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138-598: Since its 1934 debut at the Alvin Theatre (now known as the Neil Simon Theatre ) on Broadway , the musical has been revived several times in the United States and Britain and has been filmed three times. The musical has long been a popular choice for school and community productions. The original idea for a musical set on board an ocean liner came from producer Vinton Freedley , who was living on

276-421: A Kick Out of You"). Billy goes to the dock to say farewell to his boss and Reno ("Bon Voyage"), and glimpses the mysterious girl again. He learns that she is heiress Hope Harcourt and, escorted by her mother, Mrs. Harcourt, is on her way to England with her fiancé Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, a handsome but stuffy and hapless British nobleman. Billy stows away on the ship in hopes of winning Hope's heart. "Moonface" Martin,

414-407: A Musical. A cast recording of this production became available as a digital download on August 23, 2011, and it arrived in stores on September 20, 2011. Stephanie J. Block took over for Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney in a limited engagement (November 4–23, 2011) while Foster filmed a television pilot. Block permanently assumed the role on March 15, 2012, as Foster left the musical to take a role in

552-463: A Tramp " for Bennett's Grammy Award -winning album, Duets II , then on the album Cheek to Cheek (2014). The recording took place over a year in New York City. Bennett's quartet was present, including Mike Renzi, Gray Sargent, Harold Jones, and Marshall Wood as well as pianist Tom Lanier. With Marion Evans, jazz trumpeter Brian Newman , a long-time friend and colleague of Gaga, played on

690-453: A boat, having left the US to avoid his creditors. He selected the writing team, P. G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, and the star, Ethel Merman . The first draft of the show was called Crazy Week, which became Hard to Get, and finally Anything Goes. The original plot involved a bomb threat, a shipwreck, and human trafficking on a desert island, but, just a few weeks before the show was due to open,

828-401: A broken pediment with scrolls flanking an urn. Above the pediment, there are colonettes with female grotesques , which extend upward to the entablature that surrounds the auditorium. Next to the boxes is a flat proscenium arch, which consists of fluted Ionic pilasters on either side of the opening, as well as an entablature above. The entablature contains an Adam-style frieze. Above the arch

966-407: A cable from New York saying that Public Enemy 1 is on board. Moonface admits his true identity to Billy and he and Bonnie conspire to disguise Billy as a crew member since he is now presumed to be Snake Eyes Johnson. A quartet of lovelorn sailors comfort themselves with the thought of romance when they reach shore ("There'll Always Be a Lady Fair"). On deck, Bonnie lures the sailors to her ("Where Are

1104-438: A capacity of 1,467 seats and Playbill cites 1,380 seats. The theater originally had a capacity of 1,400 seats, with 702 in the orchestra, 674 in the balcony, and 24 in the boxes. An article from 1967 described the theater as having 1,363 seats for musicals and 1.334 seats for plays. The auditorium initially had a color scheme of ivory, blue, gray, and gold, with lavender or mulberry draperies. White paint covers many of

1242-694: A depth of 100 ft (30 m). The Neil Simon shares the block with the Mark Hellinger Theatre and Gallagher's Steakhouse to the east. Other nearby buildings include the August Wilson Theatre to the north; the Broadway Theatre and 810 Seventh Avenue to the northeast; Axa Equitable Center to the east; the Winter Garden Theatre to the southeast; and Paramount Plaza (including Circle in

1380-485: A fire on board the passenger ship SS Morro Castle caused the deaths of 138 passengers and crew members. According to one version, Freedley judged that to proceed with a show on a similar subject would be in dubious taste, and he insisted on changes to the script. However, theatre historian Lee Davis maintains that Freedley wanted the script changed because it was "a hopeless mess". Bolton and Wodehouse were in England at

1518-511: A fireplace. Four "retiring rooms" led off the lounge, which included men's and women's smoking rooms. The lounge's ceiling has an oval dome with plasterwork decorations; a central chandelier; and a cornice, which intersects with the dome. From the mezzanine lounge, staircases lead down to the north, connecting with the inner lobby, and south, connecting with the orchestra. There are rectangular coffers above either staircase, with crystal chandeliers and surrounding cornices. The southern staircase has

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1656-483: A general contract for the theater's construction to the O'Day Construction Company that March. By October 1927, Aarons and Freedley had leased the theater and planned to stage George and Ira Gershwin 's musical Funny Face , starring Fred and Adele Astaire . The Alvin opened on November 22, 1927, with Funny Face ; that show ran for 250 performances. Brooks Atkinson , the theater critic for The New York Times , wrote: "If Funny Face had been less engrossing,

1794-707: A hearing on whether a hotel developed by Silverstein Properties could be cantilevered over the Neil Simon. A dance troupe of Don Cossacks from Russia had a limited engagement at the Neil Simon in January 1990, That October, comedian Jackie Mason launched his solo series Brand New , which ran for eight months. Another Simon play opened at his namesake theater in March 1992, Jake's Women , which had 245 performances amid mixed reception. The next November,

1932-477: A huge fan. Evelyn invites Reno for tea in his room, which Moonface convinces her to accept so she can seduce Evelyn, which they'll use to blackmail him and break up his engagement. Reno agrees to his plan and they sing about what great friends they are, only to descend into bickering ("Friendship"). The attempted extortion proves to be a failure, with Reno and Evelyn instead finding themselves utterly charmed by each other. Billy and Moonface then try to frame Evelyn as

2070-405: A mad man to Evangeline only for Hope to step in and expose Billy's identity. The crew pursues him while Reno reprimands Hope for ignoring her own happiness and chasing away the man she loves. Hope breaks into tears before Billy returns to serenade her, with her now reciprocating ("It's Delovely"). However, the next morning Hope struggles to tell her mother of her real love and shortly afterwards Billy

2208-534: A metal railing. These staircases were placed in the lounge, rather than within the auditorium itself, to minimize disruption from latecomers. The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony, boxes , and a stage behind the proscenium arch. The auditorium space is designed with plaster decorations and is nearly square in plan. According to the Nederlander Organization, the auditorium has 1,445 seats; meanwhile, The Broadway League cites

2346-492: A one-night stand with a young Chinese woman, Plum Blossom. Hope is not impressed with Billy's charade, and to please her, he confesses to everyone that he is not really Snake Eyes Johnson. Moon attempts to compensate by revealing that he is not a minister; he is Public Enemy Number Thirteen. The captain sends them both to the brig. Reno restores the mood of the Revival ("Blow, Gabriel Blow"). Moon tries to cheer Billy up ("Be Like

2484-407: A pair of chorus "rest rooms" and a rehearsal room. The ceiling contains groin vaults on the side walls, separated by ribs with plasterwork decorations. At the front of the auditorium is a recessed circular dome encircled by ornamental bands, with a crystal chandelier hanging from a central medallion. Behind the dome, the ceiling is divided into panels with Adam-style plasterwork decorations. Above

