Anything Goes sets sail at Town Theatre
September 6, 2024
Prepare to embark on a high-seas adventure as Town Theatre proudly presents the timeless classic, Anything Goes. This vibrant, toe-tapping musical promises a voyage filled with laughter, romance and Cole Porter’s unforgettable melodies.
At the ship’s helm as Reno Sweeney is Rebecca Seezen (Mamma Mia!), who pals around with best friend Billy Crocker, played by Aydan Wunderlich (Into the Woods). Billy is in love with debutante Hope Harcourt, portrayed by Alex Carrico (Jekyll & Hyde), but she is betrothed to the quirky Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, brought to life by David LaTorre (Beautiful). Complicating matters is Hope’s mother, Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt, entangled in her own romance with the imbibing and sometimes imbecilic Eli Whitney. Kathy Hartzog (Driving Miss Daisy) and Bill DeWitt (Moon Over Buffalo) take on this comedic duo. Add to the mix gangster Moonface Martin and his sidekick Erma, played by Scott Vaughan (The Music Man) and Maggie Baker (The All Night Strut!), and you’re sure to find yourself enjoying the voyage on the S.S. American, where anything—and we mean anything—goes.
The crew is shipshape with our Captain, played by Chip Collins (The Play That Goes Wrong), and his Purser, Todd Gustafson (The Wizard of Oz). Ensuring things are tip-top on board are our sailors: Liam Amil and Richard Fisher (both from Beauty and the Beast), Jack Bingham (Something Rotten), Jack Seezen (Les Mis: Student Edition), Jackson Wright (Newsies Jr.), and newcomers Benjamin Connelly and Braylen Hinton. Ashley Epperson (42nd Street), Kristy O’Keefe Satterwhite (Mamma Mia!), Kendall Scruggs (The Music Man), and Jenna Sweeney (The Sound of Music) bring a healthy dose of “hallelujah” as Reno’s Angels. Stirring up trouble are two New York kleptomaniac swindlers, Spit and Dippy, taken by Kameron Carpenter and Joey Weaver (both from Something Rotten). Carly Grosse, Lexi Narry and Leah Tudor ascend the gangplank from the holiday hit White Christmas. Agnes Babb, Lisa Baker, Taryn Davis and Christy Shealy Mills journey to the ship via The Wizard of Oz’s yellow brick road. Eliza England and Abby Gamble depart the barricade of Les Mis: Student Edition, while McKinley Porth and Sara Slaughter leave the renaissance of Something Rotten to join the ship’s manifest. Our journey would not be complete without welcoming a new Town voyager Dayna Arnett. Plus, it’s all hands on deck with cameo appearances by Bill Bentley and Michael Seezen (both from The Play That Goes Wrong). Anchors aweigh with Anything Goes!
Anything Goes runs from September 6-22, with performances at 7:30 PM on Thursdays to Saturdays and 3:00 PM Sunday matinees. Don’t miss Town’s kickoff to the season with a special party hosted by the Town Theatre Board of Governors post-curtain on Friday, September 6. Join the Board, cast, and crew for a toast to celebrate Town’s 105th season.
The show is directed by Shannon Willis Scruggs, with Amanda Haines Wrona as music director and choreography by Joy Alexander. Dell Goodrich serves as costumer, with set design by Bob Bramhall, light design by Jeremy Hansard, sound design by Clark Wilson, and props by David LaTorre. The show is generously sponsored by Jim Hudson Automotive and Willis Tax & Accounting.
