ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE Michael Giltz Freelance writer and raconteur GET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ Read more Charles Busch , Joel Grey , Sutton Foster , Broadway , Cole Porter , Comedy , Musicals , Off Broadway , Entertainment News 17 20 2 0React Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyTheater: Seaworthy "Anything Goes;" Heavenly "Divine Sister" ANYTHING GOES ** 1/2 out of **** STEPHEN SONDHEIM THEATRE It's hard to go wrong with a sturdy musical theater vessel like the Cole Porter classic Anything Goes.</p><p> But the Roundabout comes close with the mildly pleasant revival currently on Broadway, an indifferent affair saved almost entirely by those buoyant songs.</p><p> Undemandingsubscribers certainly won't feel cheated but this is not ashow anyone involved was driven to mount.</p><p> The story is as fluffy as they come.</p><p> Reno Sweeney (Tony winner Sutton Foster) is a good-time gal and nightclubsinger who has fallen hard for her pal Billy Crocker (Colin Donnell).</p><p> He's a young eager beaver on Wall Street who has half the women in New York ready toinvest in his portfolio.</p><p> But Billy has unexpectedly fallen in love with the beautiful, out-of-his-league debutante Hope Harcourt ( Grease reality show winner Laura Osnes).</p><p> She of course loves him back but must marry the drippy but harmless Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (the very good Adam Godley) so that mother (Jessica Walter) can stay ensconced in wealth.</p><p> Meanwhile, Public Enemy No. 13 or so Moonface Martin(Tony winner Joel Grey) is evading the police and they all end up on a luxury liner headed to Londonduring which madcap hilarity ensues.</p><p> MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 9/11 Responders Warned They Will Be Screened For Terrorism Ties (EXCLUSIVE) Jerry Seinfeld, Donald Trump Rip Each Other In Heated Political War Of Words PlayStation Network Could Be Down For Days FOLLOW USBIG NEWS: Celebrities | Britney Spears | LeAnn Rimes | Lindsay Lohan | Smarter Ideas | More...</p><p> PHOTOS: The Funniest People Not On TwitterMiranda Kerr & Orlando Bloom Step Out To 'The The Funniest Someecards For Easter 2011Weekly Roundup of eBay Vintage Clothing Finds News Web Like 276K April 24, 2011 | Log In | Sign Up Get Alerts Like 1 Posted: 04/ 7/11 11:24 PM ET SHARE THIS STORY Submit this story Get Entertainment Alerts Sign UpPHOTO GALLERIES Like 20K Like 4K FRONT PAGEPOLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA TECH COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD FOOD LIVING IMPACT EDU LOCALIt's all a very thin excuse for a string of great numbers like "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "You're The Top," "Easy To Love," "Friendship," "It's De-Lovely," "All Through the Night" and the two show-stoppers"Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and of course "Anything Goes." So you've got your usual luxury liner set with stairson both sides and three levels for the hoofers, some silly romance that's sure to come out alright and apassel of great tunes.</p><p> What could go wrong? Plenty, actually, Foster glides through the role of Reno with the charm and talent we expect.</p><p> But Reno is a role you steamroll your way through and that never happens here.</p><p> One problem is she's paired with partners thatforce Foster to dial it down.</p><p> Donnell is a handsome fella -- it's easy to see him making New York swoon --but he's never more than amiable and certainly doesn't wow with his vocals.</p><p> In London, the charismatic John Barrowman literally stole the show from Reno and made you think this musical was really about Billy; no such luck here.</p><p> Osnes is even more anonymous as the ingenue (admittedly not a role that offersmuch of an opportunity beyond looking pretty and "All Through The Night").</p><p> Jessica Stone is quiteamusing as Erma, but her big chance to shine -- "Buddie, Beware" -- also falls flat.</p><p> Andrew Cao (so goodin the delightful musical Frog Prince ) is wasted in a minor role but has so much charisma you can easily imagine him as an ideal Billy.</p><p> Even pros like Grey, Walter (currently doing Emmy-worthy work in Archer , the best sitcom on TV) and John McMartin (as Eli Whitney) can't do more than get by.</p><p> They're all let down by unimaginative sets, costumes, direction and choreography.</p><p> The set by Derek McLane is functional and little more, especiallyfalling short in the nightclub scene.</p><p> The costumes by Martin Pakledinaz are also just good enough...andalso not sexy or flashy enough for that same scene featuring "Blow, Gabriel, Blow." The solid lighting byPeter Kaczorowski is a saving grace on the tech side.</p><p> Time and again the usually dependable director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall (who most recently thrilled with her revival of The Pajama Game ) doesn't deliver.</p><p> When Reno sings "I Get A Kick Out Of You," Billy basically just sits there.</p><p> When Grey delivers his inspirational comic moment "Be Like The BlueBird," all she can think to do with the prison set and Billy is to plunge it into darkness and again havehim sit there. "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and the finale look more like traffic jams at times as she moves thelarge cast around the stage.</p><p> Erma is a go-getter who chases every sailor in sight and has them dancing to her tune -- so why is she handed around like a parcel during her one chance to shine on "Buddie?" One could go on but it's more about missed opportunities than a disastrous night out.</p><p> The gawky Godley is amusing as the silly Brit, a happy reminder of why this show gets revived every few years.</p><p> And whenFoster gets a chance to dance and sing her heart out on "Anything Goes" and the finale, you can't help butsmile.</p><p> Cole Porter is the tops, after all.</p><p> THE DIVINE SISTER *** 1/2 out of **** SOHO PLAYHOUSE I just got a chance to catch the latest Charles Busch comedy The Divine Sister at the Soho Playhouse before it closes at the end of the month.