2622-475: A passionate tango dance ("Gypsy In Me"). Two Chinese passengers are thrown into the brig with Billy and Moonface for gambling. Reno then comes to tell her friends that she and Evelyn have fallen in love with each other. Knowing that the Chinese passengers will be let out in an hour, the three then steal their clothes to get Billy and Moonface out in time to stop the wedding. On the deck, Erma is proposed to by all

2760-578: A performance. After seeing the production herself, she was determined to bring it to London. To secure a place in the show's cast, Paige decided it was best she co-produced the show with her then-partner, lyricist Tim Rice . The London production opened in July 1989 at the Prince Edward Theatre . Paige starred as Reno Sweeney (she was replaced later in the run by Louise Gold ). The original cast also starred Howard McGillin as Billy Crocker (who

2898-520: A positive review, saying found Gaga to be in "good voice" and Bennett in "classic form". Bree Jackson at V magazine called the song a "fresh take" on the original. MTV News critic Gil Kaufman said, "Gaga is clearly having a blast, doing her best Broadway belting with tons of energy and enthusiasm". Alexa Camp at Slant Magazine called Gaga's performance "blatantly affected, marred by shouting and clichéd phrasing." Edwin McFee at Hot Press called

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3036-690: A potential 1,467 in preparation for its next engagement: the musical Hairspray , which opened in August 2002. Hairspray set the house record for the theater, closing at the beginning of 2009. Robin Williams was to perform his comedy tour Weapons Of Self-Destruction at the Neil Simon in April 2009, but he canceled his engagement after undergoing surgery. A revival of Ragtime was booked instead, opening in November 2009. Ragtime failed to repeat

3174-570: A second-rate gangster labeled "Public Enemy 13", and his girlfriend, Bonnie, have disguised themselves as a minister and a missionary and, innocently aided by Billy, board the ship under their assumed identities, stranding the ship's real chaplain back at the port. Moonface and Bonnie mistakenly leave behind their leader, "Snake Eyes" Johnson, Public Enemy 1. To thank him, Bonnie and Moonface let Billy have Snake Eyes Johnson's passport and ticket without telling him to whom they belong. Billy cons Evelyn into leaving him alone with Hope, by convincing him he

3312-503: A sermon asking passengers to confess their sins. In his confession, Evelyn tells everyone of the time he had casual sex with a Chinese woman named Plum Blossom. Reno then performs a lively gospel number with everyone else joining in ("Blow, Gabriel, Blow") at which point she declares "they've seen the light". The passengers then convince Billy to make a confession, and he reveals that he's not Snake Eyes Johnson and apologizes to Hope. Moonface tries and fails to defend him, and both are thrown in

3450-990: A television series. The production was originally scheduled to run through July 31, 2011, and was initially extended to April 29, 2012. It was extended two more times before closing on July 8, 2012, after 521 regular performances and 32 previews. A national tour in the United States began in October 2012 at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, which was played more than 25 other major cities. Rachel York played Reno Sweeney. Other cast-members included Fred Applegate as Moonface Martin, Erich Bergen as Billy Crocker, Jeff Brooks as Purser, Joyce Chittick as Erma, Alex Finke as Hope Harcourt, Dennis Kelly as Elisha Whitney, Vincent Rodriguez III as Luke, Marcus Shane as John, Sandra Shipley as Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt, Edward Staudenmayer as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, and Chuck Wagner as

3588-443: A terracotta entablature and pediment on the fifth floor, as well as a cornice above that story. Whereas the eastern (left) pavilion is capped by a parapet , the western (right) pavilion rises for another story, the same height as the stage house. The stage house is to the right of the auditorium. Vertical terracotta bands and quoins split the stage house into sections with one, three, and one bays from left to right. The windows of

3726-772: A tour in mid-1940. The next year, the Alvin hosted Ira Gershwin, Moss Hart , and Kurt Weill 's psychiatry-themed musical Lady in the Dark ; featuring Gertrude Lawrence, it had 467 performances. The Alvin hosted Porter's musical Something for the Boys with Ethel Merman in January 1943, appearing for 422 performances. Something for the Boys closed to make way for the musical Jackpot , which ran 67 performances. The Alvin's productions in 1944 and 1945 were mostly quick failures, including Helen Goes to Troy , The Firebrand of Florence , and Hollywood Pinafore . More successful

3864-430: A vertical sign with the theater's name. The rectangular ticket lobby is directly inside the main entrance and has dark marble walls. The western (right) wall has ticket windows, while the eastern (left) wall has a recessed niche to the inner lobby, containing a glass-and-bronze double door flanked by small sconces . The eight glass-and-bronze doors on the north wall lead from the street, with panels above them, while

4002-468: A young Wall Street broker, has fallen in love with a beautiful girl he met at a party and spent the evening in a taxi. His boss, Elisha J. Whitney, is preparing to make a business deal and is going to travel to London aboard the SS American . Evangelist turned nightclub singer Reno Sweeney will be traveling aboard the same ship. Billy sees Reno as a friend, but she obviously has feelings for him ("I Get

4140-457: Is a broken pediment with scrolls flanking an urn . The fifth-story windows also have rectangular terracotta frames; their sills are connected by a terracotta band course. A triangular gable rises above these windows; there is a terracotta oculus at the center of the gable, surrounded by wreaths and floral decorations. The outer sections of the auditorium facade are designed as pavilions, which are almost identical to each other except at

4278-463: Is a lunette panel with a mural, which shows a pastoral scene with mythological characters. When the theater was built, the proscenium opening was described as measuring 40 ft (12 m) wide. Behind the opening, the stage was 100 feet wide and 35 feet deep, with a gridiron 68 ft (21 m) tall. The orchestra pit in front of the stage could fit 48 people. Backstage were 20 dressing rooms capable of accommodating 150 performers, as well as

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4416-447: Is a pair of recessed metal doors. The center of the auditorium facade contains two sets of metal-and-glass doors. Six doors to the east connect with the inner lobby, while eight doors to the west connect with the box office lobby; there is a modern marquee above these doors. In the stage-house section of the facade, there are several recessed doorways, including a stage door. A horizontal frieze with panels and vertical grooves runs above

4554-500: Is a song written by Cole Porter for his 1934 musical of the same name . Many of the lyrics include humorous references to figures of scandal and gossip from Depression-era high society . A recording by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (vocal by Ramona Davies ) was very popular in 1934. The song opens with a reference to the Massachusetts Bay Colony The opening stanza is believed to have influenced

4692-517: Is apprehended by the crew. The captain then releases Billy to satisfy the celebrity crazed passengers, and he basks in the fame of being a gangster whilst Moonface blows his cover to do the same. An upset Hope walks away whilst an onlooking Reno leads the ship in a tap dance and remarks that nowadays, "Anything Goes". The whole ship has gathered to honor Billy as "Public Enemy No. 1". After unsuccessfully trying to get him and Hope back together, Reno begins her performance for that night. She starts out with

4830-399: Is leaving on the same ship to London. Reno tries to convince Billy to join her, but he refuses and she laments her unrequited love for him ("I Get A Kick Out Of You"). Billy then reveals to Reno he's fallen in love with someone else and she berates him, believing he led her on before sadly reaffirming her feelings for him after he leaves ("I Get A Kick Out Of You - Reprise"). The next morning

