Let yourself go! This show is about as much fun as you can legally have on stage. In addition to the oh so witty, buoyant and sublime Cole Porter score, this musical asks us to toss our fears aside and dare to live our life to its richest and fullest. Set in 1934 just after prohibition is repealed, Anything Goes is a delightful romp, a champagne bottle ready to burst at any moment. Our cast of characters are anxious to embrace adventure and love on the high seas with comedic zany twists, madcap hijinks and boundless joy!
Anything Goes is all about the dance, but it is also a singers and an actors show. Dancers will love the extended tap, waltz and broadway style numbers. Singers will love the score. Actors will love the crazy characters. Eight Principals, ten featured parts and an ensemble of twelve to sixteen this will be the "big" show of the 2014 season!
Looking for the Anything Goes audition sides and dance videos? They're Backstage! You have to be registered as an Applicant-Performer to see them.
Character | Male / Female | Principal / Featured / Ensemble | Vocal Range | Description |
Reno Sweeny | Female | Principal | Mezzo G3-Eb5 | A sexy and charismatic nightclub singer and former evangelist. For some unknown reason Reno has forsaken what was once her calling of evangelism, and has become a very successful nightclub headliner. Reno is confident, clever, philosophical, funny, persuasive, and extremely comfortable with herself physically- and in every other way. She is practical and makes a good show of keeping it all together while romantic and tenderhearted underneath all her bravado. Reno is a consummate performer and a real showstopper. Must have comedic timing and be able to command the stage. In the beginning (and maybe forever – at least a little) she is in love with Billy. |
Billy J. Crocker | Male | Principal | Tenor B3-G4 | Elisha Whitney's kind but inefficient general manager who is in love with Hope. Must be charismatic and MUST have comedic timing: both verbal and physical plus considerable charm. Enough to win the heart of a steady girl engaged to a good man, and to have stolen the experienced heart and garnered the lavish attentions of Reno. Must be very confident physically, and willing to be put in silly situations. Must be able to move quickly. Idealistic. |
Hope Harcourt | Female | Principal | Soprano A4-Bb5 | A wealthy and beautiful heiress. Hope is sailing to marry Lord Evelyn, who - although he is a very nice guy- is her heart’s second choice. It’s just after the crash, and her family has lost much of its fortune (while NOT losing it's standing)- maintaining the family status quo is very important to her and critical to the ones she loves. Sweet, but with a strong sense of morals and duty. Willing to marry to satisfy mother’s wishes, instead of love. Good sense of humour, can be mischevious. Sparkling, ladylike individualism is good starting point set of adjectives for Hope. |
Sir Evelyn Oakley | Male | Principal | Baritone C3-G4 | Hope's aristocratic English fiancé. A steady, believable upper crust English accent a MUST. An earnest, energetic, good-natured, gullible and charming jewel of a nerd (called so affectionately). Loves the Americans. Born knowing who he is, therefore has the gift of being clueless to anybody’s opinion of him. Must be capable of - and comfortable with - comedic acting, and be very willing to take directions and do just about anything (within reason, naturally). |
Moonface Martin | Male | Principal | Tenor Bb3-Gb4 | Public Enemy #13, traveling [disguised] as reverend); Wanted by the police. Uncomplicated and loveable gangster. Very interested in climbing up the most wanted ladder. Wily and quick-witted, yet somehow just this side of gullible, Moonface is loyal and willing to go the distance for a friend. He carries a machine gun in a violin case- ready for action- but it’s pretty obvious he’s untried in anything desperate. MAJOR comedic timing required; able to move nimbly/ quickly. |
Erma | Female | Principal | Mezzo A4-C#5 | A traffic-stopping dame. Independent, modern, impulsive, courageous, boundless, immoderate, and driven by whatever gratifies her at the moment. She HAS to have the kind of physical presence that immediately causes every man within eyesight to zing! notice her. The actress playing this part must be extremely comfortable physically. She must be fresh and enjoyable in spite of her brazen ways, and be willing to play broad physical comedy. Lovably clueless, “joysey” accent. |
Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt | Female | Principal | Any Vocal | Hope's widowed mother who, at this point in time, is mainly concerned with social status and money (snob). Although born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and accustomed to the good life of the social elite, she has - because of the crash- learned to flow with the tide... yet has but one course in mind: She wants Hope to marry well- and by that she means rich! It’s the only way she can see that will save her home and her (and her daughter’s) place in society. Married well, but not to her one true love. Must be able to span the distance between refined lady and panic-stricken comedienne to breathless receiver of renewed hope. |
Elisha J. Whitney | Male | Principal | Baritone C3-D4 | A successful Ivy league Wall Street banker/business tycoon. Extremely near-sighted and a gloriously functional drunk. Huge personality. Used to snapping his fingers and having the world stop to listen. Thinks he’s right, but also capable of listening to reason and changing his mind. Down-to- earth in some ways and outlandish in others. Very loyal to his alma mater (Yale). |
Captain | Male | Featured | Baritone | The man in charge of the S.S. American. Intelligent, strong, but a little too concerned with prestige. Good comedic timing. |
Purser | Male | Featured | Tenor | A reliable, alert, and by-the-book, with an air of confident style. Great Comic timing and physical. in and out through the entire show he keeps a lot of the action a float! |
Chastity - The ANGELS | Female | Featured | Any Vocal Range | Member of The ANGLES, Reno’s backup singers/dancers for her nightclub act; must be willing/able to do “cheesecake” and be very comfortable with their magnetism (& physically in general). The collective feel of the Angels is they charge the atmosphere. They are good at what they do. Tap Dancing Required. |
Charity - The ANGELS | Female | Featured | Any Vocal | See description for Chasity |
Purity - The ANGELS | Female | Featured | Any Vocal | See description for Chasity |
Virtue - The ANGELS | Female | Featured | Any Vocal | See description for Chasity |
Luke | Male | Featured | Any Vocal | A presumably reformed gambler, and recent Christian convert. Traveling with Henry T. Dobson, and his cousin John. |
John | Male | Featured | Any Vocal | Influenced by his cousin Luke, but loyal to his conversion and Dobson, John has a conscience, but an easily manipulated will; his vice had been demon rum. |
Henry T. Dobson (Minister) | Male | Featured | Any Vocal | Missionary returing from China; certain, stoic, benevolent |
Fred | Male | Featured | Any Vocal | A New York bar tender- good comic timing. |
SAILOR 1 | Male | Ensemble | Any Vocal | One of the men in white that keep the SS American running and shipshape. Movement/ dance skills / harmony parts required |
SAILOR 2 | Male | Ensemble | Any Vocal | See Sailor 1 Description |
SAILOR 3 | Male | Ensemble | Any Vocal | See Sailor 1 Description |
SAILOR 4 | Male | Ensemble | Any Vocal | See Sailor 1 Description |
Passengers - six female / six male | Male / Female | Ensemble | Any Vocal | Passengers on the boat, bound for Europe |
Girl soloist | Female | Ensemble | ||
Boy soloist | Male | Ensemble | ||
Reporter 1 | Male / emale | Ensemble | ||
Reporter 2 | Male / Female | Ensemble | ||
Photographer | Male / Female | Ensemble | ||
FBI Agent #1 | Male / Female | Ensemble | Hot on the trail of Moonface for weeks. | |
FBI Agent #2 | Male / Female | Ensemble | Hot on the trail of Moonface for weeks. Getting sick of it. |
Marin Summer Theater (MST) is an award winning non-profit theater company for students of performing arts between the ages of 13 and 23. The MST company prepares and presents three fully-staged productions in a six-week summer season. MST's mission is threefold: To present exciting, professional quality drama, musical theater and musical revue productions; to keep tuition as low as possible so that cost is not a barrier to participation; to create a diverse company of college and high school students.