All photos courtesy 4SonsPhotography
In 1935, at the Alvin Theatre, was the first ever debut of the notable musical Anything Goes, a show based on the collaborative works of Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. With music composed by Cole Porter and the performances by the committed passionate actors, this musical is known to be one of the most beloved and enduring musicals of all time!
Bound from New York to London aboard a transatlantic ocean liner, the S.S. American, this journey begins with a young Wall Street broker, Billy Crocker, who stows away to captivate his sweet lover Hope Harcourt… fiance to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. You see the problem? While sharpening tensions on board, Crocker runs into a long-time friend Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer and evangelist, who helps her dear friend in times of aspiration while concurrently pursuing her own needs to find a romantic partner. During a voyage, mistaken and hidden identities, love entanglements, and comedic antics ensue. While complicating matters aboard, gangster Moonface Martin and his pal, Erma, further chaos while attempting to evade authority. With challenging obstacles throughout the waves of love, the heart’s desires come out at the top and choose their own destiny at the end of the day.
This rapturous Broadway production originally starred William Daxton (Billy Crocker) , Ethel Merman (Reno Sweeney), and Victor Moore (Moonface Martin); and while I never got to see their performance, I can personally tell you that the actors at Brewster High School, while following in these Tony award winner’s footsteps, did beyond an amazing job in portraying their roles. Director Nikki Sanders Siriani directed the beautiful show and cast the best of the best. With returning junior Tessa Boissonnault, previously playing leading roles in James and the Giant Peach (2023) and Footloose (2022), she nailed her role as Reno Sweeney in this year’s Anything Goes. Her voice was indescribable. Just closing my eyes, it sounded as if I were listening to someone on Broadway. She truly hits those high notes effortlessly, and I honestly did not expect anything different, as I have previously seen her passionate performances. Sweeney’s companion in the musical, Billy Crocker, played by sophomore Jacob Caraballo, shares the stage with Boissonnault in their sweet voyage for love. Caraballo has put a new spin onto this show, as he was not only able to show off his acting and singing skills but also demonstrated his phenomenal dancing on stage. Caraballo, outside of school, dances and recently played a leading role in Nutcracker. In the finale of Act 1, Caraballo breaks out in a tap, accompanied by a featured tap ensemble from the Seven Star School of Performing Arts. His charming dance lit up the stage and brought out all the smiles among the crowd. Alongside Caraballo was gangster Moonface Martin, who returned to senior Ivelisse Arocho. When not on the softball field or being studious, Arocho can be found participating in the performing arts center at BHS. Her previous supporting and leading roles in James and the Giant Peach (2023), and Footloose (2022) did not prepare me for her final performance on stage. Her portrayal of Moonface Martin wa
s hilarious and elicited applause out of the audience. Arocho shares, “I’ve performed in so many productions here at BHS, and somehow, despite it having been such an involved, complicated, and technical show, this was by far, the most effortless experience I’ve had. Everyone was so focused, and it was a pleasure to work with everyone. I’m going to miss playing Moonface, even being the girly-girl I am, and it was definitely the best last show I could’ve ever asked for.” Her role was the cherry on top of what I believed was the best performance yet, especially coming back from the pandemic in 2021 at the BHS, and will forever remain.
With these amazing actors came the mighty crew and pit behind it all, staying up past ten o’clock at night for rehearsals, and making sure every “i” was dotted and every “t” was crossed. I don’t think enough credit goes to the crew and pit, especially to student leaders: Sarah Vaughan, Keira Golash, Brianna Graham, Megan Griffin, Katie Tarantino, Abby Clark, Mak Grebb, Theo Torres, Keilee Mojica and Catherine Panetta. Even to everyone behind the curtains, going from Mikaela Russano swiftly wrangling all of the actors to the build crew creating that fantastic depiction of a cruise ship, thank you for your contribution to this terrific show that will always be memorable for its musicality and culture.
It is a new year, and I am excited to see where this shows leave off. James and the Giant Peach was nominated for the Outstanding Performance of a Small Group Number, Outstanding Acting Performance by a Female-Identifying Performer, Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group at the Metropolitan High School Theater Awards. Tessa Boissonnault and Autumn Takacs actually won in their ensemble category for their roles as Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge, creating nothing but positive emotions for BHS’ Performing Arts Center. Will this year’s cast be nominated again this year? We can only hope! I wish everyone the best of luck, and I truly “got a kick out of you!”