I Get a Kick Out of Anything Goes

My home town is infamous for being the place that everybody hates, but never leaves. Our high school has been home to generations within families, and the town is so small that every community member knows everyone and everything.

That's right...no secrets.

Well, my family is no different. My grandparents live in the area, my parents live in the area, and I think it's safe to say that I will probably live in the area (though I am trying my hardest to break the curse and venture out to the actual world). And because my mom and I went to the same high school, we've shared some similar high school experiences, just 30 years apart. One of these shared experiences is on the high school stage. 

Today I'm going to part slightly from my usual analysis of a musical to tell you a little bit about my all-time favorite musical and why I love it so much...Cole Porter's Anything Goes.

So you are probably thinking one of two things:

1) What the heck is that show?

                   or

2) How is that boring show you're favorite?

For starters, the show takes place on a ship (a big one, at least), and features two romantic counterparts who aren't supposed to be together. Typical.

But aside from the cute love story, the show has, for me, both sentimental and literal meanings behind it. Exactly 30 years ago, my mom played the role of Hope Harcourt on our high school stage. Since watching her production- and the Broadway production as well- I have also wanted to play Hope if ever given the opportunity. 

The best I could get was singing one of Hope's duets, "It's Delovely," with a friend during a fall fundraiser show, but that was just as good. 

However, Anything Goes also has underlying deeper themes- the two most prominent being about what true love is and the reality of finding out who your enemies are.

Hope is engaged to Lord Oakleigh in the opening of the show, though she does not love him entirely. The two were arranged in marriage because of their wealth and economic status; while Oakleigh enjoys the relationship, Hope realizes that marrying for wealth will lead to an unhappy life. On the boat, she falls in love with Billy Crocker, a stow away who hopped on the boat just to get Hope to fall in love with him. Throughout the musical, Hope and Billy see each other secretly- Billy has to dress up in ridiculous costumes so nobody notices him and kicks him off the ship- and eventually Hope's marriage is broken up for Billy. 

The show, therefore, represents the idea that people should go after what they want, not what they think is necessarily right. Hope ends her marriage with a wealthy man because she knows she will not be happy; by marrying Billy, she is following what she knows she wants in her heart. 

Lastly, Anything Goes proves that sometimes our enemies are closer to us than they may appear. During the whole show, the minister on the ship is really Public Enemy Number Thirteen, or Moonface Martin. He is able to disguise himself as a minister and gain access to the ship, even though he is, in reality, a criminal. Towards the end of the show, Moonface reveals he is a criminal; the crew is taken by surprise, as they once confided in the man. 

This surprise demonstrates that sometimes our enemies are people we once trusted. While disheartening to think about, people can change unexpectedly. I believe this to be a valuable lesson taught discreetly by the musical. 

Overall, Anything Goes is funny, entertaining, romantic, and timeless; the songs are bouncy and fun, and the plot is engaging. I encourage everyone to see it at some point- if not for the entertainment, for the themes the show exhibits underneath a comical plot.