Local lovers of lyrics are in luck this week. Perhaps the two greatest lyricists of the 20th Century are represented on stages in St. Louis, along with their music. Stages St. Louis is presenting Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", an absolute romp, and of course the Muny is offering "Into The Woods" right now. "Anything Goes" has had its original script updated for the 1987 revival, but the 1930's-era charm remains intact. It turns out to be a bonanza for trivia buffs, with references to Jimmy Durante, Vincent Youmans and others in the lyrics. We saw physical tributes to George Burns and Groucho Marx – and bonus points if you remember the music on his television quiz show, "You Bet Your Life" was "It's Delightful", in this score and then used for the DeSoto automobile commercials.
Overall, this is a great cast. Julie Cardia as Reno Sweeney, a brassy cabaret singer, leads the charge, a woman who's been around and had a good time doing so. Cardia has both the voice and the persona down pat. Young Billy Crocker, who's been innocently squiring her and a dozen other ladies around New York, is Jeff Pew. Pew has a good gift for subtle physical comedy and is quite a hoofer to boot. He's mooning over Hope Harcourt (Heidi Giberson), the It Girl of last year's debutante season. Giberson, a charmer in the role, is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh – reminding us that Evelyn was originally a man's name – who's got pots of money. Dan Fenaughty is a delight as His Lordship, going from tightly wound to unravelled in the course of the evening.
Enter Moonface Martin, Public Enemy Number 13, played by Bob Amaral, another guy with a gift for gags, and his moll, Erma. Laura E. Taylor makes her Erma no gum-chewing dope, but a smart chick with a gift for getting what, and who, she wants. By now, everyone has decamped to an ocean liner, including Billy, who's a stowaway. Mayhem, of course, ensures. Even the lesser parts in this show are carefully cast and played, including Kari Ely as Hope's mother, showing her as shrewd instead of shrewish, the usual interpretation, and the ever-reliable Whit Reichert as Billy's boss, a gentleman who's friendly, thirsty and very nearsighted.
Great choreography – thanks, Stephen Bourneuf. Delicious costumes, so kudos to Brad Musgrove. And the Art Deco ballroom is utterly splendid, courtesy of James Wolk's scenic design. Director Michael Hamilton has put together an A Team for this one.
While there are plenty of well-known Porter songs here, (some of which weren't in the original, but Porter, like many of his contemporaries, changed things around from time to time) I'd direct particular attention to "All Through The Night", in the last half of the second act. Another song to leave humming.
And bonus points if you remember which tune from the score was the theme of early St. Louis television star Charlotte Peters.
Anything Goes
through August 16
Stages St. Louis
Kirkwood Community Center
111 S. Geyer Rd., Kirkwood
314-821-2407