4968-721: Is now a TV reporter). A cast recording of this production is available. A revival of the 1987 Broadway rewrite opened on April 7, 2011, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre , produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company . Previews began on March 10, 2011. This production was directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with musical supervision by Rob Fisher , dance arrangements by David Chase, and designs by Derek McLane , Martin Pakledinaz , and Peter Kaczorowski . This revival retained much of

5106-489: Is operated by the Nederlander Organization . Both the facade and the auditorium interior are New York City landmarks . The facade is divided into two sections: the six-story stage house to the west and the five-story auditorium to the east. The ground floor is clad with terracotta blocks and contains an entrance with a marquee . The upper stories of both sections are made of brick and terracotta;

5244-552: Is really an awkward business merger. Billy realises that Oakleigh is manipulating them all; Hope's company is really worth millions and Billy informs Whitney of that fact. Whitney offers to buy the firm from Hope at an exorbitant price, and she accepts. The marriage is called off since a merger is now impossible. Billy and Hope get married, as do Reno and Evelyn. A cable from the U.S. government fixes Billy's passport problems and declares Moon "harmless". Moon indignantly pockets Oakleigh's check and refuses to return it. The 1987 show, which

5382-459: Is very ill. When he goes to get some air, Billy and Hope meet again, and it turns out she has been unable to stop thinking about him as well ("All Through the Night"). Though Hope prefers Billy, she insists she must marry Evelyn, though she gives no reason. Unbeknownst to Billy, her family's company is in financial trouble and a marriage to Evelyn would promote a merger and save it. The ship's crew gets

5520-523: Is wider and is symmetrical, containing the auditorium entrance. The western section, which contains the stage house , is six stories high. On the upper stories, the facade is made of red brick in English bond , with terracotta trim. The Neil Simon is one of a few Broadway theaters with a neo-Georgian facade, along with the Belasco Theatre , Hayes Theater , and Stephen Sondheim Theatre . This

5658-641: The Alvin Theatre , is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley . The original name was an amalgamation of Aarons's and Freedley's first names; the theater was renamed for playwright Neil Simon in 1983. The Neil Simon has 1,467 seats across two levels and

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5796-668: The COVID-19 pandemic in New York City . It reopened in December 2021 with previews of MJ the Musical , which officially opened in February 2022. MJ broke the theater's box-office record ten times in 2022 and set the current record during the week ending January 1, 2023, when the musical grossed $ 2,223,069. Productions are listed by the year of their first performance. Anything Goes (Cole Porter song) " Anything Goes "

5934-674: The Derek McLane sets and Martin Pakledinaz costumes that were created for the 2011 Broadway revival, which was produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company . The production was directed by Jayme McDaniel and choreographed by Jason Wise . In August 2024, there was a revival at The Muny . It starred Jeanna de Waal as Reno, Jay Armstrong Johnson as Billy, Kevin Chamberlin as Martin, George Abud as Lord Evelyn, Kimberly Immanuel as Hope, Adrianna Hicks as Erma, Ann Harada as Evangeline, Lara Teeter as Elisha, and Eric Jordan Young as

6072-608: The Martin Beck Theatre . Aarons and Freedley received a $ 570,000 mortgage loan on the theater in January 1929. The Rodgers and Hart musical Spring Is Here opened at the Alvin that March and had 104 performances. Another Rodgers and Hart musical, Heads Up! , opened at the Alvin that November for a 144-performance run. In 1930, Ethel Merman made her Broadway debut in the Gershwins' Girl Crazy , which had 272 performances. Aarons and Freedley bought

6210-719: The Plymouth to the Alvin in 1961. The next year, Stephen Sondheim , Burt Shevelove , and Larry Gelbart 's musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened, running for 967 performances. During A Funny Thing 's run in October 1962, Lester Osterman (owner of the 46th Street and O'Neill theaters) leased the Alvin for five years. Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray 's musical comedy High Spirits , with Beatrice Lillie and Tammy Grimes , opened in 1964 and ran for 367 performances. Maurice Chevalier appeared at

6348-473: The 1980s and 1990s, as well as the musical Hairspray during much of the 2000s. The Neil Simon Theatre is on 250 West 52nd Street , on the south sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Broadway , in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . The rectangular land lot covers 12,350 sq ft (1,147 m ), with a frontage of 123.50 ft (37.64 m) on 52nd Street and

6486-860: The 1987 Broadway revival, John Weidman and Timothy Crouse (Russel's son) updated the book and re-ordered the musical numbers, using Cole Porter songs from other Porter shows, a practice which the composer often engaged in. This revival was rescored for a 16-piece swing band playing on stage, in the style of early Benny Goodman . This production opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater , in Lincoln Center , on October 19, 1987, and ran for 784 performances. Directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Michael Smuin , it starred Patti LuPone as Reno Sweeney, Howard McGillin as Billy, Bill McCutcheon as Moonface, and Anthony Heald as Lord Evelyn; Leslie Uggams and Linda Hart were replacement Renos. It

6624-553: The 1987 orchestrations by Michael Gibson with some additions from arranger Bill Elliott . The show's opening night cast featured Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney, Joel Grey as Moonface Martin, Laura Osnes as Hope Harcourt, Jessica Walter as Evangeline Harcourt, Colin Donnell as Billy Crocker, Adam Godley as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, John McMartin as Elisha Whitney, Jessica Stone as Erma, Robert Creighton as Purser, Andrew Cao as Luke, Raymond J. Lee as John, and Walter Charles as

6762-748: The 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy . The performance was directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with music supervision by David Chase and designs by Tony Walton. The National Theatre revived the musical, which opened at the Olivier Theatre on December 18, 2002, and closed on March 22, 2003. The production then transferred to the West End at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , running from September 26, 2003 (in previews), through August 28, 2004. Directed by Trevor Nunn , it starred Sally Ann Triplett , John Barrowman , and Yao Chin (who

6900-818: The 2011 Broadway production, opened for a limited season at the Barbican Theatre in London on August 4, 2021. The production repurposed the previous Broadway set designs by Derek McLane , sound design by Simon Baker, lighting design by Neil Austin and musical direction/supervision by Stephen Ridley. Previews began on July 23 and, following two extensions, the show closed on November 6, 2021. Originally set to star Megan Mullally until she withdrew due to injury, Sutton Foster took over as Reno Sweeney in her London theatre debut. It also starred Robert Lindsay as Moonface Martin, Gary Wilmot as Eli Whitney and Felicity Kendal as Mrs. Harcourt. Foster and Kendal departed

7038-519: The Alvin and the land underneath it that April. Pincus and Goldstone took over the Alvin's operations in May 1932 for unknown reasons. That year, the theater hosted a transfer of Eugene O'Neill 's play Mourning Becomes Electra , as well as Jerome Kern 's musical Music in the Air . The Players brought their production of Uncle Tom's Cabin to the Alvin in May 1933; the play was so popular that it

