Stephen DeRosa, Lisa Tejero, and More Join Arena Stage's ANYTHING GOES

Arena Stage announces casting for Cole Porter's madcap seafaring musical, Anything Goes, with music and lyrics by Porter; original book by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, with co-authors Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse; and new book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. Featuring some of musical theater's most memorable standards such as "I Get a Kick Out of You," "You're the Top" and the title song, Anything Goes is directed by Molly Smith, with choreography by Parker Esse and music direction by Paul Sportelli, and will run November 2-December 23, 2018 in the iconic in-the-round Fichandler Stage.

Joining previously announced Corbin Bleu (Broadway's Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical; Disney Channel's High School Musical) as Billy and Soara-Joye Ross(Off-Broadway's Carmen Jones) as Reno Sweeney are Stephen DeRosa (Broadway's On the Town, HBO's Boardwalk Empire) as Moonface Martin, Jimmy Ray Bennett(Amazon Studio's Hand of God) as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh and D.C.-area native Lisa Helmi Johanson (Off-Broadway's Avenue Q) as Hope Harcourt. Jonathan Holmes(Netflix's Anne With an E) makes his Arena debut as Captain, while Thomas Adrian Simpson (Arena's Dave, A Raisin in the Sun) and Maria Rizzo (Arena's Fiddler on the Roof) return to the stage here as Elisha Whitney and Erma, respectively.

Lisa Tejero (Broadway's Metamorphoses) also returns to Arena as Evangeline Harcourt, along with Ben Gunderson (Purser/Ensemble/Lady Fair Quartet) and ensemble members DeMoya Watson Brown and Nicholas Yenson. Christopher Shin makes his Arena debut as Luke.

Rounding out the Anything Goes company are Brent McBeth, Mickey Orange, Emily Jeanne Phillips, Lizz Picini and Kristyn Pope, with swings Allie O'Donnell and Brett Uram.

In addition, two dogs will be cast as Cheeky, the wayward pup of Evangeline Harcourt. A Canine Casting Call will take place at Arena Stage on Saturday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, visit arenastage.org/caninecasting. Advance registration is required.

"I'm excited to be tackling this musical today," shares Molly Smith. "America is in an 'anything goes' moment. You can be whatever you want to be - and fool most of the people most of the time. Although this musical was written in the 1930s, the cast is representative of America right now. Expect to experience the best and wildest tap dancing you've ever seen in the Fichandler and a string of brilliant comics singing their hearts out in classic Cole Porter style. Joined by a wonderful creative team who are taking this on with all the glamour and verve of the '30s, we will bring this classic musical into the current moment."

Smith's creative collaborators for Anything Goes include Choreographer Parker Esse who returns for his 16th Arena Stage production, Music Director Paul Sportelli, Set Designer Ken MacDonald, Costume Designer Alejo Vietti, Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell and Sound Designer Daniel Erdberg.

The creative team for Anything Goes also includes Associate Music Director William Yanesh, Assistant Choreographer Lizz Picini, Dialect and Vocal Coach Lisa Nathans, Associate Director/Text Director Anita Maynard-Losh, Casting Directors Victor Vazquez and Geoff Josselson, Stage Manager Susan White, Assistant Stage Manager Trevor Riley and Production Assistant Dayne Sundman.

Photo Credit: Jessica Fallon Gordon

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