Anything Goes - Barbican / U.K.Tour

I saw SJB in Anything Goes when it was on Broadway and she was great, I do think we've been spoiled by having Sutton Foster as Reno before who is a real triple threat so it would make anyone else look mediocre.

Tap though?

Not to mention tapping while sticking your hand in the air out of time with the music…

She won’t be able to do that and constantly tuck her hair behind her ear!

It's not that Kerry can't do it, she probably can, but to have Bonnie standing literally next to her who is just such an obvious all-round Reno.... it's just bizarre.

I'm going to guess it's an age thing - if she were ten years younger I think they'd have offered it to her. I'd happily watch her do it at this age, but from a producer's point of view they probably want someone in a slightly younger age bracket.

Yes, and I said that myself earlier in this very thread, but Mullally has more star power on an international scale, they'd age the character up for her.

I didn’t see that one.

just remembered I saw him to his one man show on Dickens at the Playhouse I think, all I remember of that he had a button in his hand, that let off a fancy pyrotechnic.

And Bonnie Langford has way more name recognition to the Anything Goes audience demographic than Kerry Ellis does. No one outside of the Musical Theatre world knows who Kerry is, Bonnie is much more of a household name having been working in the entertainment industry over 45 years.

Well, this was a surprise. I also read Kerry’s book over Christmas and she often talked about her dance background and never being afraid of a physical challenge. We also regularly see her working out on her social media so I don’t really have any doubts as to whether or not she’ll be able to dance this let alone sing this. It’ll be great to see her leading a musical again for sure and hopefully audiences will warm to her as much as they did for Sutton last summer.

Not long until this opens in Bristol and it’s not selling at all and no apparent boost from the cast announcement. Not looking good.

I agree. I think both that and the cinema release was a huge mistake if they knew they were going to bring it back to the Barbican and tour it as well. If they didn’t know, then I’d have ditched the idea given that it’s now been widely seen. I’m only going to see it in Manchester because the theatre is literally round the corner, I do think I’ve had my fill of it and I’m afraid Kerry Ellis is not a draw for me. 

It shows a lack of imagination on the Barbican’s part aswell I think. They’ve had a smash hit with a brilliant revival of a classic show. Bums have been on seats. That audience who loved it so much are now ripe for being tempted to see another fabulous traditional musical done in a big scale at the Barbican but what they’re being offered is the same show again. AND they probably watched it on telly at Christmas aswell. I can’t see it selling very well, and any financial benefits of putting the same show in again are lost if nobody goes to see it. It will be discounted to death. 

Wasn't Evita from Regent's Park supposed to transfer in but cancelled due to covid?

Think that would have been better than Anything Goes once the tv and cinema views had taken away a number of theatre goers.