Legendary performer Ray Woolf comes onboard to star in the Cole Porter classic Anything Goes - a madcap musical opening at The Civic, Auckland, September 29.
The production -- a gloriously screwball one that escapes into the madcap world of luxury cruising, where gangster meets priest, revivalist turns nightclub singer, and chaos ensues onboard a cruise ship sailing the high seas -- will sail into Auckland in time for the Rugby World Cup 2011.
Woolf, who has had just about every honour known to man bestowed on him in his 50-year career, will play the coveted role of Wall Street executive Elisha Whitney.
His signing is a major coup for the producers who has already enlisted the talents of former NZ Idol judge Jackie Clarke, as well as hot theatre artist Tyran Parke and TV veteran Nigel Godfrey.
Telling the age-old tale of boy-meets-girl and the complications that ensue, Anything Goes will delight and intrigue every audience. Set in the early 1930s onboard a cruise liner, the S.S. American, bound from New York to London, it carries an unusual group of passengers. Included amongst them are a gangster, Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin(played by Nigel Godfrey), a wealthy debutante and her mother, Hope and Evangeline Harcourt (played by Delwynne Winter and Lynn Webster), a nightclub singer - Reno Sweeny (played by Jackie Clarke), and a wealthy Wall Street executive and his stowaway assistant Elisha Whitney (Ray Woolf) and Billy Crocker (played by Tyran Parke).
When Billy falls in love with heiress Hope, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (played by Richard Neame), he stows away, setting off a chain reaction of comedic consequences that has passengers and crew singing and dancing their way across the Atlantic. This crazy comedy is replete with disguises and mistaken identities and, eventually, four happy couples - a perfect mix for any classic Broadway musical.
Showcasing an all New Zealand cast and full orchestra, Anything Goes will treat audiences to a journey of toe-tapping fun and frivolity, featuring sublime characters and stunning, all original, sets and costumes. This all new production of the American classic will wow, young and old alike.
Tickets to this classic madcap musical, to be staged at Auckland’s beautiful Civic Theatre from September 29, are now on sale. This is a strictly limited season brought to the Civic stage by Auckland Music Theatre in conjunction with Amici Productions -- the team behind the critically acclaimed seasons of 42nd Street, Cats and Rent.