'Anything Goes' brings comedy, music to Bedell

The page, the stage and the big screen have all told the story of "Anything Goes," a musical comedy to be performed by Southeast Missouri State University theater and dance students starting Wednesday at the River Campus.

"Anything Goes," a popular musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and based on a book by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, puts the cast aboard a cruise liner in the 1930s, the S.S. American, headed to London from New York. Southeast students will perform the 1962 off-Broadway version. The characters -- including a young stockbroker who stows away on the ship, his love interest and her mother, a gangster in disguise and a nightclub singer -- get caught up in situations involving love and mistaken identities.

A cast of 22 students has been rehearsing for the show since early January.

Director Amy Fritsche is taking her first turn at directing a musical at the university since she joined the theater and dance faculty in August.

She previously directed "In the Boom-Boom Room" in December.

Although Fritsche was already familiar with "Anything Goes," she said she always goes back and researches shows to get an idea of where students need instruction.

For the musical, she has focused on helping the students get into character by educating them about the style actors employed in the 1930s.

"Most challenging from the director's standpoint has been to get the students to really understand the style of 1930s comedy versus comedy in 2011," Fritsche said.

She advised the students to watch movies like "Gold Diggers" and "Stage Door," and encouraged them to get familiar with the Marx Brothers and vaudeville, "so they could engross themselves into it and understand it," she said.

"The kids are fantastic and really receptive to direction. They are willing to play," Fritsche said. "They are very adventurous and smart, so it's been fun working with them."

Vocal coach Judith Farris said preparing students for "Anything Goes" was different from other productions because she has worked with each singer individually so far. She will bring all the vocals together as the opening nears.

"The voices have to sound good and be legit," she said. "Big Broadway singers, but they have to at times have that comedic sense."

Farris said she thinks the audience often forgets the performers in River Campus shows are college students because of the quality of the performances.

"Anything Goes" is a tough show for students to prepare for, she said, but a fun one where the audience will get a thrill.

Sami Gross, who will play Hope Harcourt in the show, is a Cape Girardeau native Farris has instructed privately since high school and as a university student.

"I think some of the audience members enjoy seeing the students for three or four years and seeing them really grow," Farris said.

Farris said people still remember Gross' junior high performance in "Annie."

"It's really great to see these kids progress and maybe even one of these days be on Broadway," Farris said.

Performances of "Anything Goes" begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Feb. 26 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Bedell Performance Hall.

Tickets cost between $16 and $19 depending on seating preference and are $3 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the River Campus box office or by calling 651-2265.