Gerry Connolly to Appear in ANYTHING GOES at The Sydney Opera House

announced that Gerry Connolly would play the Captain of the S.S. American in the Sydney Opera House season of their production of Anything Goes following his success during the Melbourne and Brisbane seasons. Due to his increased radio and television commitments, Alan Jones has had to withdraw from the role.

Critics and audiences alike are raving about Gerry Connolly in Anything Goes. Crikey said "Gerry Connolly's camp captain gets maximum mileage from limited stage time: he even gets to tap a bit," and Stage Whispers said "Gerry Connolly brings all his panache and channels the great Paul Lynde to make a feast out of a 'snack' in his role as the captain", while the Australian Jewish News said "the ship's captain played with wonderful comedic timing by Gerry Connolly".

Perhaps best known for his satirical caricatures of public figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher, Joh Bjelke-Peterson, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and Dame Joan Sutherland amongst many others, Gerry Connolly has a long list of theatre, film and television credits to his name. Connolly's successful career in the theatre has included roles with Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company and Belvoir, and most recently as Marcus Lycus opposite Geoffrey Rush in John Frost's production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Connolly's many TV appearances include Fast Forward, Live and Sweaty, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard, Hey Hey Its Saturday and Kath & Kim, as well as his own series The Gerry Connolly Show. He appeared as himself in an episode of the 1998 television series The Games, in which he also impersonated Bob Hawke, and played the former Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson in the ABC TV telemovie Joh's Jury. His feature film credits include The Real Macaw and The Wog Boy.

"We're thrilled that Gerry Connolly is able to continue aboard the S.S. American for the Sydney season of Anything Goes," said John Frost and Lyndon Terracini. "Whilst it's disappointing that Alan Jones is not available to play the Captain, we're delighted that Gerry has agreed to remain as part of the original cast."

Connolly plays opposite Caroline O'Connor as evangelist turned nightclub singer Reno Sweeney; Todd McKenney as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh; Alex Rathgeber as young Wall Street broker Billy Crocker; Claire Lyon will be American debutante Hope Harcourt; Carmen Duncan in her musical theatre debut as Evangeline Harcourt; Wayne Scott Kermond as second-rate gangster Moonface Martin; Debora Krizak as Moonface's girlfriend Erma; and Bartholomew John as Wall Street banker Elisha J. Whitney.

For decades, Anything Goes has captivated millions with its delightful story of madcap antics aboard the S.S. American. When the ocean liner embarks from New York to London, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to find true love... proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail.

This dazzling musical celebration, described by Ben Brantley of The New York Times as "a deluxe candy box of Cole Porter's best songs," features a hilarious tale of topsy-turvy relationships, mistaken identities and foiled plots, peppered with some of musical theatre's most memorable standards including You're The Top, De-Lovely, I Get A Kick Out Of You and of course the title song, Anything Goes.

Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival and Choreography during its most recent Broadway run, Anything Goes is a stunning nautical favourite. This first-class musical extravaganza plays at the Sydney Opera House from 5 September.

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