(1934)
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Original Book by P. G. Wodehouse
and Guy Bolton
Revision: Howard Lindsay
and Russel Crouse
With 137 show titles to its credit, at Ohio Light Opera … Anything Goes. Cole Porter’s 1934 masterpiece not only secured his position as the period’s leading Broadway composer, but still stands today as a captivating testament to his incomparable fusion of words and music. And, in keeping with its mission, OLO presents the show in its original 1934 version, shorn of all the interpolations that have “plagued” more recent productions. While at a New York bar, evangelist-turned-nightclub-singer Reno Sweeney has fallen for Billy Crocker, who, to be near his girlfriend Hope Harcourt, has stowed away on Reno’s transatlantic cruise ship. Forced to adopt various disguises to avoid detection, Billy eventually secures a ticket and passport from Reverend Moon, who has been branded Public Enemy No. 13. Not surprisingly … confusion ensues. Porter’s revelatory score includes “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “All Through the Night,” “Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” and the knee-slapping title tune.
