The great Cole Porter musical Anything Goes just docked in Ft. Lauderdale. Set on a cruise ship in 1934, it contains more hit songs than nearly any other musical ever staged, and this production retains all the sparkle that made it an icon in musical theatre.

This version won three Tony Awards in 2011 including Best Musical Revival, and at the masthead of the ship here are actors Emma Stratton and Brian Krinsky. Stratton offers a precocious portrayal of the character Reno that contrasts nicely with Stratton’s Billy, whose quirky impersonation of a gangster is a delight. Backed up by an ensemble cast of tremendous talent, they navigate more tempestuous storms than a ship going through a hurricane without ruffling a feather of their period costumes.

Stratton and Krinsky star in Anything GoesStratton and Krinsky star in Anything GoesThe charisma of the cast, exemplified by their mannerisms and dancing, is perfectly in tune with the era of the 1930s. While the simple stage backdrop might have benefitted by at least one major scene change (bows are a beautiful thing on a boat, but we don’t get to see it), the use of mini-stages rolled on and off stage for specific scenes worked very well.

The plot is thin, but with songs like these it really doesn’t matter: You’re The Top, All Through the Night, It’s De-Lovely, I Get a Kick Out of You (a huge hit for Sinatra), You’d Be So Easy to Love (cut in the 1934 version but restored here), and of course the title tune Anything Goes.

Performances run through May 17, 2015. Contact the website for tickets: www.browardcenter.org

In the photo: Emma Stratton and Brian Krinsky

Photos by Jeremy Daniel