieces that are spare on the orchestrations?)
Anything Goes made its Great White Way debut at the
Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) on November 21, 1934. With original libretto written by
Guy Bolton and
P.G. Wodehouse.
Ethel Merman triumphantly led its titanic cast of more than 60 (which included a little known actress named
Vivian Vance, who'd later find fame as Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy"). The production would close nearly one year later on November 16, 1935, after 420 performances.
The
first and only Broadway revival of
Anything Goes was mounted in 1987 by Lincoln Center at its
Vivian Beaumont Theater. Using Crouse and Weidman's revived book, the show starred
Patti LuPone as Reno opposite
Howard McGillin as Billy Crocker, along with the late
Bill McCutcheon as Moonface Martin and
Anthony Heald as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Together, they would earn four of this revival's 10 Tony nominations. In addition to McCutcheon scoring a win, the revival won three Tonys, including for Best Revival. The revival of
Anything Goes lasted nearly twice as long as the original, closing on September 3, 1989, after 784 performances.
Will today's audiences get a similar kick out of the upcoming revival? With one of Porter's best scores, count me among those hoping it's positively delovely.
Previews begin on March 10, 2010, with opening night set for April 7.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Anything Goes, Broadway, Cole Porter, First Word On New Show, Kathleen Marshall, Musical, Revival, Roundabout Theatre, Sutton Foster
Happy Birthday, Esther (Gratuitous Violins)!It's not every day I use this space to wish someone a happy birthday -- of course lately it's not every day I post anything, period. But today I'm absolutely thrilled to wish my dear Esther at
Gratuitous Violins a very, very extraordinarily happy birthday.
I'm too much of a gentleman to reveal a lady's age, so let's just say that my dear friend is observing one of those major milestone birthdays on this May 5. And if you read
my post from last Wednesday, today you'll hear -- as the late broadcaster
Paul Harvey used to say -- "the rest of the story."
Last week, you learned how I was traveling to
Providence to visit Esther. To capitalize on our shared love of live theatre, as well as to mark the 30th anniversary of my having first seen
Annie, Esther purchased tickets for the two of us to see a Saturday afternoon matinee of the
touring production in Rhode Island's capital city.
But naturally, that was not all that was planned. There was a very special surprise awaiting Esther.
After enjoying my own brisk Saturday morning run from the
Capitol through the
Down City streets and up toward
Brown University and back to my
hotel across the street from the State House, Esther picked me up and we proceeded to the front door of the impressive
McKim, Mead & White-designed
seat of power for Rhode Island's government. The State House is inexpicably closed on Saturdays (unlike so many other State Capitols), but Esther -- demonstrating with tenacity that the name Gratuitous Violins is no fluke -- had pulled some major strings and arranged entry for us into the building. We essentially had it and all its majestic grandeur to ourselves.
Throughout the rest of the day, Esther served as expert tour guide, sharing not only her wonderful home town (including a terrific brunch at
Down City Cafe), but also aspects of her life that make her the cherished friend so many of us know and love. She provided me a chance to meet some of her co-workers, see her high school and junior high, and best of all, I had the opportunity to see her childhood home where I met her father.
Little did Esther know that once
Annie concluded, I began maintaining a close eye on my watch with great vigilence. You see, the minutes had started to count down to the impending moment Esther was to receive her surprise -- a celebration of her life from but a cross section of her friends, including
Chris,
Kari,
Roxie and
Sarah.
After a couple of false starts, such as Esther and I arriving at our appointed meeting place just a little too early ...
twice ... the surprise of these cherished friends traveling to Providence to join me in celebrating our honoree ultimately came off without a hitch. Esther was truly surprised, and clearly enjoyed every minute we shared, including a special Saturday evening dinner in her honor at one of Providence's marvelous Italian restaurants,
Siena, suggested by the birthday girl herself. Given how Esther had initially brought many of us together once upon a time for our very
first bloggers brunch, it seemed appropriate that many of us would come together in an
esprit de corps over her.
While Chris wasn't able to join us on Sunday, the remaining five of us drove to
Newport and enjoyed more conviality together -- well, minus the spirits of the alcoholic variety -- as we toured majestic mansions including the second
Cornelius Vanderbilt's
The Breakers and
Theresa Fair Oelrichs'
Rosecliff, not only where "
The Great Gatsby" was filmed, but perhaps more significantly (especially to theatre lovers like us) where
Cole Porter wrote
Anything Goes -- the gorgeous
Steinway he used to compose the musical is on display in the mansion's opulent ballroom.
Our time together culminated much too quickly, less than 24 hours after our celebration began, over a late lunch at one of Newport's seafood restaurants.
Now, as hokey as this may seem, I can't seem to get that tune
Carol Burnett used to sing at the close of
her show out of my head:
I'm so glad we had this time togetherJust to have a laugh or sing a song.Seems we just get started and before you know it Comes the time we have to say "so long."Esther,
so long as the stars are in the skies, I know we'll enjoy each other's company. It may not always be in person, but it most certainly will be in spirit. And so I not only send you my birthday wishes across the miles on this very special day regardless of how many
bridges we must cross, but I also give you the
rest of
Joe Hamilton's timely lyrics:
There's a time you put aside for dreamin'And a time for things you have to do.The time I love the best is in the evening I can spend a moment here with you.When the time comes that I'm feelin lonelyAnd I'm feelin' oh so blue,I just sit back and think of you only,And the Happiness still comes through.That's why I'm glad we had this time together'Cause it makes me feel like I belong.Seems we just got started and before you know itComes the time we have to say, "So long."Happy birthday with love, Esther. Keep rosining up that bow, and never lose sight of your dreams and the gifts they hold.
And now you know the rest of the story.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anything Goes, Birthday, Cole Porter, Gratuitous Violins, Special Messages, Travels
Can Porter's Can-Can-Do Spirit Fill Pasadena Playhouse's National Ambitions?According to
Phil Gallo of
Variety, the Left Coast's
Pasadena Playhouse is feverishly trying to cement a national reputation as the perfect home for gestating Broadway shows.
While it already counts
John Patrick Shanley's
Doubt as one of its own -- and it's looking to
Sister Act to make it a habit -- Gallo is reporting that the Pasadena Playhouse's Artistic Director
Sheldon Epps now has his eyes set on reviving
Cole Porter's
Can-Can for the Rose Bowl's hometown and beyond.
It's been 53 years since
Can-Can made its Broadway debut. The Parisian-themed musical was a rousing success in 1953 through 1955, winning Tonys for the legendary
Gwen Verdon and choreographer
Michael Kidd. The production lasted 892 regular performances at the
Shubert Theatre (the
only Broadway
revival in 1981 lasted a scant five performances).
Not only has Epps already secured the rights, along with necessary cash, to move forward with his "re-envisioning" of
Can-Can, but he's also engaged
David Lee to write its new libretto (Lee wrote 41 episodes of television's "
Frasier"). Apparently, the only thing left for Epps to do is find a second theatre willing to help launch this revival to national prominence -- something his
Sister Act production has already achieved. That current Pasadena Playhouse production, which has extended performances through December 17, is slated to transfer this January to Atlanta's
Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff, the theatre that launched
The Color Purple last year.
Rest assured I'll be following the progression of
Can-Can, along with Sheldon Epps' can-do spirit.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Sister Act tickets at Pasadena Playhouse.Click here for Sister Act tickets at Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff.Related Stories:Did Critics Think This Sister Had Its Act Together? (November 6, 2006)
Labels: California, Can-Can, Cole Porter, First Word On New Show, Los Angeles, Musical, Revival, Sister Act
