"Anything Goes": Original vs. Revival vs. Revival Quiz

Answer: Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman is recognized as one of the most talented actresses of the early 1900's. Merman got her big break with a very successful run of the Gershwin brothers' musical "Girl Crazy". She is most noted for her rendition of "I Got Rhythm." She starred in the original "Anything Goes" as the leading lady, Reno Sweeney, and also went on to star in the movie production as well.

Answer: Billy

At the beginning of the show, Reno is in love with Billy, who has just been fired from his job as a stock broker's office manager. Reno begs him to join her on the voyage to England, but he sadly declines. Sadly, Reno states it makes a difference that he won't be there.

Answer: Bonnie

Bonnie is a gangster moll, and although she might not seem too formidable, she always seems to have a way of getting Moon and Billy out of whatever situation they're stuck in.

Answer: Sir Evelyn Oakleigh

Sir Evelyn does not grace us with some jolly old singing in this version, but in the two other "Anything Goes" rewrites, he is a singing role. A song cut from the original show "Waltz Down the Aisle" was at first believed to be a duet for Hope and Evelyn (you can listen to it on the original soundtrack), but it was later discovered that it was meant as sort of a mock love duet between Hope and Billy.

Answer: Lord Oakleigh (Not Evelyn)

I hope you remembered to keep titles in mind! In the final scene of the original version, which takes place in Sir Evelyn's home in England, Evelyn's father, Lord Oakleigh is extremely excited about the marriage of his son to Hope Harcourt, as it promises to send his company's stock sky high. Whitney and Mrs. Harcourt both appear in all three versions and Bonnie appears in one (but not the original one).

Answer: You're the Top

The order of musical numbers also shifts about from version to version. In the off Broadway revival, "You're the Top" is the first musical number in the show (not counting the overture), much different than its former position. Next comes "Bon Voyage", then "I Get a Kick Out of You", and then finally "All Through the Night".

Answer: The main characters individually contribute to the song

Unlike the other two versions, this version of "Bon Voyage" is far more geared towards the main characters, who indulge in brief solo lines throughout (although the lyrics remain basically the same through all three versions). Moonface begins the song by mispronouncing the term "bon voyage"; Billy proclaims that he just can't say goodbye to Hope, Hope looks forward to watching the sea, Evelyn hopes there will be tea involved, and Mrs. Harcourt corrects everyone's French throughout.

Answer: Friendship

"Friendship" is performed in both the off Broadway version and in the Broadway revival version. All of the other answers are found exclusively in the off Broadway revival.

Answer: Reno and Sir Evelyn

"Let's Misbehave" is a duet that occurs between Reno and Sir Evelyn only in the off Broadway revival version. The song's title stems from the fact that Evelyn is engaged to marry Hope, even though he has clearly fallen in love with Reno, who is not complaining about the Englishman's decision.

Answer: Four

The off Broadway revival has written in four of Reno's backup singers, referred to as "the Angels": Purity, Chastity, Charity, and Virtue. These girls are often the dancers in the larger ensemble numbers such "Anything Goes" and "Heaven Hop".

Answer: Hope

The song "Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye" is a sad little song sung by Hope, who has finally admitted to herself that she is in love with Billy. Unfortunately for her, she's much too late, and Billy has been dragged off to the brig.

Answer: He bears the title of Lord

Evelyn has risen up the ranks in the Broadway revival! Instead of the knightly title of "Sir", Evelyn is now Lord Oakleigh. In none of the versions is Evelyn engaged to Hope's sister...in fact, such a character does not exist in any version. Evelyn sings in both this version and the off Broadway revival, and he also admits to a "romp in the rice" with the Chinese woman, Plum Blossom, in the off Broadway revival.

Answer: Yes

In the original and the Broadway revival, Moon's accomplice is a woman named Erma. In the off-Broadway revival, her name has been changed to Erma. Erma fills pretty much the same role as Bonnie, although she does get her own musical number in that version.

Answer: Reno

Unlike the first two versions, Reno has the first say in the "You're the Top" of the Broadway revival. The circumstances that shape it in this version are these: Billy feels that a debutante like Hope Harcourt is way out of his league, and Reno decides to give him a pep talk.

Answer: Easy to Love

"Easy to Love", a song unique to the Broadway revival, features Billy trying to court Hope. Hope resists though, insisting that she is engaged and must make good on her commitment to Lord Evelyn.

Answer: Two

In the original and Broadway revival versions, four sailors sing about the tough, tough life of a sailor and about their loving ladies. The song goes under the alternate titles of "There'll Always Be a Lady Fair" (original) and "Sailors' Chantey" (Broadway revival).

Answer: False

Mrs. Harcourt holds the first name Evangeline in the Broadway revival, but in the off Broadway and original versions, her name is Mrs. Wadsworth T. Harcourt.

Answer: Hope (Original); Evelyn (Broadway Revival)

"The Gypsy in Me" is sung in two versions: the original and the Broadway revival. In the original, it is sung by Hope, who uses it to proclaim that she'd follow Billy Crocker even if they "had to wander the face of the Earth like gypsies." In the Broadway revival, Evelyn sings it to Reno, only it is under much less happy circumstances.

When Reno asks how his "romp in the rice" fits in with his family's code of honor, he tells about how his great great grandmother mixed the Oakleigh blood with gypsies.

Answer: Three

In the off Broadway revival, three characters (Reno, Billy, and Moon) sing "Friendship". "Friendship" also is sung in the Broadway revival, but only as a duet between Reno and Moon.

Answer: "Buddie, Beware" does not appear in the off Broadway revival

"Buddie, Beware" appears in the original and Broadway revival versions, meaning no character is needed to sing a nonexistent song. In the original, it is sung by Reno. In the Broadway revival, it is sung by Erma. The song warns amorous sailors about what married life might be like with either of these two sirens.

Answer: True

Whitney is a singing role in neither the original nor the off Broadway revival. He does, however, have a brief song in the Broadway revival entitled "I Want to Row on the Crew", in which he prepares to romance Hope's mother of all people!

Answer: Bonnie

In the off Broadway revival, there is a very large dance number called "Heaven Hop", which is lead by none other than Bonnie! She starts off on her own, explaining to some sailors that she knows some shortcuts into Heaven. Later, she is joined by Reno's Angels.

Answer: The original and off Broadway revival

Ching and Ling are two Chinese converts of Bishop Dodson (or Dobson, depending on the version) who get into a lot of trouble in third class for gambling. Moon and Billy are able to trick them into a game of strip poker, stealing their clothes and using them as a disguise in order to escape the brig and stop the marriage of Hope and Sir Evelyn.

Answer: Billy and Evelyn

In the original and Broadway revival versions, Reno sings "I Get a Kick Out of You" to Billy in order to try to convince him to sail with her. Reno sings it in the off Broadway revival to describe her strange new affection for Sir Evelyn, proclaiming that she's "got an Englishman on her mind."

Answer: Be Like the Bluebird

Moonface Martin sings "Be Like the Bluebird" as a method of cheering the jailed Billy up in all three versions of "Anything Goes."