Musical romantic comedy hits the high school stage
Based on the original book by P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard
Lindsay, and Russel Crouse, San Benito High School’s drama
department is kicking off the first play of the New Year with,
”
Anything Goes.
”
The play revolves around the ups and downs of those abroad a
cruise ship bound to London. It is a musical romantic comedy that
deals love triangles and how they drive the cruise passengers to
madcap antics, which ultimately lead them to all intermingle with
one another.
Musical romantic comedy hits the high school stage
Based on the original book by P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay, and Russel Crouse, San Benito High School’s drama department is kicking off the first play of the New Year with, “Anything Goes.” The play revolves around the ups and downs of those abroad a cruise ship bound to London. It is a musical romantic comedy that deals love triangles and how they drive the cruise passengers to madcap antics, which ultimately lead them to all intermingle with one another.
Elisha Whitney is a successful Ivy League Wall Street banker whose assistant forgot to bring him his passport when they met at a New York City bar. This forces Billy Crocker, Whitney’s assistant, to deliver Whitney’s passport on the cruise ship the following morning.
Coincidence has it that Billy’s old friend Reno Sweeny, an Evangelist turned nightclub singer, plans to travel on the same boat. Reno is interested in Billy romantically, but Billy explains that he does not love her that way and is in love with a girl named Hope.
Hope Harcourt, an American debutante, is travelling on the same ship with her fiance the very wealthy Englishman Evelyn Oakleigh, and her mother Evangeline Harcourt. By coincidence, Whitney and Evangeline are old friends. Billy realizes that Hope is to be engaged and desperately tries to find Hope before the ship docks. While Billy frantically tries to find Hope, F.B.I agents force Billy to tell them where the minister is. Billy mistakenly identifies Minister Dobson as Moonface Martin, a gangster and Public Enemy No. 13.
The real Moonface is grateful for Billy’s mistake and thanks him by giving him his friend’s unused ticket and room. However, Moonface’s friend who could not make it was Snake Eyes Johnson, Public Enemy No. 1, and wanted by the F.B.I. as well. Now Billy is mistaken for Snake Eyes and must stay in disguise in order to stay out of jail. Also adding to Billy’s troubles is his boss Whitney, who specifically ordered him off the ship and back to work, but this all seems worthwhile if it means he has a chance and winning the heart of Hope.
The play will be running March 26 to 28 in the SBHS Auditorium. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the student payment center as well as at the door. Tickets prices are as followed: $5 with ASB card, $6 with I.D., and $7 general admission.
“The kids have been working really hard these past months,” says Drama Teacher Kristen Porter. “They’ve been really dedicated and it should be a great show.”
