Poway High on board for ‘Anything Goes’

Poway High School is taking to the high seas for its winter musical production of “Anything Goes,” opening Friday.

Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5; Saturday, Feb. 6; Thursday, Feb. 11; Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road.

Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and are available by calling 858-748-0505, at the PCPA box office, or online at www.powaycenter.com.

Set in the 1930s, “Anything Goes” takes place aboard the ocean liner S.S. American, where nightclub singer and evangelist Reno Sweeney (played by senior Sarah Bedford) is en route from New York to England.

Her friend Billy Crocker (played by junior Kyle Kesler) has stowed away onboard the ship, in order to be close to the woman he loves, Hope Harcourt (played by junior Natalie Marriott).

Unfortunately, Harcourt is engaged to the wealthy Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (played by junior Trevor Haumschilt). Billy is aided in his quest for true love by two other stowaways, Moonface Martin (played by junior Leif Proctor) and Martin’s partner-in-crime Erma (played by sophomore Jadyn Ponder).

The show also features junior Marisa Cooper as Mrs. Harcourt and junior Jake Hardison as Elisha Whitney.

“(‘Anything Goes’) is a really fun show,” said Sharon Wezelman, Poway High School’s drama teacher and the show’s director. “It’s upbeat. It’s a crowd pleaser, and it’s really clean so it’s good for the high school level and the community.”

The show originally debuted in 1934 with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and has been revived and revised several times in the decades since. PHS’s version is based on the 1987 revival, said Wezelman.

The cast features 44 students, with an additional 12 stage crew.

The musical comedy features not only many classic Cole Porter songs, but elaborate dance numbers that required some practice for the actors.

“I was really scared (the show) would be too big for us,” said Haumschilt. “I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But it’s been really cool seeing it all pull together.”

Several of the cast were familiar with the show from seeing numbers online or other productions of it, while it was entirely new to others.

“I hadn’t seen it, but I thought it looked fun because it was on a boat,” said Marriott.

The show’s musical director is Jessica Schemmel, PHS’s choir teacher. “Anything Goes” marks the first collaboration between the school’s theater and choir departments in 15 years.

Music will be performed live by the Poway High School Orchestra.

The show is also noteworthy for the large set, which includes several levels. It was designed and built for the production by Garrett Moreau. “The set is so cool,” said Marriott. “Standing up (top) is awesome.”

Bedford agreed, saying that performing on top of the set was “epic.”

Several cast members said that the dancing was their favorite part of the show, while others sited the comedy or the relationships between the characters.

“Watching it all come together has been my favorite part,” said Ponder.