Tioga Central High School’s Drama Club will present “Anything Goes” on Friday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. at the Tioga Central Middle School Auditorium. Tickets, at a cost of $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors, and children under five are free, will be sold at the door only, one hour prior to the start of the show.
“Anything Goes” is set aboard the ocean liner S. S. American, where nightclub singer and evangelist Reno Sweeney is en route from New York to England. Her pal Billy Crocker has stowed away to be near his love, Hope Harcourt, but the problem is Hope is engaged to the wealthy Lord Evelyn Oakleigh.
Joining this love triangle on board the luxury liner are Public Enemy #13, Moonface Martin and his sidekick-in-crime Erma. With the help of some elaborate disguises, tap-dancing sailors, and good old-fashioned blackmail, Reno and Martin join forces to help Billy in his quest to win Hope’s heart.
Sailors and Passengers prepare for choreography.
After more disguises, ploys, confessions, mistaken identities, and marriage proposals, all done to the fantastic music of Cole Porter, how will everything work out? Who knows? Anything goes!
Alex MacDonald, Drama Club director at the school, noted that the version they will be presenting is a 2022 revised version of the classic musical with a script updated for contemporary sensibilities. He added that they began auditioning and rehearsing for the production in late October.
And as showtime closes in, the now 40-plus students involved in the cast and crew are ready to bring an exciting performance of “Anything Goes” to the community. About a dozen adults are involved with the production as well, including a large number of volunteers.
“They are a focused and disciplined group to work with,” said MacDonald, adding, “They know how to work, how to rehearse and practice, and they always show up prepared.”
He explained that every member of the cast is a leader and a worker: the deck crew, ensemble, leads, lights, sound, etc., and added, “That’s the secret sauce to great shows: everyone pulls their weight and does their job.”
“Like most musicals, the production becomes bigger than the sum of its parts,” he said.
From left, Moonface Martin (Alex Walker) and Billy (Liam Savacool) rehearse a dance number. Photo provided.
Ticket sales pay for the production costs, materials, sets, costumes, and all of the extras. This year, the pit orchestra is made up of musicians from Tioga faculty, music teachers from three other school districts, and community players.
MacDonald, as well as others, is pleased to see things coming together for the upcoming show, and stated, “As an educator, the most satisfying outcome of a production like this is watching our young people grow as actors, musicians, and human beings.”
He added, “At the risk of waxing philosophical, it’s inspiring to watch a group of young people commit themselves to a project that is bigger than any one person,” and concluded, “Speaking broadly, that is our goal as public educators and certainly the goal of our fine arts department.”
The grades nine through 12 students at Tioga Central High School involved in this production are also involved in many other clubs, athletics, honor societies, and more. The club also promotes a handful of 8th graders in the ensemble.
“They are all an involved group of young people,” MacDonald explained.
“Anything Goes” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. Visit www.concordtheatricals.com to learn more.
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