Lyceum Theatre Season Continues with ANYTHING GOES, 6/19-6/27

The Lyceum Theatre follows up its smash hit The Producers with the second musical of the season Anything Goes opening Saturday June 19th and running through Sunday June 27th.

The passengers sailing on the S. S. American from New York to England are an unusual lot. Among them are a gangster, an evangelist turned nightclub crooner, a society debutante, a wealthy business man and many more! The madcap antics of a love triangle at sea, a myriad of mistaken identities and a lively Cole Porter musical score including, "You're the Top," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," and "It's De-Lovely," make for a special performance of energy and entertainment. It's a wonder that all the romances are sorted out and disaster is averted aboard the magical ship where Anything Goes!

"Anything Goes has weathered countless revisions over the decades, including revivals and two film versions. No two iterations of the story are the same. We are proud to present 1988's effervescent revival which starred Patti LuPone at New York's Lincoln Center. This version contains even more Porter tunes for audience to enjoy," says Anything Goes director Peter Reynolds.

Making her Lyceum debut playing nightclub crooner, Reno Sweeney, will be Hollis Resnik. Ms. Resnik was most recently seen as Margaret in Light In The Piazza at Arena Stage and as Velma in Hairspray at the Marriot Theatre in Chicago. Her National tours include Les Miz, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. A few of Ms. Resnik's other roles include Blanche in A Street Car Names Desire, Big/Little Edie in Grey Gardens and Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. She has appeared in many theaters across the country and has sung at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, with the CSO and Lyric Opera as well.

Lyceum alumni Jeffrey C. Wolf and Christopher J. Schmidt, will be playing the parts of Billy Crocker and Elisha Whitney respectively. Most recently, Jeffrey was seen in his hysterical turn as Carmen Ghia in The Producers. Jeffrey was seen in the 2009 season at the Lyceum in Sleuth (Milo). In 2008, audiences will remember him as Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace and Prof. Bhaer in Little Women the Musical. His New York credits include Cloud 9, Reckless, Sundown, God & Mr. Smith. Christopher J. Schmidt has numerous Lyceum credits including most recently Franz Liebkind, the Nazi playwright in The Producers. His other Lyceum credits include Peter Pan (Capt. Hook), A New Look At The Odd Couple (Oscar) and 1776 (Richard Henry Lee). He has been working for the past 10 years in Orlando, Florida for The Walt Disney Company and can currently be seen as Six Bits in The Hoop Dee Doo Revue.

The lovely Hope Harcourt is played by Liz Ali. Most recently at Arrow Rock, Liz was seen in It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Mary Hatch), Annie (Lilly St. Regis), Hairspray (Brenda), and Hello, Dolly! as well as The Producers.

Playing Moonface Martin will be Lyceum favorite Richard Esvang. In both 1987 and 1994 Richard graced the Lyceum stage as public enemy #13 Moonface Martin in Anything Goes. Mr. Esvang is currently the Director of Theatre at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas. Over his 30+ year career, Richard has produced or directed over 50 plays, including four world premieres. He has also written and adapted six plays that have been produced at various theatres around the nation.

Lyceum favorite Brendan Byrnes will be playing Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Brendan has appeared in more than 25 shows at the Lyceum Theatre. A few of Brendan's favorite Lyceum roles include Emcee in Cabaret, Curly in Oklahoma!, Billy Flynn in Chicago, and most recently Billy Ray in On Golden Pond in 2008. Most recently, he played the iconic dean of students, Mr. Edward R. Rooney, in the last two New York workshops of Ferris Buehler's Day Off The Musical.

Completing the cast are Anne Marie Bills, Kelley Bradshaw, James Anthony, Lincoln Ward, Sam Han, Miller Tai, Katie O'Brien, Meg Maley, Stephanie Koenig, Jennifer Cordiner, Andrew Laudel, Cailan Robinson, Gabriel Beck and Thomas Gibbons.

Anything Goes is directed by Peter Reynolds who is currently Artistic Director of Philadelphia's Mauckingbird Theatre Co. and Director of Musical Theatre at Temple University. The production team is made up of Len Pfluger, choreographer; James Woodland, resident musical director; Caitlin Ayer, scenic designer; Jonathan A. Reed, lighting designer; Garth Dunbar, costume designer; Ryan Matthew Hall, sound designer.

The production stage manager is Tony Dearing. Assistant stage manager is Emilee Buchheit.

 

 

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