ANYTHING GOES

 CENTRE STAGE 

 ANYTHING GOES             1st November 23

Director & Choreographer: Sue Bonnett

Musical Director: Joseph Binmore

Centre Stage has enjoyed a good reputation for excellent productions and after rave reviews for “Shrek the Musical” one to live up to, but Centre Stage always seems to pull out all the stops and with “Anything Goes” they did just that!

What a strong cast and strong chorus, they worked together as a team, and you could see how much they were all enjoying it.

We, the audience were in for a treat.

The set was exceptional with the ship upper and lower decks done well and used for every scene to its best potential. The skies behind were an excellent touch.

Costumes were meticulous in every detail, but with Sue Bonnett as Director no less would be expected.

The lighting in the capable hands of Dominic Jeffery was extremely impressive along with Sound by Dave Hart for Seventh Wave Audio.    

The Orchestra made a great sound under the excellent direction of Joseph Binmore 

The cast were impressive not only with their acting skills but with singing that enabled every word to be clearly heard.

Reno Sweeny was portrayed as a character oozing with confidence and with a top quality singing voice that was pure pleasure to listen to, with skilful dancing complete with breathtaking high kicks. 

Billy Crocker was played very well and had that special something that brought the best out of the character. 

Hope Harcourt was played well and with sophistication, her mother Evangeline was convincingly portrayed as a woman determined to climb the social ladder and to use any means to do so. Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Hope’s fiancé) gave a cracking performance as upper crust English nobility trying desperately to come to terms with the idiosyncrasies of American speech. Funny lines well delivered!

Elish Whitney was a natural as the domineering tycoon, weakened by the dastardly removal of his spectacles, as was Moonface Martin, Moon Face delivered “Be like the bluebird” with real fun, super.

Erma looked and sounded the part beautifully, (I have seen some who played the part over the top with accents that could hardly be deciphered) but this performance was spot on. 

The Ships Captain had a wonderfully deep voice that added to his authoritative demeanour.

All other characters enhanced the performance greatly by their individual skill and enthusiasm. 

The dancing was of a high standard and the choreography superb, the tap dancing to “Anything Goes” was a show stopper that included the whole cast, everywhere you looked on stage there was tapping with energy and great skill. The lovely evocative music and oh so clever lyrics by the great Cole Porter were beautifully interpreted by this young talented company, from the slow romantic love songs to the wonderful “Blow, Gabriel, Blow”.

Everything about this show was impressive   from beginning to end.

Heartiest congratulations on a job well done to all involved, from directors to backstage crew. 

The audiences could not fail to enjoy this wonderful performance of a wonderful and well-loved show.

Graham K. Liverton

NODA National Vice President &
Regional Councillor NODA Southwest

 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.