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Anything Goes review

And this production has found its feet by blowing some new life into his old tunes by gently mocking their familiarity whilst simultaneously honoring them.
Although the show has been revived many times (it’s a perennial high school favorite) you’re unlikely to see a more modern and still completely faithful rendition of this classic.

One of the production’s main pleasures is the time that it gives to set pieces like the performance of “De-Lovely.”  As directed by Marshall, it’s a thrilling song and dance number that brings to mind old Hollywood sequences featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers.

You don’t often see classic old time dance numbers like this on Broadway (or indeed anywhere now) and there’s a real pleasure in knowing you’re watching the kind of performance that would have been familiar to and enjoyed by your grandparents.
Beyond that are the singing sailors, gangsters molls, upper class twits and the lovely bittersweet performance from Broadway luminary Joel Grey, who’s a walking master class in vaudeville and comic timing.

The course of true love doesn’t run smooth for most of the voyage, but this is Broadway where happy endings are usually in sight of the big finale and Anything Goes is a thrilling reminder of the fact.

Anything Goes is playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 West 43rd Street. Visit www.anythinggoesonbroadway.com.

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Nster.com