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7176-527: The Alvin for $ 825,000 in February 1946. That June, CBS agreed to lease Hammerstein's from Cullman for five more years, while Cullman agreed to lease the Alvin from CBS and present productions there instead. The same year, the Alvin hosted Joan of Lorraine with Ingrid Bergman , Sam Wanamaker , and Romney Brent . This was followed in 1947 by the play Life with Father , which transferred from another theater to conclude its 3,224-performance run. George Bernard Shaw 's play Man and Superman opened at

7314-588: The Alvin from Osterman in July 1967 through its agent, Konrad Matthaei. In exchange, Rock-Time sold the Playhouse Theatre near Rockefeller Center, which was to be demolished. The Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead opened at the Alvin in October 1967, running for 421 total performances across two theaters. It was succeeded in 1968 by Howard Sackler 's drama The Great White Hope with James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander , which had 557 performances. The Alvin next hosted

7452-587: The Alvin in 1959 to Max and Stanley Stahl, who also owned the neighboring Hellinger Theatre. The Stahls quickly hired a new manager for the Alvin. In 1960, the theater hosted the musical Greenwillow , the dance troupe Les Ballets Africains , and a transfer of the musical West Side Story from the Winter Garden. The Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman musical Wildcat opened that December with Lucille Ball , who made her only Broadway appearance there. The musical Irma La Douce transferred from

7590-578: The Alvin in April 1965 for a month-long solo show, Maurice Chevalier at 77 . This was followed the next month by Flora the Red Menace , in which Liza Minnelli made her Broadway debut. Flora the Red Menace and the next several shows had comparatively short runs. These shows included the musicals The Yearling (1965), It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman (1966), Dinner At Eight (1966), and Sherry! (1967). Rockefeller Center 's development subsidiary Rock-Time Inc. bought

7728-429: The Alvin that October and relocated in February 1948. It was followed immediately afterward by Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan 's comedy Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda , which ran for 1,157 performances. Cullman and CBS decided in 1951 to swap Hammerstein's and the Alvin for another three years, allowing the former to be used as a studio and the latter to be used for legitimate plays. Three shows opened at

7866-607: The Alvin that year: the Sidney Kingsley play Darkness at Noon , the musical A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , and the Paul Osborn play Point of No Return . Point of No Return was followed in December 1952 by the revue Two's Company , with Bette Davis in her first Broadway appearance in 22 years, but it only lasted about 90 performances. The next year, Norman Krasna 's comedy Kind Sir opened at

8004-543: The Alvin with Mary Martin and Charles Boyer . The musical The Golden Apple transferred to the Alvin from off-Broadway in April 1954, running for 173 total performances. The Harold Arlen and Truman Capote musical House of Flowers was booked before Cullman's lease came up for renewal that year, indicating that the leases of the Alvin and Hammerstein's would again be swapped. House of Flowers ultimately opened in December 1954 and ran for 165 performances. Ira Levin 's comedy No Time for Sergeants opened

8142-671: The Ambassador's and Neil Simon's interiors, over the objections of the three theaters' owners. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified the landmark designations in December 1985. Brighton Beach Memoirs was followed by another play in the Eugene trilogy, Biloxi Blues , in 1985. The next year, the musical Into the Light opened at the Neil Simon, closing after six performances. Noël Coward 's play Blithe Spirit opened at

8280-524: The Aviator closed during previews, while Merrily We Roll Along , Little Johnny Jones , Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? , and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers each closed after less than two weeks. The producers of The Little Prince , as well as those of Little Johnny Jones (which closed on opening night), successfully sued the Nederlanders in 1986, on the grounds that

8418-755: The Barbican, a UK and Ireland tour from April 2022 and a limited return to the Barbican from July 2022 were announced. The new cast featured Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeney, Denis Lawson as Moonface Martin, Simon Callow as Eli Whitney, and Bonnie Langford as Mrs. Harcourt. Nicole-Lily Baisden, Samuel Edwards, Carly Mercedes Dyer and Hadyn Oakley reprised their performances from the London run. A high-profile co-production between Gateway Playhouse (Bellport, New York) and Ogunquit Playhouse starred Andrea McArdle as Reno Sweeney and Sally Struthers as Mrs. Harcourt. The production, which ran in May to June 4, 2016, featured

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8556-478: The Bluebird"). Billy doubts he will ever see Hope again; he and Moon cannot leave their cell until they return to America. Their card-playing Chinese cellmates Ching and Ling, imprisoned for conning all the third class passengers out of their money, will be put ashore in England. Moon and Billy challenge them to a game of strip poker, win their clothes, and disguise themselves again. Billy, Moon, and Reno show up at

8694-646: The Captain. The critically acclaimed Sheffield Theatres production directed by Daniel Evans began a UK and Ireland tour at the New Wimbledon Theatre on January 29, 2015, and was scheduled to visit 32 venues in its nine-month run. The production starred Debbie Kurup as Reno Sweeney and Matt Rawle as Billy Crocker with Hugh Sachs as Moonface Martin and Jane Wymark as Evangeline Harcourt until April 4, 2015, followed by Shaun Williamson and Kate Anthony , respectively, from April 6, 2015. The tour

8832-526: The Captain. Marcia Milgrom Dodge will direct with choreography by Jared Grimes. In 1936, Paramount Pictures turned Anything Goes into a movie musical. It starred Ethel Merman (the original Reno), with Bing Crosby in the role of Billy Crocker. Other cast members included Ida Lupino , Charles Ruggles , Arthur Treacher , and Grace Bradley . The director was Lewis Milestone . Among those contributing new songs were Hoagy Carmichael , Richard A. Whiting , Leo Robin , and Friedrich Hollaender . The book

8970-552: The Captain. The production was received generally very well by the critics and received a total of nine Tony Award nominations and ten Drama Desk Award nominations, including Best Actress in a Musical, Best Director of a Musical, and Best Revival of a Musical. The revival won the Drama Desk Awards and Tony Awards for Best Revival and Best Choreography, and Foster won the Drama Desk and Tony Awards for Best Actress in

9108-521: The Dutch production Cyrano: The Musical opened at the Neil Simon, lasting 137 performances. The hit West End musical The Rise and Fall of Little Voice opened at the Neil Simon in May 1994, only to close after one week. This was followed by concerts from musicians Basia in November 1994 and Laurie Anderson in May 1995, as well as a limited performance by Danny Gans in November 1995. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I

9246-664: The First New York International Festival of the Arts. Later that year, Kenny Loggins played some concerts at the Neil Simon. Two musicals were announced for the Neil Simon in early 1989; Senator Joe closed during previews, and The Tower of Babel did not even have previews. The Tennessee Williams play Orpheus Descending was then presented in September 1989. Around that time, the LPC had held

9384-747: The Gershwins; that name had been applied to the Uris Theatre. Jerry Weintraub then purchased a stake in the operation of the Neil Simon Theatre in 1984. Concurrently, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started to consider protecting the Neil Simon as a landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The LPC designated the facades of the Neil Simon, Ambassador , and Virginia (now August Wilson) theaters as landmarks in August 1985, along with

