Anything Goes
at Mission Viejo High School

Reviewed on May 9, 2014

NameSchoolPublication/Broadcasts
Fountain Valley High School
Orange County Register
University High School
Orange County Register
Northwood High School
OC Cappies Facebook



Nikki Tran
Fountain Valley High School

Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Ship ahoy! Mission docks on top

Nikki Tran is a Senior at Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley

After larceny, liturgy, and love climb aboard the S.S. American, smooth sailing falls by the wayside and rough water awaits the voyage ahead.

Mission Viejo reels in applause with its seafaring sensation "Anything Goes" which follows the maritime mischief that ensues when a menagerie of characters sails across the pond. Through show-stopping numbers and technical artistry, Mission tackles this titanic musical with flying colors.

Slinking around as the stowaway businessman Billy Crocker, Nic Parsons brings a lively agility as he changes into his array of disguises. Once he croons, however, his melodious tenor voice draws out a debonair quality that charms all. Brianna Black, who plays heiress Hope Harcourt, especially swoons over his sweet music, but their romance is forbidden; she's engaged.

This changes when Courtney Mauss, as the powerhouse evangelist-turned-nightclub performer Reno Sweeney, lends her pal some help. During "Anything Goes," Mauss dazzles with her soaring vibrato and untiring tapping, all of which punctuate her charismatic and sensuous air.

It's no surprise, then, that Hope's fiance Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, portrayed by Jason Marrs, runs astray. A refined English gentleman, he induces guffaws of laughter with his hysterical, pompous, British accent. In "Let's Misbehave," his stiffness contrasts Mauss's fluidity, juxtaposing hilarious images of prudery and provocativeness.

The comic riot continues when Joseph Cowdrey buoys about as second-rate public menace Moonface Martin. He is a firecracker – jumping off of bunk beds, flailing his gun about, shouting out threats in a mobster tongue – but these wild antics render him endearing and lovable, not malicious as he intends.

The technical feats of the crew complete the show. Particularly, the lighting design of Parker Genoway provides vibrancy in numbers like "It's De-lovely" where dreamy purples and pinks veil the stage and a full moon rests in the top corner to echo the romance of the scene.

Still, the most impressive technical element comes from publicity designers Genoway and Rachel Umaña. Featuring a cruise liner, retro color palette, and seagulls, the poster design is a nod to 1930s advertisements. Yet, when the image is viewed through the smartphone app Aurasma, the poster comes to life – music plays, the seagulls fly, and everyone is mesmerized by this fusion of art and technology.

Often, love's course is unpredictable like the ebb-and-flow of the ocean. Mission Viejo reminds to enjoy the ride because, sinner or saint, "Anything Goes."

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Yamini Nambimadom
University High School

Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Mission's "Anything Goes" Sails Beyond Expectations

Yamini Nambimadom is a sophomore at University High School in Irvine.


On the deck of the S.S. American, dreams and schemes are coming to life. An ambitious wall-street broker, an evangelist-turned-nightclub singer, a mediocre gangster, and a stuffy English gentleman's adventures on the swanky ocean liner turn the entire ship awry.

Mission Viejo's fast-paced, high-energy rendition of the Cole Porter classic, "Anything Goes", is stunning, heartwarming, and hysterical. The orchestra's sweet melodies frame peppy tap numbers, and endearing love stories balance wild endeavors.

Striding onstage with a strong, clear voice and heartfelt reactions, Nic Parsons is versatile and playful as Billy Crocker. Whether fooling around with his friend, Moonface Martin (Joseph Cowdrey) or pledging his love to Hope Harcourt (Brianna Black), Parsons's various mannerisms and accents change to reflect the situation and enhance his believability.

Sultry and confident, Courtney Mauss swings her hips and accentuates her bold movements to portray the scandalous, illustrious Reno Sweeney. Mauss's stamina is visible throughout the show; she is able to maintain her rich vocals while passionately tapping and interacting with others. In "Anything Goes", Mauss commands the stage, her eyes lit with energy and her voice full of power. Reno's troupe of Angels accent the hype by which she is surrounded. Their focused energy and skillful dancing create a sparkling sight.

Chuckling away with stiffness and consistency, Jason Marrs generates abundant laughter as English Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Through his thick, steady English accent, his speech is still coherent and comedic. Marrs's bizarre physicality amplifies his character's offbeat attitude; in "Let's Misbehave", Marrs's hip thrusts and jerky motions pair nicely with Courtney Mauss's slinky movements and, together, illustrate the pair's growth, despite dissimilarities.

The set, designed and built by Mission Viejo's Stagecraft Class, makes good use of the space, with set pieces framing the wings. The rooms onboard the ship are seen from several angles, dynamically exhibiting perspective. Lighting, designed and executed by Parker Genoway, is completed with great detail. The moon gobo stage left adds to the nighttime atmosphere of the ship's deck, and the spotlights switching from one area to another greatly draws attention to the important happenings on stage. In "Blow, Gabriel, Blow", the red wash and searching spotlights create added aesthetic chaos, on par with the frantic mood of the scene.

Chock-full of charm and vivacity, Mission Viejo's spirited spectacle is an enthralling adventure that is sure to entertain.

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Claire Pukszta
Northwood High School

Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

"Anything" can happen at Mission Viejo

Claire Pukszta is a junior at Northwood High School in Irvine.

Welcome to deluxe ocean liner the U.S.S America! Our ship is a beautiful sterling white with spacious cabins and a sweeping grand staircase. We hope you will enjoy your cruise! That is unless you happen upon crazy Chinese converts, gangsters, not-so-angelic angels, and one particularly drunk boss. Mission Viejo High School takes all these odd characters and more on a wild adventure through the high seas in their production of "Anything Goes".

Main man Billy Crocker (Nic Parsons) is the general manager for a Wall Street investor. After escorting his boss on board, he learns the love of his life, Hope Harcourt (Brianna Black), is also on board. But alas, she is engaged to someone else! Determined to break it off, Billy boards the ship. Nic plays his character as sweet and somewhat unassuming, but makes snap transformations into many disguises. Although diction was at times an issue for other actors, Nic was easy to understand.

Equally charming is Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Jason Marrs), Hope's ridiculous British fiancé. Jason's deep baritone voice and over the top accent accentuate the role's dopey nature. Lord Evelyn constantly tries to figure out what is going on, and in turn creates awkwardly funny moments.

An assistant to Billy's plot is the notorious criminal Moonface Martin (Joseph Cowdrey). With his hair trigger temper and ever present machine gun, he makes a faithful companion. Joseph plays equally well both sides of Moonface; violent to kind. In "Be Like the Bluebird", Moonface prances around the stage trying to cheer up his buddy. Another accomplice is former evangelist, Reno Sweeney (Courtney Mauss). Sultry and slick, she claims innocence and the power of God, but couldn't be further from it. Yet in the song "Let's Misbehave", she declares her sweet love for Lord Evelyn.

The ever-present chorus of sailors, angels, and passengers are fountains of energy in crazy dance numbers such as "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and "Anything Goes".

Lighting (Parker Genoway) adds believability to the stage with items such as sunlight filtering through the ship's bars on the brig, a projected moon characters serenade, and a surreal quality to the ship's bar with red and white lights dancing erratically. Makeup and Hair (Rachel Umana and Rylie Rosecrans) is stunningly period and character appropriate.

In this colorful production, Mission shows that anything really can happen when you have a good time!

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