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ANYTHING GOES (Beaumont Version) Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter: Book by RG. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton & Howard Lindsay & Russell Crouse: New book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman The original presentation of Anything Goes was at the Alvin Theatre - 21 November, 1934 (415 perfs) This version originally produced by Lincoln Center Theatre, Vivian Beaumont Theatre - 19th October, 1987 (784 perfs). SYNOPSIS The age-old tale of Boy-Meets-Girl and the complications which ensue intrigue every audience, and no musical puts it on stage better than Anything Goes. This show is an amusing story wrapped around one of Cole Porter's magical scores. Two versions of it are available for presentation. The 1962 and the 1987 Beaumont versions are based on the same story. Both may be accompanied by a piano, a small instrumental combo or a full orchestra. The 1987 Beaumont version has twice as much dance music as the 1962 version, and the orchestration features a shipboard sound derived from the utility band and less-than-ideal acoustics on board. Terrific Cole Porter songs in both versions. It's a wonder that all the romances are sorted out and disaster is averted aboard the magical ship where Anything Goes! STORY Elisha Whitney, a successful Ivy league Wall Street banker, waits impatiently for his assistant, Billy Crocker, to meet him at a New York City bar. Billy is to drop off some items Whitney needs for his vacation, and Whitney has to give Billy instructions to sell some stock for his personal account. It turns out that Billy forgot his boss' passport, so he will have to deliver it to Whitney on the cruise ship the following morning. Coincidence has it that Billy's old friend Reno Sweeny, a sexy Evangelist turned nightclub singer, plans to travel on the same boat as Whitney. Reno is interested in Billy romantically, but Billy explains to her that he is in love with a girl named Hope. Reno even invites Billy to join her on the trip, but Billy just isn't interested in her that way. Transatlantic voyages usually draw celebrities and, therefore, photographers. But Charlie Chaplin cancelled his plans on the ship at the last minute. This leaves Hope Harcourt, the American debutante to photograph. She is travelling with her fiancé Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, a wealthy Englishman, and her mother Evangeline Harcourt, a widow. The photographers are not impressed by the Minister Henry T. Dobson and his two Chinese converts, but they take notice when Reno Sweeny and her four Showgirl Angels board the ship. Coincidence has it that Evangeline and Whitney are old friends. When Billy boards the ship to drop off Whitney's passport, he finds out that his long lost love, Hope, is a passenger, and is to be married. As Billy tries to find Hope before the ship leaves the dock, two pushy F.B.I. agents force Billy to show them where the Minister is. Billy inadvertently identifies Minister Dobson as Moonface Martin, a gangster and Public Enemy No 13, to the F.B.I. agents. Dobson is thrown in the ship's brig, and his two converts are allowed to wander the ship without supervision. Moonface and his friend Erma are indebted to Billy, and thank him by giving him their friend's unused ticket and room. The problem is that their friend who didn't make it on board is Snake Eyes Johnson, Public Enemy No 1, and wanted by the F.B.I. too. Now Billy is mistaken for Snake Eyes (Mr. Murray Hill Flowers on the ticket), and must disguise himself for the rest of the trip in order to stay out of jail. He must also stay out of Whitney's sight, because his boss specifically sent him off the ship and back to work. Billy thinks all this trouble is worth while, since he has the chance to convince Hope to fall in love with him. Billy convinces Reno to help him win Hope's heart. After the ship leaves the dock, Billy is able to spend some time alone with Hope because Evelyn is seasick. Billy goes so far as to disguise himself as a sailor with Erma's help. He convinces Evangeline Harcourt the boat is sinking, and convinces Whitney the whipped cream he

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