9522-505: The Men?"), then steals the clothes of one of the men for Billy. Hope discusses her impending marriage with Evelyn and discovers that he is not particularly pleased with the engagement either. Billy asks Reno to help separate Evelyn and Hope, and she agrees. Billy and Reno reaffirm their friendship, ("It's Friendship"). Reno tries to charm Evelyn, she succeeds, and he invites her for a drink in his cabin. She and Moon plot that Moon should burst into

9660-426: The Nederlanders sold 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m ) of the unused air rights above the Neil Simon for $ 8.9 million. The buyers were a development consortium erecting a hotel several blocks away. At the end of that year, The Illusionists performed a magic show at the Neil Simon for a limited run. A revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's hit musical Cats opened at the Neil Simon in August 2016 and ran until

9798-542: The Neil Simon in March 1987; the theater also hosted a tribute to one of the play's stars, Geraldine Page , who died mid-run. Comedian Mort Sahl made a limited appearance that October, and the play Breaking the Code opened the next month. The Neil Simon hosted revivals of two O'Neill plays in June 1988, Long Day's Journey into Night and Ah, Wilderness! (both with Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards ), as part of

9936-424: The Neil Simon in early 2000, lasting until the end of 2001. During The Music Man 's run, the comedian Mandy Patinkin launched a U.S. tour on September 10, 2001, with a concert at the Neil Simon. Elaine Stritch 's one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty then premiered at the Neil Simon in February 2002. After the closure of Elaine Stritch at Liberty , the Neil Simon was expanded from 1,328 seats to

10074-652: The Oakleigh estate in Chinese garb. Billy and Moon tell Oakleigh's uncle that they are the parents of "Plum Blossom" and threaten to publicize Evelyn's indiscretion if he does not marry her. Oakleigh offers to buy them off and Moon gleefully accepts the cash, much to Billy and Reno's chagrin. Billy and Reno find Hope and Evelyn, who are both unhappy with the prospect of their matrimony. Hope declares that she desperately wants to marry Billy ("The Gypsy in Me"). Billy spots Whitney and finally learns that Evelyn and Hope's planned marriage

10212-618: The Square Theatre and the Gershwin Theatre ) to the south. The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed in 1927. The exterior is designed in the neo-Georgian style, while the interior is designed in the Adam style typical of most of Krapp's designs. The facade consists of two sections, which are connected to each other. The five-story-tall eastern section

10350-631: The Vanderbilts , the Whitneys , and prominent tastemaker Lady Mendl . One couplet refers to Samuel Goldwyn 's box-office failure Nana starring Anna Sten , whose English was said to be incomprehensible to all except Goldwyn. (Goldwyn was from Poland and Sten from Ukraine .) The final stanza references an advertisement that Eleanor Roosevelt had done for a bed company. There have been other cast recordings. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga first collaborated when they sang " The Lady Is

10488-641: The album. Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and flautist Paul Horn performed. The songs were handpicked by Bennett and Gaga; they selected tracks from the Great American Songbook , including "Anything Goes". Bennett sang "Anything Goes" on his album Strike Up the Band (1959), which Gaga heard when she was 13 years old. She thought "Anything Goes" was a funny track with a "real sexy, powerful vibe to it, and it's just because we're having fun singing it." Gaga and Bennett switched lyrics. The recording

10626-561: The audience might have had more time to appreciate the new theatre." The Alvin's first few musicals had relatively short runs. In 1928, the theater hosted the Gershwin musical Treasure Girl with Gertrude Lawrence . Though the musical charged a top admission of $ 6, then an unprecedented price, it managed 69 performances before it closed. Next was the Theatre Guild 's production of Wings Over Europe , which relocated from

10764-417: The auditorium facade has arched windows, niches, and a central pediment , while the stage house has a more plain design. The interior is designed in the Adam style and includes two lobbies and a mezzanine-level lounge. The auditorium consists of a ground-level orchestra and one balcony with boxes . The theater interiors are decorated with paneling and plasterwork, and the auditorium has a domed ceiling. Above

10902-449: The auditorium were three stories of offices. Alexander Pincus and M. L. Goldstone developed the Alvin Theatre, which opened on November 22, 1927, with Funny Face . Aarons and Freedley initially operated the theater and owned it from 1930 to 1932. In the theater's early years, it hosted musicals such as Anything Goes , Lady in the Dark , and Something for the Boys , as well as plays. CBS took over in 1946 and continued to operate

11040-417: The balcony has Adam-style panels with crystal light fixtures. The balcony's rear wall is divided into panels that contain lighting sconces. There are some air-conditioning vents on the walls. On either side of the stage is a wall section with three boxes at the balcony level. The boxes step downward toward the stage; the front box curves forward into the proscenium arch, while the rear box curves backward into

11178-414: The balcony. At the orchestra level, there is an opening on either wall, corresponding to the locations of the boxes above. The undersides of the boxes include crystal lamps and console brackets , while the front railings of the boxes contain swags, urns, and cameo patterns. Paneled piers separate the boxes from each other, supporting a smaller entablature directly above the boxes; each small entablature has

11316-428: The base. Above the base, vertical terracotta bands and quoins divide the auditorium facade into three sections. The central section has three vertical bays of windows. Each bay contains a double-height arched window at the second story, with terracotta imposts and keystones near the top of each arch. On the fourth story, each of the three central bays has a rectangular window with a terracotta frame, above which

11454-438: The beginning of 2011. The musical Catch Me if You Can opened in April 2011, running for 170 performances. A revival of Jesus Christ Superstar ran at the Neil Simon from March to July 2012, followed at the end of that year by the short-lived musical Scandalous . The Andrew Lippa musical Big Fish was then booked for the Neil Simon in early 2013, but the theater stood dark for most of that year because Big Fish

11592-489: The book and lyrics with references more appropriate to an English audience. The production was revived in an Off-Broadway production in 1962, opening on May 15, 1962, at the Orpheum Theatre . It was directed by Lawrence Kasha with a cast that included Hal Linden as Billy Crocker, Kenneth Mars as Sir Evelyn, and Eileen Rodgers as Reno Sweeney. For this revival, the script was revised to incorporate several of

11730-447: The brig. Reacting to this development, Evangeline moves the wedding up to the next morning on the ship and a heartbroken Hope realizes her chance at true love is over ("Goodbye Little Dream, Goodbye"). In the brig, Moonface attempts to cheer up a depressed Billy by telling him to "Be Like The Bluebird". Erma visits them to deliver a letter from Hope where she confesses her feelings for Billy, at which point they both — on separate parts of

11868-507: The cabin and discover Reno half-naked in Evelyn's arms, providing sufficient reason for breaking off the engagement. However, when Moon breaks into the room, machine gun in tow, he instead sees Reno fully dressed and Evelyn nearly undressed. Moon tries to invent some indecent explanation for the situation, but Evelyn insists that he would be quite pleased by any rumor depicting him as a passionate lover, especially if Hope heard it. Moon admits that

