Most of it Goes

WHEN SWINGTIME SWEETIE Billy Crocker sings the praises of nightclub knockout Reno Sweeney, he lovingly croons "You're the National Gallery, you're Garbo's salary, you're Chippendale." Not to be outdone, Reno hails Billy as equal in stature to a silver dollar, an Arrow collar--even "cellophane."

In other words, you probably won't hear any of the lyrics from Anything Goes on this week's top 40. A less charitable viewer might crassly term the 1940s Cole Porter opus dated, but in truth the musical is only as old as the cast feels. In fact, the musical's title might well be taken as a caveat to any troupe staging Anything Goes; an earnest cast would be the show's undoing. If the title were not warning enough, Porter offers other none-to-subtle clues. Why else sprinkle the lyrics of the infamous. "It's Delovely" with a plea for the audience to have patience "while I crucify this verse"?

Certainly the plot, a collage of stylized romantic twists, does not cry out for a sober presentation. This time around the star-crossed hopefuls are the ebullient Crocker and sweeter-than-sugar Hope Harcourt. True, Hope has another fiance but the undulating Reno (Heidi Dallin) makes an effort to rearrange the romantic supply and demand. All of this on a luxury ocean liner.

Director Jennifer Tingle sends Currier's production out of the starting gate quickly, with a clever and appropriately tongue-in-cheek opening. But the first act soon falters, revealing that maybe Tingle and company didn't get the point after all.

Anything Goes stumbles, not over intricate dance steps or difficult staging, but on misguided sincerity. Too often the actors finish their lines on a note of relief, not flippant joie de vivre. And while the cast is continually singing of frolic, they sometimes pay only lip service to the concept. After a particularly complicated dance scene at the close of "It's Delovely," Hope Harcourt (Eva Yablonsky) throws Billy (Benajah Cobb) a long grateful look.\Maybe it's love, but maybe it's because he didn't drop her. Unfortunately, the show's recurring hints of uncertainty tend to suggest the latter.

When the actors do relax and let their hair down, the results are delightful. Cobb, who seems to have the most fun on stage, turns in an electric performance as Billy Crocker, a quick-witted entrepreneur with a perpetual crush. As female impersonator, or gleefully mugging across the stage in a two-step, Cobb is, well, the top. Cam Thornley also makes the most of his role as Moon-face Martin, a public enemy who can't move up from his #13 ranking. Under wraps in priest guise, Moon delivers a sidesplitting mock sermon and, later, inspirational song urging Billy to "Be Like the Bluebird." Dallin is slightly stiffer but shines in her singing roles, particularly "I Get a Kick Out of You."

Yablonsky also sings very well, particularly in her duet with Billy. "All Through the Night." but is somewhat awkward in her speaking scenes. Strong supporting performances came from Stephanie Gilbert as Bonnie, a warm hearted, fast talking gangsterette and Jessica Beels as Mrs. Harcourt, a woman born to be a mother-in-law Patrick Bradford skillfully plays an imposing Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Hope's British fiance who embodies starch until he warms to Reno in the duet.

OTHER THAN THE superb costuming, the show's production lacks polish. Despite some clever staging, the crew is fairly creative, but ultimately not able to overcome the limitations of the Currier Fishbowl to create the make-believe world musicals require. The choreography is well-conceived, but occasionally stumbles on the hesitancy of the cast.

If Cole Porter dropped in on the Currier House production, he'd probably want to see the second act. When the production's collective blood seems to quicken, the orchestra, led by Leon Gruenbaum's lively piano, is in top form post-intermission, particularly during "Blow, Gabriel Blow" and "Be Like the Bluebird."

In numbers too absurd to play with a straight face, the cast eventually loosens up--only to find that the way to succeed in musicals is not really trying. Once unbraided, the cast's plentiful talent (not to mention Porter's) comes over loud and clear. With this week's rehearsals and three performances under their belt, the cast may hit its stride earlier on in this weekend's performances.

During the gala closing of the first act, Anything Goes, Reno leads the entire cast through an ambitious dance routine. When the troupe successfully executes a synchronized shuffle, Cobb musters the breath to call out. "Bet you didn't think we could do this." The relieved audience laughed in tacit agreement, but if the cast looked less surprised, the audience wouldn't need to.