★★★★★
Cole Porter’s Anything Goes is undoubtably a classic in the world of traditional musical theatre, not unbeknown to any true fan of the genre. This 2022 London revival filmed at London’s Barbican Theatre is a spectacular feast that has been made accessible to the masses by the BBC. This production is packed with all of the components one would most commonly associate with the conventional musical. If it is high-kicks, extravagant ensemble numbers and cheesy quips you look for in a show, this classic musical comedy will certainly not disappoint.
With a revival, it is always interesting to see if the essence of the show will be flipped on its head entirely. But, as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke. Anything Goes is one that really does not need to be tampered with. The show does not try to be anything it is not and keeps the original essence of the show intact which is just good, old fashioned entertainment. There are some humorous contemporary additions such as a reference to Machine Gun Kelly to subtly acknowledge the time period, but other than this we are largely left with the Golden Age musical as we know it, just likely with a bigger budget to afford a more impressively sized ship.
As expected from such a decorated line up, the cast are truly outstanding. Reno Sweeney is played by the one and only quadruple threat Sutton Foster who can dance—and tap dance—exceedingly well. As well as being an exceptional performer, Foster has the stage presence to carry the weight of the production alone. You feel completely at ease watching her as she leads the rest of the cast exactly as a good Sweeney should do. There are other familiar theatrical faces in this production such as Robert Lindsay, Felicity Kendall and Gary Wilmot who, as expected, do a wonderful job, as do the entire ensemble.
What stands out the most in this production has to be the choreography by Kathleen Marshall. Each number is slick and exciting, the transitions are smooth, and the pacing of the show is great. Moreover, it almost goes without saying, but if there is one thing Anything Goes is not, it’s a one hit wonder. Every ten minutes or so there is yet another hit musical number you had nearly forgotten about. Standouts that do not disappoint are ‘Blow Gabriel Blow’, ‘You’re the Top’ and of course, the titular ‘Anything Goes’. The show is suitably unserious with some nice ‘breaking the forth wall’ moments where Reno and Moonface Martin break character and talk to the audience; scenes of mistaken identity, and plenty of farce which manages not to veer into pantomime territory. There are also enough cheesy one-liners to fill dad-joke handbook, so what is not to love?
Like most musicals of the early to mid 1900s, there’s a happy ending, all loose ends are tied up and most characters wind up coupled up, set for their happily ever afters. Whilst it is difficult to simulate the wondrous feeling of live theatre at home without piling a 50-piece orchestra into your living room, if you turn on the biggest screen you have, turn off the lights and turn up the volume, you’ll find you have one of the highest quality West-End musicals delivered right to your home, without having to spend a penny. Even if musicals don’t typically float your boat, I urge you to climb aboard and give this utterly joyous ride a go. You never know, you might even finding yourself wanting to sign up for tap lessons afterwards.
Anything Goes is streaming on BBC iPlayer now.
Words by Abbie James
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