12006-438: The changes from the movie versions. Most changes revolved around the previously minor character Bonnie. This revision was also the first stage version of Anything Goes to incorporate several songs from other Porter shows: "Take Me Back to Manhattan" from The New Yorkers , 1930, " It's De-Lovely " from Red, Hot and Blue , 1934, " Friendship " from Du Barry Was a Lady , 1939, and " Let's Misbehave " from Paris , 1928. For

12144-399: The company had unfairly evicted both shows. The Alvin's next non-flop was Your Arms Too Short to Box with God with Al Green and Patti LaBelle , which opened in September 1982. Brighton Beach Memoirs , the first play in Neil Simon's Eugene trilogy , opened at the Alvin in March 1983. The Nederlanders renamed the theater for Simon shortly afterward on June 29, 1983. The renaming

12282-436: The crew and passengers realize he must be the wanted man. As Snake Eyes Johnson, Billy is an instant celebrity. Billy is honored by both crew and passengers as "Public Enemy Number One". He tells the Captain that Moon (who is still disguised as a minister) is helping him reform from his wicked ways. Moon is asked to lead a revival in the ship's lounge. The passengers confess their sins to the "Reverend", and Lord Evelyn admits to

12420-500: The crew of the SS American prepare to set sail ("There's No Cure Like Travel") as Reno and the other passengers board. Amongst them is debutante Hope Harcourt, the subject of Billy's infatuation. She is joined by her wealthy English fiancé Lord Evelyn Oakleigh and her mother Evangeline, who has set her daughter up to be married in order to solve their family's recent financial struggles. Billy comes aboard to give Eli his passport and spots Hope. Upon hearing that she's to be wed, he stays on

12558-564: The end of the next year. Tony Kushner 's play Angels in America then opened in March 2018 for a three-month run. The musical The Cher Show opened that December and ran until August 2019, and The Illusionists returned in late 2019 for their magic show, Magic of the Holidays. After The Cher Show closed, MJ the Musical had been booked at the Neil Simon for mid-2020. The theater did not host another show for two years due to

12696-497: The favor ("You're The Top"). Billy then scares off a seasick Evelyn so he can court Hope away from him ("So Easy To Love"). Though she returns Billy's feeling, Hope insists on maintaining her duty and marrying Evelyn. Once alone though, she repeats his romantic words ("So Easy To Love - Reprise"). Eli drunkenly sings about his excitement for the trip, reminisces on his days in Yale, and unsuccessfully invites Hope's mom Evangeline to spend

12834-484: The fourth longest-running musical of the 1930s, despite the impact of the Great Depression on Broadway patrons' disposable income. The opening production was directed by Howard Lindsay with choreography by Robert Alton and sets by Donald Oenslager . Today, the show remains a frequently-revived favorite. Charles B. Cochran , a British theatrical manager, had bought the London performance rights during

12972-452: The front lead to the ticket lobby. The exit signs above each door are flanked by friezes that depict lyres and griffins. The balcony level is divided into front and rear sections by an aisle halfway across its depth, which in turn is delineated by a metal railing. The crossover aisle connects to exit doors on both of the side walls, which in turn are topped by friezes with lyres and griffins. Exit doors with similar friezes are also placed on

13110-699: The late 1930s. I'd Rather Be Right opened with George M. Cohan in 1937, running for 289 performances, and The Boys from Syracuse opened in 1938, lasting 235 performances. The Alvin's first production of the 1940s was a limited run of The Taming of the Shrew in February 1940, staged by acting couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne for the Finnish Relief Fund . That April, Lunt and Fontanne appeared in Robert E. Sherwood 's play There Shall Be No Night , which ran for several months with

13248-479: The next year, running for 796 performances over two years. The theater hosted several moderately successful productions in the late 1950s, including the musicals Oh, Captain! in 1958 and First Impressions in 1959. In addition, Jerome Robbins choreographed his dance special Ballet U.S.A. in 1958, and the musical Bells Are Ringing relocated from the Shubert to the Alvin that year. CBS sold

13386-535: The night with him ("The Crew Song"). In the next room over, Moonface and Erma are visited by Billy, who hides when the ship's captain comes in and reveals that Billy is believed to be Snake Eyes Johnson. The next morning a quartet of sailors sing about the joy of seeing women as they come ashore ("There'll Always Be a Lady Fair") while Erma steals another seaman's clothes to disguise Billy from the crew and his boss. Reno then encounters her old friend Moonface, shortly after which Evelyn approaches her and reveals himself to be

13524-588: The north wall, which lead from the street. The south wall contains paneled wooden doors to the auditorium, while the east wall contains a staircase to the mezzanine lounge. The inner lobby's ceiling is decorated with plasterwork in the Adam style and contains a pair of crystal chandeliers. When the Alvin was built, the mezzanine lounge was designed as an English lounge measuring 100 by 35 ft (30 by 11 m). The mezzanine lounge's walls are wainscoted and contain lighting sconces. The space also originally contained

13662-568: The northernmost venues in the Theater District that still hosted legitimate shows. The original production of the Gershwins' American folk opera Porgy and Bess opened at the Alvin in October 1935. While Porgy and Bess closed at the Alvin after 124 performances, its revivals proved more successful. This was followed in October 1936 by Porter's Red, Hot and Blue with Merman and Jimmy Durante , which lasted 181 performances. The Alvin hosted two musicals by Rodgers and Hart in

13800-458: The only way for Evelyn to right his wrong is if he offers her to Plum Blossom's relative. Evelyn goes along with this, giving Hope away to Billy, and then proposing to Reno who accepts as she unmasks herself. Evangeline is distraught over the idea of becoming poor, but Eli proposes to her, bragging that his recent Wall Street sale has made him rich. Their mutual delight is cut short when Billy unveils his identity and informs his boss that he never made

13938-675: The orations of Malcolm X , who in 1964 said "Our forefathers were not the Pilgrims, we didn't land on Plymouth Rock, the rock was landed on us. The song mentions Mae West , Hollywood sex symbol, and Missus Ned McLean ( Evalyn Walsh McLean ), who had traveled to the Soviet Union early after the Russian Revolution in an attempt to have a Tsarist relative reappointed Ambassador to the United States. Also mentioned are industrialist John D. Rockefeller , producer Max Gordon ,

14076-413: The orchestra seating are separated by two columns, designed to resemble marble pillars; they are topped by Doric -style capitals . The south (left) wall of the orchestra has metal doorways, alternating with paneled wall sections that contain sconces. The north (right) wall has two sets of paneled wooden doors, separated by a panel with a sconce; the doors in the rear lead to the inner lobby, while those in

14214-413: The original interior decorations. Above the auditorium were three stories of offices. The orchestra level is raked , sloping down toward an orchestra pit in front of the stage. The rear of the orchestra contains a promenade with a paneled wall to the east, with sconces. The rear of the orchestra has a standing rail made of marble, separating the promenade from the rear rows of seats. The promenade and

