Review: Caroline O'Connor Shines As Reno Sweeney as ANYTHING GOES Sails Into Sydney To A Standing Ovation.

Tuesday 8 September 2015, 7:30pm, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Cole Porter's ANYTHING GOES takes audiences on a fun filled voyage filled with music and mystery, dance and dilemma, love and learning and fabulous 1930's fashion. The latest musical theatre collaboration between Opera Australia and John Frost (The Gordon Frost Organisation) delighted the Sydney opening night audience that roared with laughter and thundered with applause for the high energy, hammed up hijinks that unfold as the S.S. America puts to sea.

The 'bright shiny' classic Broadway style has been captured in the clean lines of Dale Ferguson's set that includes sweeping staircases leading up to the band situated on the balcony above a black marble Art Deco "Astor Bar" and is completed with elegant ladies and dapper men gathering for a cocktail or two. The versatility of the stage allows it to be easily transformed from this post prohibition supper club to the sleek lines of the S.S America, creating images reminiscent of the tourism advertising of the era. The cabins are created on backdrops of postcards of the sumptuous staterooms and the simpler 3rd class passenger cabins filled with sea bunks.

Director Dean Bryant has created a perfectly paced production that captures the wonderful 1930's world of social climbing, forbidden love, family secrets and of course, mobster connections. The beautiful young Hope Harcourt (Claire Lyon) is expected to marry the older staid, stuffy, English Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Todd McKenny) to secure her family's position, and make up for their financial fall from grace. Young Wall Street broker Billy Crocker (Alex Rathgeber) is meant to stay in New York to see to the business affairs of his boss, Elisha Whitney (Bartholomew John) but instead is lured to stow away pursue Hope, who has fallen in love with after meeting at a society party. The older, somewhat batty Whitney sets his sights on using the trans-Atlantic crossing to pursue Hope's mother, Mrs Harcourt (Carmen Duncan). "Notorious Evangelist" come nightclub singer Reno Sweeney (Caroline O'Connor) is making the passage with her 'Angels' (Annie Aitken, Samantha Leigh Dodemaide, Bridget Hancock, and Hayley Martin) and whilst disappointed that the younger Billy is not interested in her, Reno stays a loyal friend, wanting to see him happy and dismissive of the social hierarchy that dominates to era. Finally, second rate criminal Moonface Martin (Wayne Scott Kermond) and his ditzy leggy blonde girlfriend Erma (Debora Krizak) round out the featured passengers being cared for by the Captain (Gerry Connolly) and Purser (Josh Gates).

Bryant and choreographer Andrew Hallsworth have created stunning visuals from the opening Overture at the bar, capturing snapshots of the joie de vivre seen in photographs of the era to the cast lining the staircases and promenade of the ship as it prepares to sail and Reno in nautical stripes surrounded by the clean cut sailors in white. Hallsworth's energetic choreography ranges from the extensive Anything Goes tap to the grace of the It's De-Lovely waltz, the hedonistic Blow, Gabriel, Blow and the sensual Pasodoble as Lord Evelyn explores his past and sets his sights on Reno in The Gypsy In Me. These splendid numbers and amplified by Dale Ferguson's costumes which employ flowing silks for the evening gowns, bold structured daywear and crisp sailors' whites. Nautical and patriotic red white and blue features heavily and the coloring for each character echoes their underlying personality such as pure Hope's blue suite and pastel evening gown compared to Reno's red day dress and bold navy blue formalwear.

Caroline O'Connor is beyond fabulous as Reno Sweeney. She captures Reno's worldliness and playfulness in her nuanced delivery of dialogue and song, all supported by priceless facial expressions. As well as maturity, Reno needs a quirkiness which makes O'Connor a perfect fit for the role. In addition to the amazing stamina for the dance numbers, O'Connor's strong smoky vocals are presented with a deep fullness inkeeping with the bold personality of the entertainer that consorts with gangsters and stockbrokers with equal ease. She brings a wonderful comic timing to deliver the multitudes of jokes, teamed with the physical comedy, particularly the slapstick You're The Top and Friendship duets with Rathgeber and Kermond respectively.

With a foppish, Hugh Grant style fringe hiding half his face, Todd McKenney is almost unrecognizable until his signature physical quirks creep through giving Lord Evelyn a delicious innocent comic campiness as he tries to decipher the American lingo. Whilst Lord Evelyn's image as staid and proper is maintained in Act One, Act Two sees him relax and McKenney is allowed to let loose and showcase his dancing in The Gypsy In Me.

Alex Rathgeber gives Billy a youthful hope and romance and his vocals have a beautiful 1930's "Porter sound" in its clarity and accent and he uses restraint when expressing Billy's love. The pairing of Rathgaber as the younger man that has formed a respectful friendship with the charismatic older Reno is believable and it allows Rathgaber to show off the depth of Billy's personality from the cheeky, resourceful to the reserved romantic in his moments with Lyon's Hope. In contrast to the worldly and confident Reno, Hope is a reserved, well bred, high society girl which suits the fresh faced, Claire Lyon. Lyon's opera background gives Hope's songs a sophisticated air and innocence with a more controlled phrasing and enunciation, distancing her from the 'free and easy' world that Reno and Erma inhabit.

Wayne Scott Kermond's comic timing and physicality is marvelous as the scheming Moonface Martin that doesn't even make it to the top ten wanted criminals list. His companion Erma is delightfully portrayed by Debora Krizak who gives the dim-witted dame a wonderful sex appeal as she has the sailors eating out her hand. Whilst Carmen Duncan as Mrs Harcourt has limited stage time, she does capture the overbearing society mother that knows that an advantageous marriage is important for saving herself and her daughter. She does well to sneer at Elisha Whitney's initial advances as Bartholomew John gives him a fantastic ridiculousness from the bulldog in Yale sweater he carries to his reliving his old rowing varsity days.

Gerry Connolly is highly amusing as the bumbling Captain who seeks to raise the profile of his voyage by having the guest list be the entertainment for the other passengers. Connolly's portrayal is reminiscent of Nathan Lane in his bewilderment of how to make the sea-passage more enjoyable for his passengers. He is supported by the eager, innocent Purser, Josh Gates who moves between shadowing the Captain to getting involved with the passengers' activities.

This staging of ANYTHING GOES is a spectacular work that meets all the requirements of extraordinary musical theatre. In addition to the set, costumes and choreography, Peter Casey's musical direction has ensured that American Songbook Standards are given a unique sound, drawing out the meaning from the lyrics with the phrasing and emphasis. Bryant brings out the ridiculousness of society that worships "Public Enemy #1", values an advantageous marriage over true love and has some terribly politically incorrect stereotypes from an era that was fascinated with the Orient, whilst still entertaining and keeping the entertainment light and fun. For Cole Porter fans, musical theatre aficionados, and anyone that enjoys great entertainment, ANYTHING GOES is a must see.

ANYTHING GOES

Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

8 September - 31 October 2015

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