Everything you need to know about Anything Goes

The music and lyrics for the musical Anything Goes were written by American composer and Broadway musical songwriter Cole Porter. The book was penned by Anglo-American playwright Guy Bolton and English author P. G. Wodehouse.

The musical is told in two acts and centres around a group of passengers aboard the S.S. American, which sets sail from New York to England. Billy Crocker — who is an assistant to Elisha J. Whitney — a Wall Street tycoon, decides to pursue the love of his life — a wealthy debutante by the name of Hope Harcourt, who already happens to be engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. A whole slew of nautical mischief ensues, complete with singing sailors, double-entendres, hilarious disguises, and other endless antics.

 

The eagerly awaited West End revival of Anything Goes is set to open at The Barbican on 5 June 2021 and is booking until 22 August 2021.

The Golden Age of Broadway is widely regarded to be between the 1940s and 1960s. Anything Goes first premiered on Broadway on 21 November 1934 at New York's Alvin Theatre (now called the Neil Simon Theatre) while the West End transfer production opened on 14 June 1935 at the Palace Theatre (currently home to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Due to this cut-off and it having opened during the Great Depression era, Anything Goes is generally not considered to be a Golden-Age musical, though it features the same razzmatazz characteristics of one, making it a precursor to the Golden Age.

The musical has featured a number of different songs over the years for its many revival productions. Historically, musical numbers found in Anything Goes include "I Get a Kick Out of You", "(There's No Cure Like Travel)/Bon Voyage", "All Through the Night", "You'd Be So Easy to Love", "I Want to Row on the Crew", "Sailor's Shanty (There'll Always Be A Lady Fair)", "Where Are the Men?", "You're the Top", "Waltz Down the Aisle" (in the 1934 original), "Friendship", "It's De-Lovely", and the titular song "Anything Goes" in Act I. Numbers traditionally found in Act II include "Public Enemy Number One", "Let's Step Out", "What a Joy to be Young", "Let's Misbehave", "Blow, Gabriel, Blow", "Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye", "Be Like the Bluebird", "All Through the Night", "Gypsy in Me", "Buddie, Beware", "Take Me Back to Manhattan", "Finale (I Get a Kick Out of You)" in Act II. Songs cut from the show include "Waltz Down the Aisle" dropped before the Boston tryout, "What a Joy to Be Young" dropped before the opening in New York and given the alternate title: "To Be in Love and Young"; and the unused number "Kate the Great".

The 2021 Barbican cast of Anything Goes will feature American singer, actress, and comedian Megan Mullally ("Karen Walker" in the sitcom Will & Grace) in the role of Reno Sweeney. She is joined onstage by three-time Oliver and Tony Award-winning actor Robert Lindsay (BBC's My Family) in the role of Moonface Martin. Further casting for Anything Goes will be announced in due course ahead of the show's expected opening date for previews on 8 May 2021.

Ticket prices for Anything Goes at The Barbican are grouped by price band and are currently on special offer with no booking fees when you book by 31 January 2021. Prices as at the publish date of this FAQ for Anything Goes tickets are £25, £35, £45, £60 for lower price bands and £75, £80, £95, £120, £125, and £150 for upper price bands, all of which depend on the exact date you wish to see the show and whether it is peak or non-peak dates. Early bird gets the worm! Be sure to book your tickets in advance to secure the best seats at The Barbican at the best prices whilst availability lasts.

The best seats to see Anything Goes at The Barbican are located in the central middle rows of the Stalls, though you can also get tickets in the front rows of the Circle and Upper Circle seating areas at fantastic prices and with great views of the stage. Super-saver seats can be found in the Gallery where you may miss small parts of the action but will overall be saving more money in your wallet for drinks and refreshments during the interval.

The running time for Anything Goes is generally approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. The exact runtime for the 2021 Barbican revival has yet to be confirmed, but can be expected to be somewhere along those lines.

No information has been released as of yet regarding socially distanced performances of Anything Goes. With the COVID-19 vaccine now rolled out in the UK, it is generally expected that social distancing in theatres may be a thing in the past by the time summer rolls around. Though it is possible that patrons will still be expected to wear masks and stay home if feeling sick. This information will be updated as soon as new developments arise. Customers are advised to expect for the best but prepare for the worst-case scenario of wearing masks.

The main cast of characters in Anything Goes includes the roles of Reno Sweeney, Billy Crocker, Hope Harcourt, Moonface Martin, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Bonnie/Erma, Mrs. Harcourt, Elisha J. Whitney, Ching, and Ling.

Tickets to see Anything Goes at The Barbican in London's West End are now on sale with no booking fees here when you book by the end of January 2021.

__________
You may also enjoy reading: "Top 10 facts about Anything Goes The Musical"