Enjoy a 1920s maritime adventure filled with public enemies, debutantes, and tap-dancing sailors at the Marriott-Lincolnshire with the hilarious musical “Anything Goes.”

Wall Street stock-broker Billy Crocker comes to the launch of the USS America to see off his boss Eli(jah) Whitney and runs into his girlfriend, nightclub singer Reno Sweeney. During their conversation he declares his love for another woman, Hope Harcourt, who just so happens to be traveling on the boat as well. However, Hope is engaged.

Instead of lamenting his loss, Billy ends up with a fake passport and stows away on the ship. Now he’s stuck on the ship under a fake name consorting with criminals and trying to win the heart of Hope before she is married aboard ship and lost to him forever.

This tale of love on the high seas is hilarious beyond belief. It becomes evident just how amazing the actors are when a scene containing three people standing still and silent is bringing the house down because of the context. The one liners are quick, but not blink-and-you’ll-miss-it. There is barely a moment a viewer won’t spend laughing even in the songs. Kudos to the actors for not laughing themselves while singing such ridiculous songs. There is a little slapstick but the humor is generally a dry turn of phrase. If that appeals, you must see this show now.

The costuming is also amazing. Every outfit is gorgeous and fits the character perfectly. The women’s dresses in particular share a flattering quality of flaring below the knees which creates quite the effect during the spins and turns the dancing takes. As the actual timeline is not very long, the minor characters rarely change outfits, but no matter what situation they are in, the costuming department has made sure it suits the character’s specific personality.

Did I mention minor characters yet? There really aren’t all that many of them. There is no general ensemble so every character can be described with at least one adjective.

The songs range from peppy to romantic and every one makes sense in its context and is sung perfectly. “You’re the Top” actually took the third place spot on my list of the best songs from musicals ever, being topped only by “Wicked” songs. The words are all clearly enunciated for listener’s clarity and are beautiful. The voices of the main leads especially are suited to their songs and absolutely amaze. Most, if not all, songs are accompanied by dance, specifically tap. The degree of tap skill that cannot possibly be exaggerated.
I cannot recommend this show more. It is only available up to May 31 so order your tickets to the Marriott-Lincolnshire now!