Written in the 1930's, "Anything Goes" premiered in New York's Alvin Theater on November 21, 1934. It went on for a 420 show run. The London premiere was on June 14, 1935 in the Palace Theatre and ran for 261 shows. "Anything Goes" is now the most frequently performed of any show from the 1930s.
Sailing on the S.S. American are Moonface Martin, a gangster on the run posing as a minister; Reno Sweeney, a former evangelist who is a nightclub singer, traveling with her are four tap-dancing "Angels"; Hope Harcourt, a society miss who is engaged to an English gentleman (Sir Evelyn, also on the ship); and Billy Crocker, her ex-boyfriend that stows away on the boat to try to win her back. A series of comical mistaken identities ensues as the passengers and crew sing and dance their way across the Atlantic.
© Copyright Sal Forte 2006 Last Updated: March 14, 2006 SHS Web Page Construction & Design Class