Anything Goes: Beaumont Theatre Version

Anything Goes: Beaumont Theatre Version: Cole Porter's musical, with an original book by RG Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse was updated by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman in 1987 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. When young assistant Billy Crocker becomes a stowaway on a 1940's transatlantic ship, he convinces his friend, Evangelist turned nightclub singer Reno Sweeney, to help him win the love of debutant Hope Harcourt, engaged to Sir Evelyn Oakleigh. With the help of Reno's showgirl Angels and fellow stowaway Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin, Billy plans a series of ruses and disguises meant to break the couple apart and give him time alone with Hope. Meanwhile, he must avoid his boss, wall street banker Elisha Whitney, who thinks that Billy is in New York working, not to mention the authorities, who have mistaken him for Public Enemy #1, Snake Eyes Johnson.

Rental Costumes for

            What do you get when you request a FREE costume plot from The Costumer?  We will send you the listing and costume description for the entire show, organized by act and scene for your convenience. The Costumer is proud to provide quality Adult and Children’s rental costumes for productions of Anything Goes! Group costume rentals for Anything Goes cover the entire cast including leads such as Reno Sweeney, Billy Crocker, Hope Harcourt, and Moonface Martin, as well as ensemble members including Reno’s Angels, ship crewmembers, passengers, reporters, and much more!

            Anything Goes is a bonified Broadway classic that follows the zany antics and romantic complications between passengers aboard the ocean liner the SS American. The musical’s original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodenhouse, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. For the 1987 Beaumont revival version of the show, John Weidman and Timothy Crouse updated the book and reordered the show’s musical numbers. The pair added to the score songs from by Cole Porter from some of the composer’s other shows, which was a practice the composer often did himself. The revival opened at Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center on October 19, 1987 and ran for 784 performances. The revival was nominated for a slew Tony Awards, and won the award for Best Revival of a Musical.

            The 1987 revival’s story begins in New York City bar in the year 1934. Wealthy Wall Street banker, Elisha Whitney, impatiently waits for his assistant, Billy Crocker, to meet him at a bar. Billy has been tasked with dropping off some of Whitney’s belongings that he requires for his vacation. Additionally, Whitney needs to pass on instructions to his young assistant on selling stock from his personal account. Unfortunately for Whitney, Billy arrives and realizes that he forgot to bring his boss’ passport, thus he will have to deliver it to him the following morning while the cruise ship is still docked. As a frustrated Whitney exits, sexy Evangelist turned nightclub singer, Reno Sweeney, arrives. Reno happens to be old friends with Billy and will be traveling on the same cruise as Whitney. Reno expresses that she has feelings for Billy (“I Get a Kick Out of You”), and even insists that he join her on the trip (“There’s No Cure Like Travel”). Unfortunately for Reno, Billy explains that he is in love with a girl named Hope.

            As the characters of this musical romp are introduced, The Costumer will ensure that your audience is fully immersed in Anything Goes’ world of boisterous fun with our fabulous rental costumes! Rental costumes for Anything Goes accurately represent the musical’s early 1930’s setting through popular fashions of the era and period-specific apparel. Billy Crocker will embody that of a young and ambitious Wall Street stockbroker in a dapper blazer, dress shirt, and matching trousers. His boss will resemble that of a conservative Wall Street executive in a sharp three-piece business suit, complete with a matching hat and professional four-in-hand tie. The flashy nightclub singer, Reno Sweeney, will be clothed in an ostentatious day dress with coordinating gloves, hat, and handbag, thus making her look match her onstage performing persona.

            When Billy boards the ship the following morning to deliver Mr. Whitney’s passport, he is stunned to discover that his long-lost love, Hope Harcourt is also aboard. The beautiful American debutante is flocked by photographers as she boards the ship with her fiancé, the wealthy English Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, and her widowed mother, Evangeline Harcourt. Minister Henry T. Dobson and his two Chinese converts also board the ship along with Reno and her showgirl Angels. Upon seeing Hope, Billy attempts to find Hope before the ship leaves the dock, however he is stopped by two forceful F.B.I. agents. The agents demand Billy point them towards the Minister, leading Billy to inadvertently identify Minister Dobson as “Moonface” Martin, second-rate gangster and bearer of the title “Public Enemy #13.” The agents throw Dobson in the brig while his converts are left to wander the ship. The real Moon, disguised as a minister, and his accomplice, Erma, thank Billy for his unintentional help by giving him their friend’s ticket and room. Unbeknownst to Billy, the ticket he was given belonged to “Snake Eyes” Johnson, notorious gangster and “Public Enemy #1,” who never made it aboard the ship. Billy is now mistaken for the infamous criminal and must disguise himself for the rest of the cruise to stay out of jail and out of Whitney’s sight, for Whitney ordered Billy off the ship and back to work. No matter how much trouble Billy risks getting into, he believes it’s all worthwhile for the chance to win Hope’s heart.

            As the action shifts to the S.S. American, The Costumer will continue to provide each and every one of your actors with quality costumes that will bring their characters to life! Sir Evelyn and Hope will ooze wealth and style through their attire. Hope will be draped in an attractive and stylish period dress with matching gloves, hat, and traveling bag. Sir Evelyn will look equally as handsome in a sophisticated two-piece wool suit, complete with a sharp dress shirt and matching bowtie. Moon and his moll, Erma, will make quite the splash in their respective costumes. Moon will be perfectly disguised as a minister in an all-black ensemble accented with a white clerical collar. Erma by comparison will resemble the classic gangster’s companion in a flashy, tight dress.

            This is only a mere glimpse at what The Costumer has to offer for Anything Goes (Beaumont Version)! With the help of our rental costumes, let your artistic vision come to life onstage and transport your audience to outlandish world of the SS American! Request your free plot today!

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