When the curtain rose at the Barbican Theatre in London in 2021, the air didn't just feel like standard opening-night jitters. It felt heavy. We were all coming out of a global freeze, blinking in the light of live performance again. Then Sutton Foster walked out.
She had already won a Tony for playing Reno Sweeney on Broadway back in 2011, but this was different. Usually, when a star reprises a role a decade later, it's a nostalgia act. A "greatest hits" tour. But Sutton Foster in Anything Goes wasn't a retread; it was a revelation of how much a performer can grow while staying inside the same character.
Honestly, Reno Sweeney is a beast of a role. You have to be a comedian, a belter, and a world-class tapper. Most people can do two. Sutton does all three while making it look like she’s just having a casual drink at a bar.
The 2011 Broadway Spark vs. The 2021 London Depth
In 2011, Sutton Foster was the "plucky" Broadway darling. She had this "can-do" energy that felt very American and very bright. When she tackled the title number—an eight-minute tap marathon—the audience wasn't just watching a dance; they were watching a feat of athletic endurance.
But the 2021 London production showed us a different Reno.
This version was a bit more "lived-in." You could see it in the way she handled "I Get a Kick Out of You." Instead of just a breezy standard, there was a tinge of loneliness there. She played Reno as a woman who had seen some things, someone who used her brassy exterior as a shield. It was deeper. It was richer.
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And the tap dancing? If anything, it got tighter.
The Technical Madness of the Title Number
Let's talk about the title track, "Anything Goes." If you've ever tried to shuffle-ball-change for thirty seconds, you know it's exhausting. Now, imagine doing that for eight minutes. Then, imagine doing it at the end of the first act after you've already been singing and acting for an hour.
- The Build: It starts small, just Reno and a few sailors.
- The Break: Kathleen Marshall’s choreography is famously relentless. It’s all about precision.
- The "Sutton" Factor: Most leads take a break during the big dance numbers to catch their breath for the big finish. Sutton doesn't. She stays front and center, leading the line.
The craziest part is the transition. She goes from a high-speed tap break straight into a massive, sustained final note. Most singers would be gasping for air. She sounds like she just woke up from a nap. It’s a level of cardio-vocal coordination that is basically unheard of in the modern West End or Broadway.
Why Reno Sweeney is Such a Tough Nut to Crack
Reno is a nightclub evangelist. It's a weird trope from the 1930s that doesn't really exist anymore. You have to be "godly" but also "naughty." You have to be a predator but also a best friend.
Ethel Merman originated the role in 1934 with a voice that could pierce through steel. Patti LuPone gave it a certain "don't mess with me" grit in the 80s. Sutton Foster found a middle ground. She brought a goofiness to Reno that made her likable.
In the 2021 production, she was joined by Robert Lindsay as Moonface Martin. Their chemistry in "Friendship" was a masterclass in Vaudeville timing. They were ad-libbing, cracking each other up, and making a 90-year-old show feel like it was written yesterday.
The Revised Script and Modern Sensibilities
You can't talk about Anything Goes without mentioning that the script has been poked and prodded for decades. The original 1934 book by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton was... well, it was a mess.
By the time the 2021 version rolled around, they were using the Timothy Crouse and John Weidman revision. They also cleaned up some of the more problematic elements from the 30s—specifically the "Chinese converts" subplot, which was replaced with juvenile delinquents in many modern stagings to avoid offensive caricatures.
The Legacy of the Pro-Shot
One of the best things to happen for musical theatre fans was the filming of the London production. Usually, these performances live only in the memories of the people who were in the room. But the Anything Goes pro-shot (which aired on PBS and had a cinema release) captured Sutton at the absolute peak of her powers.
It allows you to see the sweat. You see the focus in her eyes during the tap breaks. You see the subtle acting choices she makes during "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" that you might miss from the back of the balcony.
It’s a historical record of what happens when the right actor meets the right role at the right time.
What You Can Learn from Sutton’s Reno
If you're a performer or just a fan, there's a lot to take away from this specific performance. It wasn't just about talent; it was about preparation. Sutton famously trained for months to get her stamina up for the tap numbers.
- Stamina is a skill. You can't just "show up" and do a show like this. It’s a marathon.
- Reprising a role isn't a step back. Returning to Reno allowed Sutton to find nuances she missed when she was younger.
- Joy is infectious. The reason the London audiences gave three standing ovations a night wasn't just the technique; it was the pure, unadulterated joy radiating from the stage.
If you haven't seen the filmed version yet, find it. Even through a screen, that eight-minute tap break will make you want to stand up in your living room and cheer. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the "old-fashioned" way of doing things—big sets, big orchestras, and world-class triple threats—is exactly what we need.
To truly appreciate the craft, watch the transition in the title number where the music drops out and it's just the sound of thirty pairs of shoes hitting the floor in perfect unison. It's a heartbeat. It’s the sound of live theatre coming back to life.
For your next steps, seek out the 2021 London cast recording. Pay close attention to the orchestration in "Blow, Gabriel, Blow"—it’s a masterclass in how to support a belt voice without drowning it out. If you're a student of the craft, compare Sutton’s 2011 "I Get a Kick Out of You" with her 2021 version to see how her vocal placement and emotional phrasing evolved over a decade of life experience.