‘Anything Goes’ Floats On Waves Of Laughter & Applause

By Tanjua Damon

Those who attend the high school spring musicals each year might question how each year the students outdo themselves from the year before. This year’s production of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes was no exception. The 140 or so cast and crew brought the house down during its four performances this past weekend.

Newtown High School Choral Director Sabrina Post did a fabulous job directing this group again this year. Tom Swetts and his crew deserve kudos for creating the look and feel of a cruise ship for the set. This year’s production was playful and entertaining both musically and theatrically.

Anything Goes opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 21, 1934. It turned out to be the fourth longest running musical of the 1930s. Vinton Freedley first envisioned the production while he was hiding out aboard a fishing boat in the Gulf of Panama after fleeing the country to escape creditors. After paying off his debts, Mr Freedley assembled Cole Porter, Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, and Ethel Merman to fill out his inspiration of an ocean liner facing the threat of a possible shipwreck. But just as rehearsals were about to begin, the SS Morro Castle sank off the coast of New Jersey with more than 125 passengers losing their lives. Mr Freedley decided the musical needed to be rewritten. The rewrite contained most of the same characters, but did not include a shipwreck. Instead the plot involved nightclub singer Reno Sweeney, her pal Billy Crocker, Crocker’s debutante-love Hope Harcourt, Moonface Martin who slips aboard to avoid the FBI.

Junior Leslie Greenfield knocked the socks of the audience with her singing. She really belted out those tunes. She portrayed Reno Sweeny, the famous nightclub owner. She sang songs such as “You’re The Top” and “Anything Goes.”

Although this was senior Brett Boles last production on the Newtown High School stage, his portrayal of Billy Crocker was phenomenal. He truly knows how to grab an audience with his stellar performances. His musical ability ought to be seen somewhere again –– possibly Broadway.

Katie Fuller displayed great talent in her role as Hope Harcourt. This was Katie’s first real feminine role and she truly out did herself with great poise and focus. Katie, too, has a lovely voice that brought the musical to life.

No one would have known that Anything Goes was senior Matt Cullinan’s first musical. His humor brought loud bursts of laughter from the audience as Moonface Martin. Matt did a wonderful job enlightening the crowd with jokes from the 1930s’era. He did not hold back bringing his character to life.

Brittany Masotta should have been presented with a Tony Award with her portrayal of Bonnie. The way she changed the sound of her voice and sang with same change was awesome. Her energy and enthusiasm filled the auditorium all by itself.

Tim Robinson did a great job turning himself into the Englishman Sir Evelyn Oakleigh. Tim brought laughter from the audience as well as he tried to understand the English language and with his interesting costumes.

Janine Pixley outdid herself with her wonderful facial gestures at Mrs Wadsworth T. Harcourt. She can really get her point across without words as she turns herself into character.

The dancing for this year’s musical was wonderful. It truly looked professional as the dancers clicked their tap shoes. Everyone did a great job.

 Other characters included Chris Miller as Elisha Whitney, Eric O’Donnell as the Steward, Tyler von Oy as the Reporter, Paul Ashey as the Cameraman, Mark Walrath as the Bishop, Austin Bowes as Ching, Kevin Whipkey as Ling, Jarrod Lively as the Purser, George O’Donnell as the Captain, Karoline Engel as Chastity, Amanda Eventoff as Purity, Monica Latowicki as Virtue, Rebecca Huot as Charity, and Matt Grills, Stephen Petrovich, Alex Kromidas, and Tyler von Oy as Angel Partners.

Tap Chorus members included Jennifer Badillo, Melanie Beck, Erin Clark, Jenny Cupero, Lynn Cupero, Kat Danziger, Maggie DeMarco, Amy Doyle, Amy Fazekas, Alexa Feldman, Elsa Gillis, Michele Grimaldi, Christie Halloran, Kayla Koschel, Lindsey Malmborg, Dana Martenson, Samantha Mitchell, Jen Marie Morlath, Heather Page, Margaret Randal, Jessica Remitz, Katie Sciaretto, Elana Tenenbaum, Emily Tomasciewicz, Kara Whipkey, Karoline Engel, Amanda Eventoff, Monica Latowicki, Rebecca Huot, and Kaitlyn O’Keefe.

Sailors were Paul Ashey, Max Barrett, Austin Bowes, Matt Corkum, Brendon Goodridge, Greg Gordon, Jason Graves, Ryan Greene, Chris LaRocque, Grandon Leon-Gambetta, Jarrod Lively, Kyle Lyddy, Matt McFadden, Stephen Moulthrop, Eric O’Donnell, George O’Donnell, Jack Rafter, Michael Reid, Ben Roche, Liam Shanley, Billy Spencer, Adam Summerer, Nick Varga, Mark Walrath, and Kevin Whipkey.

