Anything Goes Was “Easy to Love, All Through the Night!”

7 days ago
4 min read

by Jacob Graves

From the moment I entered the theatre at Salem Community College, I immediately felt transported into the wonderful world of the 1920s. The painted set offered an interesting twist on the usual staging of Anything Goes, creating a warm, “homey” atmosphere aboard the cruise liner that made me feel as though I was being pulled into the story. The set construction by Noah McFadden and Ben Wentzell, along with the painting work of Amber Baratz and Travis Gibson and the assistance of Adrianna Green and Ben Wentzell, helped create the visual world of the production.

One of my favorite aspects of the set was the arrangement of the orchestra. With so much of the show relying on the brassy sound of 1920s jazz, the visible trumpets, horns, and grand piano felt incredibly important to the show’s storytelling. The pit band, conducted by Brittney Stanton, featured Larry Shusterman on Reed 1, Tom Trinter on Reed 2, Jim Sheffer on Trumpet, Kristian Raices on Trombone, Will Powell on Piano, Will Shea on Bass, and Michael Farrelly on Drums. Their visible presence and interaction with the performers demonstrated how effectively the production incorporated its musicians into the world of the show.

From the opening moments, Audrey Ney’s Reno Sweeney immediately commanded my attention. Ney gave a captivating performance and demonstrated an excellent understanding of physical characterization. Her relaxed movements and confident stage presence perfectly captured Reno’s carefree, “anything goes” attitude. Her costume design was equally striking, particularly her sparkly blue dress paired with a classy white fur boa and pearls. The look immediately established the period and gave the character a glamorous introduction. Brody Wiggins also delivered a memorable performance as Billy Crocker, balancing Billy’s more timid qualities with comedic physicality that consistently strengthened the humor of the show.

As the plot progresses aboard the ship, Nicholette Parente’s Hope Harcourt brings sincerity to her relationship with Billy, while Cameron Crawford’s Lord Evelyn Oakleigh provides a wonderfully subtle comedic performance. Brody Gibison’s Moonface Martin was another major standout. His impeccable comedic timing made nearly every moment he spent onstage hilarious. Adrianna Green’s Erma demonstrated both impressive vocal power and excellent comedic timing, while Ben Wentzell’s Elisha Whitney brought memorable physical comedy to his performance.

The supporting cast also contributed significantly to the production. Jordan O’Chester brought life to Evangeline Harcourt, while Ofelia Ramirez portrayed the Captain. Nicandro D’Argenio and Giuseppe D’Argenio were particularly entertaining as Spit and Dippy, displaying fantastic comedic chemistry and physical comedy that had me laughing throughout the performance. Heidi Bazilian also contributed to the shipboard atmosphere as Purser.

The ensemble: Jay Prater, Landyn Pollard, Remy Pena, Brittany Hester, Madelyn Balko, Jaida Burns, Cody Higinbotham, Patty Fralinger, Anna Donnelly, Yani Ramos, Seraphina D’Argenio, Zaire Sorrell, Barbara Schneider, Isabelle Salinas, Tori Hoffman, and Alyssa Donnelly helped make the cruise liner feel alive. Jay Prater, Landyn Pollard, and Remy Pena particularly stood out as the featured sailors during “Buddy Beware,” bringing energetic comedic performances that had the audience laughing.

Vocally, the production was also impressive, thanks in large part to the musical direction of Brittney Stanton. One of my favorite musical moments was the tap number “Anything Goes” at the end of Act I, which brought an incredible burst of energy to the stage with almost three straight minutes of tap. The choreography by Amber Baratz and Grant Mech made the number especially memorable and showcased the ensemble’s precision and enthusiasm.

Another thing I would like to shout out in this production was the amazing lighting and sound design, which was made by Noah McFadden and Ben Griffith. One moment in the show I think this really shines is the song “Friendship” with Reno and Moonface Martin. During the song, it almost pulls a “Chicago” like wall break where we step out of the main set for a second, and the lights changed to these very colorful, jazzy spotlights. The overall balancing of the sound design across the entire show made the diction of all the actors especially clear.

I would also like to give a dedication to the show’s understudies, Brittany Hester and Yanialis (Yani) Ramos, as not only was the work on stage incredibly impeccable, but the work that they must’ve done behind the scenes to double up their ensemble track as well as these main characters is an incredibly amazing feat that I commend.

To conclude this review, I am very proud to say that Anything Goes is a production that succeeds because of the collaborative work that is happening both onstage and behind the scenes. The production was directed fantastically by Grant Mech, with Lizzie Hitchner serving as assistant director, whose combined leadership and vision kept the show energetic, comedic, and cohesive from beginning to end. Stage manager Kara Beardsley and producer Lynda Daniels also played an important role in bringing all of these moving parts together. With its talented cast, lively ensemble, impressive vocals, energetic choreography, carefully constructed set, and strong creative leadership, this production captures the joyful spirit of Anything Goes and makes it a show that is truly easy to love.