A show that sparkles: Albuquerque Little Theatre presents glitzy Cole Porter musical ‘Anything Goes’

With its madcap antics, frenetic tap dancing, a glitzy art deco set and classic Cole Porter tunes, the feel-good Broadway musical “Anything Goes” continues to delight audiences more than 90 years after it first premiered.

“It’s just good old classic escapism, and we have a lot of fun with the show,” director Celena Cox said.

Albuquerque Little Theatre’s production opens on Friday, March 6, and runs through March 22.

The script, co-written by Guy Bolton and “Jeeves and Wooster” humorist P.G. Wodehouse, features romantic mishaps, mistaken identities and a second-rate gangster called “Moonface” Martin — all aboard a luxury ocean liner bound from New York City to London.

“I think one of the reasons that we love returning to ‘Anything Goes’ is because of how good it makes us feel. … You know in the first five minutes that everybody’s gonna get what they want at the end of the show,” Cox said. “There are no villains in the show. There’s no bad guy. Everybody gets the girl. Everybody ends up married at the end — nobody’s sad.”

Songs introduced in “Anything Goes” that later became pop standards include “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top” and the titular “Anything Goes,” with its famous couplet: “In olden days, a glimpse of stocking/Was looked on as something shocking./But now, God knows,/Anything goes.”

“Cole Porter … was a real wordsmith and really loved playing with fun phrases and the rhythm and pitches of the English language,” Cox said, “and it’s a bit satirical … (because) anything didn’t go in 1934. … But I think this is always happening, that the older generation is saying that the new generation coming up and moving into their prime is so much freer than their generation was. … So, he’s poking fun at that idea.”

“Anything Goes” has been revised several times over the years — mostly to remove racist content, Cox said, but also to incorporate additional Cole Porter hits, such as “It’s De-Lovely.” ALT is performing the most recent version from 2022.

“It’s still very much a 1930s musical … very classic Broadway, and there’s a lot of 1930s slang in it,” Cox said.

The sets, costumes and lighting enhance the 1930s glamor.

“Our set designer, Jason Roman, is building this beautiful, art deco set for me, and it’s going to be really stunning. Then, our costume designer, Emma Rose Harrison, has really dived into the period for this. … It’s very glamorous and soft and beautiful, but it’s also on a boat, so it’s very nautical,” Cox said, “and our lighting designer, Emma Ziegler — my directive to her was, ‘I want the whole show to sparkle.’ And she has delivered.”

Cox said the entire 23-member cast is fabulous, including Tasha Booth, who plays wisecracking nightclub singer Reno Sweeney.

“Tasha Booth is just knocking it out of the park,” Cox said. “She lights up the stage, and her voice is so dynamic and beautiful.”

Cox also praises the dancers.

“Our ensemble have done an enormous amount of work,” she said. “This is a very dance-heavy show, and they have stepped up in a huge way. I’ve been so impressed with everybody’s work ethic and everybody’s commitment to make this the best show they can.”

This is Cox’s first time directing “Anything Goes.”

“It’s probably the most traditional, ‘Broadway feel’ show that I’ve ever directed,” Cox said. “‘Beautiful’ (the Carol King jukebox musical Cox directed last year) was also big and flashy, but it was about the ’60s and ’70s, so there was a little less sparkle. And before I moved to Albuquerque, a lot of what I directed was kind of experimental and in black boxes and found spaces.”

So, what motivated Cox to revisit a Broadway classic in 2026? She said she wanted to spread joy and happiness at a time when many people are feeling distressed.

“I think the world is a little dark right now,” Cox said, “and if you have the ability to step out of it for a minute, and come and enjoy two hours of pure fun, that’s a gift.”

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at @loganroycebeitmen.