Ensemble members included Evan Barbour, Jessica Braun, Jessica Capiello, Erica Carino, Kelly Collier, Kristen DeFilippe, Kate Fenton, Christina Feola, Diana Grimaldi, Sarah Hartlett, Jessica Kerns, Melissa Landin, Julia Lysaght, Kim Mayers, Casey McManus, Lauren Matte, Tara Meehan, Kaitlyn Murphy, Kim Nash, Katie O’Conner, Megan O’Day, Lauren Parrish, Tara Ryan, Amy Schermerhorn, Danielle Spencer, Kate Stickles, Teresa Taylor, Samantha Uckerman, Jenny Urfer, Molly Vogel, Courtney Whaley, and Kristen Wippermann.

Musical numbers included “You’re The Top,” “Its Delovely,” “Heaven Hop,” “Friendship,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Anything Goes,” “Public Enemy Number One,” “Let’s Step Out,” “Let’s Misbehave,” “Blow Gabriel Blow,” “All Through the Night,” “Be Like the Bluebird,” and “Take Me Back to Manhattan.”

The Pit Orchestra was comprised of violin: Morgan Eve Swain, Hadrian Kim, Alison Berk, Michelle Hiscavich; piano: Sabrina Post; Cello: Chris Tibdeau, Kristin Provost; Trumpet: Vince Venitelli, Matt Sullivan, Pat Dalton, Tucker Smiley; Woodwinds: Larry Dworkin, Felipe Moura, Anthony Altieri, Andrea Reinhart, Jeff Reinhardt, Richie Richardson, Carolyn Brennan, J.R. Palmer, Alicia Rogers, Eileen Connor, Kristin Ryan, Aileen Nosal, Rachel Stern; Percussion: Pat Todd, Tim Cardoso; Viola: Heather Snow, Wendy Borst; Bass: Robert Krosky; and Trombone: Chris Espy and Kurt Eckhardt.

Stage Crews included design and technical advisor Tom Swetts; scenic artist advisor Linda Parsloe; student scenic artist Kathleen Mayer; technical director Jeremy Barczak; crew person in charge of happiness Kendall McChord; Makeup: Mary Kate Addyman, crew head Kileen Barry, Kathryn Black, Lindsey Coyle, Erin Delohery, Sheena Fernandes, Kelli Gardner, Eileen Honan, Ashley Jones, Katie Kilroy, Elizabeth Krohn, Jaclyn Morrissey, Kimberley Nash, Stephanie Nordstrom; Props: Justin Bass, Edmund Breitling Jr, Jennifer Cain, Shannon Cain, Heidi Ekstrom, Stacey Gordon, Adam Konneker, Melissa Russell, crew head Caitlin Sullivan; Sound Crew: crew head Farley Miller, Jonathan Silver; Set Construction: crew head Daniel Amodeo, crew head Jeremy Barczak, Sarah Copeland, Laura Gibbons, Ashley Gillespie, Stephen Greytak, Ryan Lanza, Mark Laslo, William Manville, Sasha Mastrocinque, Kathleen Mayer, Kendall McChord, Daniel Morehouse, Kristin Ryan, Jonathan Silver, Zachariah Silver, Joshua Tamarkin, Brian Tenney, Alicia Tolson, Edward Wolf; Design Team: Kathleen Donahue, Ashley Gillespie, Natasha Kormanik, Mark Laslo, William Manville, Sasha Mastrocinque, Lauren Mattegat, crew head Kathleen Mayer, Daniel Morehouse, Zachariah Silver; Painting: crew head Laura Gibbons, Ashley Gillespie, Allison Hornak, Natasha Kormanik, Mark Laslo, Kathleen Mayer, Kristin Ryan, Jeanette Smith, Lenora Thornton, Alicia Tolson; Lighting: Ryan Lanza, Mark Laslo, Sasha Mastrocinque, crew head Joshua Tamarkin, and Brian Tenney; Costume Crews: Janet Graves, Lisa Petrovich, Margie Mayers, Pat Sidell, Jan Huot, Angela Giaquinto, Gale Tamborino, Ileen Gretak, Beth Koschel, Lenora Thornton, Tory Martin, Jessica Budnick, Kimberly Solheim, Amber Finlayson, Laura Schroeder, Kim Racow, Diana Rawson, Dana Happel, Jessica Remitz, Robin DiPerrio, and Kate Donahue.

Production Staff included assistant director Pamela Lynn Henry, technical director Tom Swetts, producer Kathleen Slanski, assistant to producer Gloria von Oy, costume designer Masha Watson, orchestra director Kurt Eckhardt, string coordinator Michelle Hiscavich, choreographer Sabrina Post, dance captains Jean Pierre Ferrigamo and Kyle Jones, stage manager Pamela Lynn Henry, assistant stage manager Chris Timmel, construction manager Dan Amodeo, lighting manager Josh Tamarkin, sound Horizon Sound, program Bob Mitchell, publicity Barb Danziger, publicity assistant Cheryl Barbour, house manager Nanci DiPerrio, ticket sales Kitty Latowicki, cast party hosts The Robinson Family, backstage coordinators Chris Badillo, Jan Larson, flower sales Rose Ann Beck, Cindy Mitchell, concession sales Angela Giaquinto, hair and makeup Kari Barrett and Kimberly Solheim, and props Kate Sullivan.