playbill vip

Notes from the Director . . . 

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Sun Prairie High School’s Production of Anything Goes! 

Anything Goes is set aboard the ocean liner S.S. American in the 1930s, where nightclub singer/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.

When choosing this year's musical, I wanted our students to experience one of 

Broadway’s classics.  Anything Goes is a shining example of classic musical theater, complete with amazing tap numbers, campy jokes, unlikely happy endings and eminently hummable songs like “De-Lovely,” “I Get a Kick Out Of You” and “Anything Goes,” courtesy of the unforgettable score by Cole Porter.

I have been thoroughly impressed with the students throughout this production process.  With a cast of 44 students, another 26 in the pit orchestra and over 20 techies working on this show, the overall level of dedication and enthusiasm was tremendous!  From learning to tap dance, most for the very first time, to helping build and paint this enormous set, these young adults have poured their hearts and talents into bringing this musical to life.

With any theatrical production, so much time and effort are put forth behind the scenes… a very special thank you goes to my production staff and volunteers, including: Amy Frank, Candie Douglas, Steve Sveum, Kim Porzky, Russell Wolff, Brian Goff,

Jessica Rolfe, Lindey Peterson, Ben Wild, Phil Bourdon, Kristi Ninedorf, and Tom Traband. The work they put into this show and the results are way beyond any expectation I could have had when deciding to produce this musical – the set is HUGE; the dancing is INTENSE; the music is CLASSIC; the rhythms are TRICKY; the costumes are MANY!  To put it simply – this is a BIG show and I am so thankful that what we have created together with these students does justice to Cole Porter's masterpiece.

In addition to the production staff for this show, I want to thank the families of our cast and crew who helped to make this production a reality. Thank you for volunteering your time and talents with us, and most importantly for lending us your children for the past two months! 

Cole Porter is truly one of my favorite composers on Broadway…. So, now please take the time to sit back, relax and let the music and laughter from Anything Goes bring you back to the 1930s on board the S. S. American!  Bon Voyage!

Enjoy the show!

Marsha Heuer

Director & Co-Choreographer