</p><p> Everyone told me it's his best in years and they're right.</p><p> The story is the usual foolishness -- a Catholic school is about to go bankrupt and Mother Superior mustconvince the wealthy, widowed, fervently atheistic Jewess down the road to pony up the funds.</p><p> Plus Shelterpop: Unplugging Appliances: Do I REALLY Have to Do This? 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More Celebrity News at People.com Like 1K Like 1K Like 57 Like 3K Like 834 Like 1K Like 54 Lindsay Lohan Is 'Angry' About Jail Sentence READ MORE Antoine Dodson Arrested READ MORE Stefano Langone RevealsHis Relationship Status READ MORE there's a suspicious new German nun who seems to be embroiled in a plot twist from The Da Vinci Code and a nun-in-training who hears voices and can heal the wounded.</p><p> The trick is that this 90 minute comedy is tightly plotted and delivered with verve by a cast that straddles that delicious line between out of control lunacy and a genuine affection for their nutty characters.</p><p> Alison Fraser is hilarious as the German nun and Busch stalwart Jennifer Van Dyck is just splendid as theJewish widow Mrs.</p><p> Levinson.</p><p> She nails the very specific but over-the-top style that somehow makes thiswork.</p><p> Carl Andress directs with cool efficiency and keeps everyone on the same page (not an easy task ina show that tempts one to chew the scenery).</p><p> At the center of it all of course is Busch, who wrote thiswitty work and performs it with relish and a subtlety that's rarely appreciated.</p><p> He's inspired so manyimitators who have delivered so many similar but markedly inferior works that you can forget how goodit can be.</p><p> Rush to see The Divine Sisters s before it closes and you'll know: this is how it's done.</p><p> THE 2010-2011 THEATER SEASON (ratings on a four star system) Angels in America revival at Signature *** out of ****Anything Goes ** 1/2Arcadia with Billy Crudup *** 1/2 Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo ** Between Worlds/Entre Mundos * 1/2 Beautiful Burnout at St.</p><p> Ann's Warehouse ** Blood From A Stone ** 1/2 The Broadway Musicals Of 1921 at Town Hall ***Cactus Flower * Devil Boys From Beyond ** The Diary Of A Madman with Geoffrey Rush at BAM *** The Divine Sister *** 1/2 Double Falsehood ** The Dream Of The Burning Boy ** 1/2 Driving Miss Daisy ** Elf * Elling ** A Free Man Of Color ** 1/2 Gatz *** Ghetto Klown *** Good People with Frances McDormand ** The Grand Manner ** The Great Game *** Gruesome Playground Injuries *** The Hallway Trilogy: Nursing **The Hallway Trilogy: Paraffin ***The Hallway Trilogy: Rose *** TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 10 Lindsay Lohan Back in the Slammer Beckhams In, Obamas Outat Royal Wedding Olsen's Wacky Fur Outfit MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2 HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3 HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2 More Celebrity News at Popeater.comRoyal Wedding Guest ListRevealed: Who's Going? 'Bed Intruder' Star Antoine Dodson Arrested Paul Reiser's New Show Yanked After Two Weeks Viral Star Antoine Dodson ARRESTED Melania Talks Obama's Birth Certificate, First Lady Possibility What Happened To Bradley Cooper?! Like 343 Jerry Seinfeld, Donald Trump Rip Each Other In Heated Political War Of Words Like 4K mayhemstudios RT @sbeasla : What happens when you tickle a little penguin? http://j.mp/dEZjCM via @huffingtonpost twsuccess Antoine Dodson Arrested For Marijuana Possession http://huff.to/edLaIo How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying *** The Importance Of Being Earnest ** 1/2 The Interminable Suicide Of Gregory Church *** 1/2 John Gabriel Borkman * 1/2 La Bete ** 1/2 Les Miserables *** Lombardi ** Macbeth with John Douglas Thompson ** The Merchant Of Venice *** 1/2 Middletown *** Mike Birbiglia's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend *** The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore * Mistakes Were Made ** 1/2 Nixon In China *** 1/2 The New York Idea ** The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at BAM *** Other Desert Cities ** Our Town with Helen Hunt *** The Pee-wee Herman Show *** Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert: The Musical * 1/2 The Road To Qatar * Room *** The Scottsboro Boys **** Small Craft Warnings zero stars Three Sisters (w Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard) *** 1/2Timon Of Athens at Public with Richard Thomas *** The Whipping Man ** Wings ** Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown ** AT THE NEW YORK MUSICAL FESTIVAL Blood Ties *** Fellowship * 1/2Fingers and Toes ** 1/2Frog Kiss *** 1/2The Great Unknown ** 1/2Nighttime Traffic **Our Country *PopArt * Shine! The Horatio Alger Musical ** 1/2 Show Choir **Tess: The New Musical **Trav'lin' ***Without You *** 1/2 ***** Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinionmakers as guests.</p><p> It's available free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and alsoavailable for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews .</p><p> Note: Michael Giltz was provided with tickets to these shows with the understanding that he would bewriting a review.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz More in Entertainment...</p><p> HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Most Popular Japan Earthquake Libya NBA Afghanistan Fast Food Gas & Oil NASA Hockey MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Lindsay Lohan Quickly Released From Jail After...</p><p> Antoine Dodson Arrested For Marijuana Possession 'The Hangover 2' Trailers: New TV Spots...</p><p> Kendall & Kylie Jenner At 'Prom' Premiere...</p><p> Buy a link here Sponsored Links SHOCKING: 46" LCD TVs for $54.09 Today ONLY: Unique site sells 46" LCD TVs for up to 98% off retail price.</p><p> SmartStyleLiving.com Mom Is 55, Looks 30...</p><p> Her clever $5 wrinkle therapy angers Botox Doctors.</p><p> Find Out How! 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