14352-576: The original production of the Stephen Sondheim/ George Furth musical Company , which premiered in 1970 and ran just over 700 performances during the next two years. A couple of short runs followed, including Molly (1973) and The Freedom of the City (1974). The Alvin's next success was the musical Shenandoah , which opened in 1975 and stayed two years before transferring. By July 1974, Matthaei had defaulted on

14490-489: The plot has failed. The crew discover that Billy is not a sailor, and Moon and Reno create a new disguise for him from a stolen pair of trousers, a jacket taken from a drunken passenger, and hair cut from Mrs. Harcourt's Pomeranian and made into a beard. Reno tells Billy that Evelyn has kissed her, and she is sure she will be Lady Oakleigh soon, since love moves so quickly these days ( "Anything Goes" ). Mrs. Harcourt, recognizing her dog's hair, angrily pulls off Billy's beard and

14628-546: The production in October, and were replaced by Rachel York and Haydn Gwynne , respectively. The production received rave critical reviews, broke box office records at the Barbican, and received 9 Olivier Award nominations including Best Musical Revival the following year. During its run, the show was recorded for cinema distribution. This version was eventually shown on the Great Performances US television series on May 13, 2022. After concluding its run at

14766-713: The rear balcony is a half-dome with ornamental bands and technical-booth openings. Air-conditioning vents are placed in the ceiling. Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression . The Alvin Theatre was one of the later theaters to be built before the Depression. The theater's name was an amalgamation of the first names of its original operators: Alex A. Aarons (1891–1943 ) and Vinton Freedley (1891–1969 ). Both men hailed from Philadelphia . Aarons

14904-458: The sailors she's slept with during the cruise. She warns them if they start a relationship, she won't be easily pleased ("Buddy Beware"). The wedding starts but is interrupted when Reno, Billy, and Moonface run in wearing Chinese garb. They claim that Reno is Plum Blossom, who is actually a Chinese princess that Evelyn dishonored when he slept with her. The ruse is almost ruined when Moonface accepts Eli's bribe to leave, but Hope intervenes by saying

15042-462: The sale. Evangeline prepares to leave Eli immediately but before she can do so, a wire comes in saying that the stock that wasn't sold has gone through the roof making him even richer than he imagined. All three couples now together sing to each other as they're married and the whole ship celebrates ("Finale"). Notes Cut songs The official Broadway debut was at the Alvin Theatre on November 21, 1934. It ran for 420 performances, becoming

15180-706: The sales chart of the Official Charts Company . In Spain it debuted within the top-fifty of the PROMUSICAE singles chart at number 40. "Anything Goes" debuted outside the top 100 of the French Singles Chart, at number 178. On the Billboard Jazz Digital Songs chart, the track debuted at the top, becoming Gaga's second entry on that chart, following "The Lady is a Tramp". The song was Bennett's 15th entry on

15318-580: The same year and played in both Sydney and Melbourne, starring Geraldine Turner as Reno Sweeney, Peter Whitford as Moonface, Simon Burke as Billy Crocker, Marina Prior as Hope Harcourt, and Maggie Kirkpatrick as Evangeline Harcourt. In April 2002, a one-night-only concert performance of the show was performed at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Patti LuPone played Reno with Howard McGillin as Billy and Boyd Gaines as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. LuPone and Gaines would later star together in

15456-760: The ship in order to pursue her. Also sneaking on to the American is Public Enemy No. 13 Moonface Martin who's disguised as a priest. He's joined by Erma, the promiscuous girlfriend of Public Enemy #1 Snake Eyes Johnson, who is nowhere to be found. Billy inadvertently helps Moonface evade the FBI. Moonface returns the favor by giving Billy Snake Eyes' ticket as the ship leaves the dock ("Bon Voyage"). Later that night, Billy bumps into an apologetic Reno who encourages him to go after his real love. When Billy starts to express insecurities about being with Hope, Reno builds up his confidence while playfully putting herself down, and he returns

15594-558: The ship — express their love ("All Through The Night"). Reno then meets Evelyn on the deck where he admits that he doesn't love Hope and hints that he's fallen for her instead. Despite this, his sense of honor and family code causes him to keep the engagement. Reno then notes that his one night stand in China contradicts this. At her prodding, Evelyn reveals his Romani ancestry and the wild side he'd previously tried to keep hidden. He shows his true feelings for her, she requites them, and they have

15732-478: The show's Boston run, and he produced it at the West End's Palace Theatre . The musical opened on June 14, 1935, and ran for 261 performances. The cast included Jeanne Aubert as Reno Sweeney (the name changed to Reno La Grange, to suit Aubert's French background), Jack Whiting as Billy Crocker, and Sydney Howard as Moonface Martin. P. G. Wodehouse was engaged to replace the specifically American references in

15870-407: The side walls next to the front balcony. The rest of the balcony's side walls are divided into sections by pilasters with Ionic capitals, which support an entablature around the auditorium. Each side-wall section contains crystal-and-brass lighting sconces. The front rail of the balcony contains swags , urns, and cameo patterns, which have been partly covered over with light boxes. The underside of

16008-661: The sites at 244–254 West 52nd Street from the Lebanon Estates Corporation, with plans to develop a legitimate theater on the site. Pincus had previously developed the Longacre and Imperial theaters; he and Goldstone planned to fund the theater's $ 1.4 million cost. The same month, Pincus submitted plans to the New York City Department of Buildings for a theater at the site, designed by Herbert J. Krapp. Pincus and Goldstone awarded

16146-557: The song "tawdry" and "stale". "Gaga attempting to out-sing Bennett was a terribly misguided decision". The song received a nomination for Record Production/Single or Track at the 30th Annual TEC Awards under the category of Outstanding Creative Achievement Awards. In the United Kingdom, "Anything Goes" debuted at number 174 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending August 9, 2014. It also charted at number 132 on

16284-401: The south wall contains paneled wooden doors to the auditorium's orchestra level. A cornice surrounds the ceiling. which is decorated with plasterwork in the Adam style. The middle of the ceiling has a pair of crystal lamps. The inner lobby is rectangular in plan. It is accessed by the niche on its western wall, which leads from the ticket lobby, as well as from the six glass-and-bronze doors on

16422-413: The stage house are rectangular, with terracotta lintels above each window. The center bays of the stage house also have terracotta panels above the third and fourth floors. There is a cornice and paneling above the fifth floor, as well as a parapet with a balustrade above the sixth floor. The leftmost bay of the stage house, nearest the auditorium, rises to a seventh story. The stage house's rightmost bay has

16560-654: The success it had enjoyed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., closing in January 2010 after 57 performances. Musician Harry Connick Jr. had a limited performance at the Neil Simon in July 2010; his appearance was recorded for the 2011 album In Concert on Broadway . The concert Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles opened at the Neil Simon that October, relocating to the Brooks Atkinson at

