Telluride's Young People's Theater presents "Anything Goes"

31 Jan Telluride's Young People's Theater presents "Anything Goes"

 This long weekend, Friday – Monday, February 4 – February 7, 6 p.m.,Telluride's Sheridan Arts Foundation's Young People's Theater company presents an encore performance of the 1930s period masterpiece, "Anything Goes."

With this her latest production of the Cole Porter hit, director Jen Julia is clearly playing a game of "Can You Top (Hat) This?"

Back in 2002, Jen's original adaptation of the Broadway musical hit was, well, "a Picasso painting, a Bendel's bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet, Mickey Mouse." The best. It too featured an abundantly talented group of 30 local teens, 9th – 12th graders, singing, dancing and jiving. And yet, of the 2011 incarnation of "Anything Goes," Jen exclaims:

"The best YPT high school production yet!"

Timing is everything: The original "Anything Goes" was an escape from the Great Depression. The book was all about people with money to burn and too much time on their well-manicured hands, a sassy musical spoof of the good life.

In "Anything Goes," the S.S. American sets sail from New York to England with an unusual group of passengers. Included on the ship's roster is a gangster named Moonface Martin, a wealthy debutante and her mother, Hope and Evangeline Harcourt, a nightclub singer named Reno Sweeny,  a wealthy New York businessman and his stowaway assistant, Elisha Witney, and Billy Crocker.

As their world turns, we find out that Hope is Billy's long-lost love. Unfortunately, she is now engaged to a wealthy Englishman, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. After a series of comedic events, Billy manages to win back Hope. Meanwhile, Billy's friend, Reno, manages to seduce and win over Lord Evelyn. All this happens while Moonface attempts to dodge the law and Hope's mother strives to maintain her social status.

Knowing Jen, she will strip the book to the bones to accommodate her cast, but be careful not to extract too many, if any, of the lines with teeth.

For further information, go to SheridanOperaHouse.com or call 970.728.6363 x5.

For a preview, click on Clint Viebrock's vidcast.