Anything Goes (musical)

Anything Goes (musical)
Name	Anything Goes
Music	Cole Porter
Lyrics	Cole Porter
Book	Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse (original), Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse (revisions)
Basis	Original musical comedy
Premiere	1934
Venue	Alvin Theatre, New York City
Productions	1934 Broadway, 1935 West End, 1954 Broadway revival, 1962 Broadway revival, 1987 Broadway revival, 2011 Broadway revival

Anything Goes (musical) is a 1934 musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book originally by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, later revised by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Famous for its urbane songwriting and comic plot set aboard an ocean liner, the show has become a staple of Broadway and West End repertoires, spawning numerous revivals, tours, recordings, and film adaptations. The score includes enduring standards that have been widely performed by artists and ensembles associated with Great American Songbook repertoire.

Background and Development

Cole Porter composed the score during a period following successes with shows connected to Ziegfeld Follies and collaborations with writers such as George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. The original book by Bolton and Wodehouse drew on Broadway farce traditions represented by teams like Florenz Ziegfeld and productions staged at the Alvin Theatre and influenced by the work of Noël Coward and P. G. Wodehouse's comic novels. The 1934 production was mounted by producer Vera Marcus and director Howard Lindsay with choreography reflecting trends from Earl Carroll revues and dance influences similar to those of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Subsequent revisions by Lindsay and Crouse reshaped plot elements to suit changing tastes and performers like Ethel Merman.

Productions and Performance History

The original Broadway premiere opened at the Alvin Theatre in 1934, featuring stars who became associated with Porter’s work. A West End production followed in 1935 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, bringing British audiences into contact with American musical comedy styles modeled on George M. Cohan and the New York Theatre Guild. Major revivals in 1954, 1962, 1987, and a celebrated 2011 Broadway revival at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre renewed interest, with casts including prominent performers linked to Tony Awards recognition. Touring productions and international stagings reached venues such as the Garrick Theatre, Sydney Opera House-associated companies, and repertory seasons influenced by the programming of institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company. Film adaptations in the 1930s and 1950s and concert productions at venues such as Carnegie Hall kept the score in public view.

Plot

Set primarily aboard an ocean liner bound for England, the comic plot interweaves mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and a subplot involving a fugitive gangster. Central plot points mirror conventions from stage comedies seen in works by Oscar Hammerstein II collaborators and borrow the brisk pacing of S. J. Perelman-style satire. Characters’ schemes echo social mores and celebrity culture of the 1930s, referencing transatlantic travel hubs like New York City and Liverpool and institutions such as luxury lines represented by companies like Cunard Line. The narrative resolves in customary musical-comedy fashion with marriages, reconciliations, and show-stopping ensemble numbers that culminate in a buoyant finale.

Musical Numbers

The score showcases Porter standards that entered popular and jazz repertoires. Key songs include "I Get a Kick Out of You," frequently recorded by artists associated with the Great American Songbook such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, and Peggy Lee; "You're the Top," interpreted by performers linked to Columbia Records and Decca Records; and the title tune, revived in concerts and films by stars from Stanley Holloway to Carole Shelley. Other numbers like "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and "All Through the Night" reflect harmonic sophistication admired by composers such as Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers. Orchestral and vocal arrangements for revivals were crafted by arrangers connected to institutions like New York Philharmonic alumni and Broadway orchestrators who worked on projects associated with London Symphony Orchestra musicians.

Characters and Principal Casts

Principal characters include a debonair businessman, an heiress, a nightclub singer, and a comic duo whose antics drive much of the plot—roles which in various productions were undertaken by notable performers from the Broadway milieu. Original and revival casts featured figures connected to Ethel Merman's era and later stars linked to Angela Lansbury, Katharine Hepburn-era screen crossover, and stage luminaries who later won Tony Awards or performed at Royal Opera House-adjacent venues. Supporting roles have been filled by character actors active in London theatre and American regional theatre circuits, many of whom later appeared in film and television series such as those produced by BBC and NBC.

Critical Reception and Legacy

Critics at the premiere noted Porter’s urbane lyricism and melodic craft, comparing his songs to the work of contemporaries like Irving Berlin and George Gershwin. Over decades the show’s reputation grew through scholarship appearing in journals associated with New York University and the British Library. It has influenced musical comedy conventions in shows by creators from Stephen Sondheim to Andrew Lloyd Webber, and its standards remain staples on recordings by artists linked to Blue Note Records and Verve Records. The show’s integration into film and television adaptations contributed to its status as an exemplar of 20th-century American musical theater.

Adaptations and Recordings

Film adaptations in the 1930s and 1950s brought the score to cinema audiences, with screen versions featuring performers tied to studios such as RKO Radio Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Numerous cast recordings and studio albums have been issued on labels including Columbia Records, Decca Records, Verve Records, and specialty Broadway imprints; notable interpreters include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and later revival cast albums that garnered nominations at the Grammy Awards and Tony Awards ceremonies. Concert reconstructions by orchestras and ensembles associated with institutions like the New York Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have preserved alternative orchestrations, while archival collections at the Library of Congress and the British Library hold manuscripts and production materials.

Category:Musicals Category:Cole Porter