16698-444: The theater until 1959, when Max and Stanley Stahl bought it. The Alvin was further sold in 1967 to Rock-Time Inc. and in 1975 to the Nederlanders. Through the 1960s and 1970s, the Alvin hosted long runs of shows such as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum , High Spirits , The Great White Hope , Company , Shenandoah , and Annie . After the theater was renamed for Neil Simon, it hosted several of his plays during

16836-704: The theater's mortgage loan, and the Bowery Savings Bank acquired the Alvin in foreclosure . The theater was then placed for sale at $ 1.2 million. The Nederlander Organization acquired the Alvin in 1975, and the venue became the family's fourth Broadway theater after the Palace , Uris , and Brooks Atkinson . The sale involved $ 100,000 in cash and a $ 1.16 million mortgage loan. The original Broadway production of Annie opened in 1977 and ran for five years before transferring. The next five musicals in 1981 and 1982 were short runs. The Little Prince and

16974-404: The time and were thus no longer available, so Freedley turned to his director, Howard Lindsay, to write a new book. Lindsay recruited press agent Russel Crouse as his collaborator, beginning a lifelong writing partnership . The roles of Billy Crocker and Moonface Martin were written for the well-known comedy team William Gaxton and Victor Moore , and Gaxton's talent for assuming various disguises

17112-435: The top. Both pavilions are flanked by fluted terracotta pilasters , which rest on the frieze that runs above the base. Between these pilasters are double-height niches at the second story, each surrounded by terracotta imposts and keystones. The niches contain terracotta urns, placed above seashell motifs. Above each niche, the fourth story contains two windows with rectangular terracotta frames. Each pair of pilasters supports

17250-443: Was Betty Comden , Adolph Green , and Morton Gould 's musical Billion Dollar Baby , which opened at the end of 1945 and lasted for 200 performances. By December 1945, broadcast network CBS was negotiating to buy the Alvin for use as a studio, as CBS's lease at the nearby Hammerstein's Theatre was about to expire. Howard S. Cullman , who owned Hammerstein's, intended to return that theater to legitimate use. CBS bought

17388-461: Was a producer of musical comedies, while Freedley was "the only Broadway producer whose name was listed in the social register". The men had formed a partnership in 1923 or 1924, but they only worked together until 1933. Since 1983, it has been named for Neil Simon (1927–2018), one of Broadway's most prolific playwrights. The Neil Simon is operated by the Nederlander Organization . In January 1927, Alexander Pincus and M. L. Goldstone bought

17526-710: Was cut short and ended at the Grand Opera House, Belfast on May 30, 2015. An Australian revival was announced in September 2014 with the cast led by Caroline O'Connor as Reno Sweeney and featuring Todd McKenney , Alex Rathgeber , Claire Lyon, Wayne Scott Kermond , and Alan Jones . Jones was replaced in the role of the Captain by Gerry Connolly in Melbourne and Brisbane. The revival, directed by Dean Bryant, played in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, sequentially, running from June until November. A revival directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall , based on

17664-418: Was described by Bobby Olivier of The Star-Ledger as "smooth as silk...Gaga's voice, when stripped of its bells and whistles, showcases a timelessness that lends itself well to the genre." Instrumentation comes from horns , cymbals, and saxophones. Photographer Steven Klein shot the album covers developed the cover art showing Gaga and Bennett in a newspaper cut. Howard Reich of Chicago Tribune gave

17802-458: Was done to create the impression that theater-goers were "entering the producer's home". When the Alvin was built, one critic said the exterior design had "an appearance in keeping with the dignity of its neighbor" across the street, now the Wilson. In both sections, the base is made of rusticated blocks of terracotta , designed to resemble marble. On the eastern side of the ground-floor facade

17940-521: Was drastically rewritten for a second film version, also by Paramount, released in 1956. This movie again starred Crosby (whose character was renamed), and Donald O'Connor . The female leads were Zizi Jeanmaire and Mitzi Gaynor . The script departed significantly from the original story and was written by Sidney Sheldon . The lesser-known Porter songs were cut, and new songs, written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn , were substituted. Neil Simon Theatre The Neil Simon Theatre , originally

18078-516: Was extended two weeks past its original one-week run. The same year saw the opening of the Maxwell Anderson play Mary of Scotland with Helen Hayes . Freedley next produced Cole Porter 's musical Anything Goes at the Alvin in 1934, featuring Merman, William Gaxton , Victor Moore , and Vivian Vance ; it ran for 420 performances. By the mid-1930s, the Alvin Theatre and the neighboring Guild (now August Wilson) Theatre were

18216-581: Was featured in the libretto. Four versions of the libretto of Anything Goes exist: the original 1934 libretto, the 1962 off-Broadway revival libretto, the 1987 revival libretto, and the 2011 revival libretto. The story has been revised, though all involve similar romantic complications aboard the SS American and feature the same major characters. The score has been altered, with some songs cut and others reassigned to different scenes and characters, and augmented with various Porter songs from other shows. The original 1934 version played as follows: Billy Crocker,

18354-515: Was nominated for ten Tony Awards (including nominations for McGillin, LuPone, McCutcheon, and Heald), winning for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Featured Actor (McCutcheon), and Best Choreography. The production also won the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Actress (for LuPone). Elaine Paige , a British actress and singer, heard of the success of the 1987 Broadway production and made sure to attend

18492-447: Was performing elsewhere. Big Fish only ran from October to December 2013. This was followed by two similarly short runs: Robert Schenkkan 's play All the Way from March to June 2014, and Sting 's musical The Last Ship from October 2014 to January 2015. A revival of Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner 's musical Gigi opened at the Neil Simon in April 2015, only for the show to close after two months. In July 2015,

18630-516: Was replaced later in the show's run by John Barrowman ), Bernard Cribbins as Moonface, and Kathryn Evans as Erma. The other principals included Ursula Smith, Martin Turner , and Ashleigh Sendin. Jerry Zaks again directed the production, with scenic and costume design by Tony Walton , lighting by Paul Gallo , and sound by Tony Meola. The musical director was John Owen Edwards and the choreographer Michael Smuin . The show transferred to Australia

18768-526: Was revived in 1996. The King and I closed in early 1998 to make way for the Arthur Miller play A View from the Bridge , which lasted through August 1998. The Neil Simon hosted the dance special Swan Lake in late 1998, as well as a concert by Natalie Merchant and a revised version of the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel in 1999. A revival of the musical The Music Man opened at

18906-410: Was revived with only minor changes in 2011, has emerged as the most consistently produced version of the musical. Its plot goes as follows. Young Wall Street broker Billy Crocker helps his boss Elisha J. Whitney prepare for his trip to London. Eli tells Billy the next morning he's to make a huge sale of a sinking asset. Billy then runs into his friend; evangelist turned night club singer Reno Sweeney who

19044-407: Was unrelated to Brighton Beach Memoirs ; the Nederlanders had offered to rename the theater after Simon in 1982, but the playwright had declined at the time. Neil Simon was the second playwright to have a Broadway theater named for him, after the late Eugene O'Neill , and the first living playwright so honored. Members of the theatrical community expressed that the Alvin should have been renamed for

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