Written By Mark DeWolf-Ott
And so it goes, heaven knows
Anything Goes
And it certainly did as the 86th season of Pit and Balcony Community Theater of Saginaw opened on Friday, Oct. 6, with a revival of the so-named popular Cole Porter Broadway show.
Directed by Michael Wisniewski, the musical began with a few missed cues, technical glitches and opening night jitters. But it passed as Reno, played by Kaitlyn Riel, started the show with "I Get a Kick Out of You."
Her voice is strong, full, and certainly pleasing to the ear. She does not disappoint throughout with consistent quality. Not only can she sing but she can dance as well. She has a charismatic stage presence that keeps one involved.
Conner Wieland gave a good effort playing the male lead Billy Crocker. His facial expression, gestures and eagerness are apparent, but his singing voice a bit weak at points and maybe the audio crew could have boosted up his microphone a bit.
The cast of this show is huge and fills the stage on the big numbers. The real star is behind the scenes -- Natalie Schwartz, the choreographer. The end of the first act, "Anything Goes," is tremendous. It’s a really big deal and can compare to any Broadway production. "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and the finale are pretty fancy too. These numbers are strong enough to carry the whole show.
If you enjoy a trip down memory lane or wish to experience a classic Broadway show for the first time, this is for you. On a scale of one to five of my “How Do You Like Those Apples” rating, I’d give it 3 and a half apples.
