CARISSA MARSH
A&E Assistant
Graham Shea/Ph. Edit.
With autumn in the air, the weather is changing and leaves are beginning to fall. Thoughts of Thanksgiving turkey and holiday treats have already begun to trickle through most students’ minds.
But the season also promises another tradition — the Pepperdine Fine Arts Division’s annual fall musical, which opens tonight in Smothers Theatre.
The theater department is taking audiences back to the 1930s in Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” which guest director Nick DeGruccio describes as a classic American musical.
Set on a ship traveling from New York to London, the musical follows the story of Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer who decides to help her friend Billy Crocker win the affection of debutante Hope Harcourt.
DeGruccio, an adjunct professor of theater at Pepperdine, said the show is about “mistaken identities, finding the girl, losing the girl and finding her again.”
The story takes place on the USS American cruise ship.
“All the shenanigans happen aboard deck and in the cabins,” DeGruccio said. “It is a classic, incredibly wonderful musical comedy. It has probably one of the best musical scores ever written.”
The show features music and lyrics by legendary songwriter Cole Porter. The score includes Broadway classics such as “You’re the Top,” “I Get a Kick Out of You” and the title song, “Anything Goes.”
The original show premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on Nov. 21, 1934, and became the fourth longest-running musical of the 1930s.
Bill Szobody, the show’s choreographer, said the music is one of the best features of “Anything Goes.”
“I love the first time you hear the orchestra,” Szobody said. “It’s wonderful to hear the music after two months of just piano in rehearsal.”
Szobody described Porter as a musical genius.
“One of the stars of the show is his music and lyrics,” Szobody said.
The Pepperdine University Orchestra, under the direction of Tony Cason, will bring Porter’s upbeat music to life.
During performances, Cason directs both the orchestra and the cast from the pit.
Szobody likened Cason to “the captain of the ship, no pun intended.”
“Anything Goes” will be performed by a student cast of 30 performers.
The show was cast in September, and the performers have been rehearsing ever since.
For DeGruccio, this semester marks his first time working as an adjunct professor as well as his first time conducting a student cast. While he usually directs professional productions, he said he has enjoyed the experience of doing something different.
“It’s an interesting experience for me in that I am working with various levels of performers,” DeGruccio said. “It’s good from my side to see people growing, from A to Z, and seeing where they were at the beginning of rehearsal to now.”
When DeGruccio was first hired to direct the fall musical, the show that the theater department would produce was not yet decided.
For the most part, De-Gruccio stayed out of the decision-making process because he did not know the talent pool, he said. After working with the cast, though, he said he sees a lot of potential.
“I think there are some students who are going to walk out and come work in the musical theater community in L.A.,” DeGruccio said. “I definitely see talented people who will get jobs when they (graduate), and I hope to see them at my auditions.”
One big difference De-Gruccio said he experienced with his first student production is the length of time. He said the eight weeks of rehearsal time was more than he is used to in professional productions.
DeGruccio also said re-hearsals with the cast were an enjoyable experience, but the week of rehearsals before the show is the most challenging part of the production.
“Putting the tech together is really the hardest part of the show,” he said. “It’s where the show can fall apart.
Almost every show falls apart at the tech and regroups for the show.”
Szobody said he agrees that technical rehearsals are the hardest part of putting a show together. He said that, during tech rehearsals, the show’s choreography must take a step backward, because it is no longer the primary concern.
“There’s a time when the actors, dancers and singers are really tired, but they have to find that energy — and it usually comes from a love of theater,” Szobody said. “You really have to like what you’re doing, especially during tech rehearsals.”
DeGruccio said his favorite part of putting the show together was when the cast was able to move from the rehearsal hall to the ship set.
“It was amazing to watch,” he said.
He said he also enjoyed watching the growth of the actors.
“They were learning about their craft and becoming confident in their talent,” he said.
Still, he said the production team did face some challenges.
“The most challenging part for me was to keep everyone focused, and to make sure they were doing their stage homework,” DeGruccio said.
It is hard for students to focus sometimes because they have so much on their plate, he said. In professional theater, actors must leave all distractions at the stage door, he said.
Though the cast has had ample time to prepare, DeGruccio said that most casts never feel they are ready for opening night, and they always want more time.
“Ultimately, people are there to judge your work,” DeGruccio said of what makes actors nervous on opening night. “I especially want the show to go well for my actors. My wish is for them to have an incredible show and an incredible time.”
One aspect of “Anything Goes” that makes it a complex performance is the dancing.
Szobody, who has worked at Pepperdine for four years choreographing musicals and directing Dance in Flight, said he is passionate about dance. He has appeared on Broadway in shows including “Cabaret” and “Parade.”
Szobody said the dancing in musical theater should follow the plot of the play and reflect the style of the period.
He said he is most excited about the big tap number, “Anything Goes,” at the end of Act I, in which Reno Sweeney, played by senior Amber Mercomes, taps to the title song.
“That’s probably the dance we worked the hardest on, and it’s looking and sounding great,” Szobody said.
Another number Szobody and the students worked hard on is a dance between Billy Crocker and Hope Harcourt that is based off of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance.
Junior Tim Campbell, a music and theater major, plays Billy Crocker, a character he describes as a young, charming Wall Street businessman who is “just trying to make ends meet.”
Campbell said Crocker is a ladies’ man who “wants the one girl he can’t have.”
The complex dance numbers presented a challenge for Campbell.
“It’s a challenge to get the period style and the detail,” Campbell said. “You can get the steps down but to get the style, the flow, the feeling of the piece is difficult. It’s a lot of hard work.”
Still, Campbell said he has enjoyed the weeks of rehearsal.
“I’ve had an amazing time working with all the new freshman and bonding with the cast,” he said. “There is a real sense of community.”
Campbell said it was important to him that freshman understand the significance of what he calls “the show of the year.” He said the newcomers have caught the passion and excitement of the show.
Sophomore theater major Christi Thompson plays Crocker’s love interest Hope Harcourt, who she describes as an ingénue and romantic character.
“I’m so excited for everyone to see what we’ve been working on,” Thompson said. “I really think the audience will like it because it is a really cute, sweet romantic comedy. I’m excited to see people’s reaction.”
Both Campbell and Thompson said they enjoyed working with DeGruccio and Szobody, and that they view them not only as teachers but as friends.
“My favorite part is seeing everything come together and supporting each other,” Thompson said.
Szobody said he agrees.
“To put together a musical like this it is a collaborative effort,” he said. “It takes every person involved to make a successful show.”
“Anything Goes” runs tonight through Saturday and Nov. 17-19 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee showings are at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 19.
Tickets cost $20 for the public, $10 for students and $16 for Pepperdine faculty and staff. Tickets are available at the Center for the Arts Box Office. For more information call ext. 4522.
11-10-2005