March 25, 2002

"Anything Goes" Cruises into the Lake Michigan College

BENTON TOWNSHIP - Lake Michigan College Theatre Director, Kevin Wurz; musical director, Daniel Hendrickson; choreographer, Emily Hosinski; and costumer, Penny Murphy have been working together to create a "Roaring '20s" production of Anything Goes. Performances are scheduled for April 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13 at 8 p.m. in the LMC Mendel Center's Hanson Theatre.

Anything Goes is an amusing story wrapped around one of Cole Porter's magical scores, which includes: It's De-Lovely; Friendship; I Get a Kick Out of You; All Through the Night; Blow, Gabriel, Blow; Anything Goes; You're the Top; Take Me Back to Manhattan and Let's Misbehave.

The excitement takes place aboard the Ocean Greyhound "American" heading to England. Aboard the ship is Billy (Tom Kanger, Jr. - Bridgman), a young man on his way up in the Wall Street world. Billy is there to deliver his boss, Whitney's (John Rogers Jr. - St. Joseph) passport. Also there is Reno Sweeney (Carol Orlaske - St. Joseph), a good friend of Billy and famed evangelist. With her are her three beautiful "Angels": Chastity (Abby Hosinski), Purity (Emily Hosinski), and Virtue (Renee Boomer - St. Joseph) - a chief interest to the ship's reporter (Matt Foster - Stevensville). "Moonface Martin," (Sylvester Pryor - Benton Harbor) a onetime ship's gambler and "Public Enemy 13," is hiding out on board.

Just as Billy starts for the gangplank to exit the boat, the mysterious woman of his life, Hope Harcort (Sasha Velez - Eau Claire) and her mother (Veronica Uvalle - Hartford) appear. "Are you sailing?" asks Hope. "You bet I am sailing," replies Billy.

En route to England, Billy wins Moonface's friendship by getting the FBI off his trail, and Moonface joins in Reno's efforts to help Billy win Hope away from the pleasant but lame-brained English Baronet, Sir Evelyn (Evan Wilson - Baroda), to whom she is engaged. Moonface is able to supply Billy with a cabin, one that a pal, number "one" on the "wanted" list, had been warned against occupying. All the while Reno is busy weaving a spell around Sir Evelyn. Other characters include the Bishop (Larry Fish-Stevensville), Ling (Tony Mims, Jr. - Coloma), Ching (Pichet Leelakhajornkij - Stevensville), Bonnie (Lisa Miller - St. Joseph), purser (David Peterman - Stevensville), photographer (Samantha Swafford - Benton Harbor), Chorus and Sailors: Jessica Hamlet (St. Joseph), Jennifer McConnell (St. Joseph), Nicole Case (Eau Claire) and Jeff Szalak(Hartford).

The backstage crew includes: The Stagecraft class, Tommy Cottrell (Benton Harbor), Matt Davidson (Buchanan), Jennifer Goldberg (Buchanan), Sarah Haynes (Niles), Kathryn Hills (Coloma), Dan Hinkle(Buchanan), Steve Nkurlu (Benton Harbor), Sara Pschigoda (Three Oaks), John Rogers, Jr., Kyra Utroske (Benton Harbor), and Chris Weber (St. Joseph).

Tickets are available for $8 adults, $6 students and senior citizens, and $5 each for groups of 20 or more through the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Box Office. Please call 269-927-1221 or stop by the Box Office Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. to purchase tickets.