“I’ve got hot pants for you!”

Ordinarily, this phrase may not mean anything, but in the context of the musical “Anything Goes,” it’s part of a scene that creates quite a pleasant uproar in the audience.

“Anything Goes,” the newest production of Saint Louis University Theatre, was written by Cole Porter and centers around the interaction of an unusual group of passengers aboard a pleasure boat, the  S.S. American. Included among them are a gangster named Moonface Martin, a wealthy debutante named Hope Harcourt and her mother Evangeline, a nightclub singer named Reno Sweeny, and a wealthy New York businessman Billy Crocker and his assistant Elisha Witney.

The show starts out with ambient lighting and a simple yet attractive set design of a bar on the boat, with a background of a man playing on the piano on the deck. As the play continues, the lighting and set movement is so flawlessly controlled that it adds to the visual aspects of the play.

Although the production has many factors to its credit, the major driving force that makes it so beautiful is the cast. Every single actor and actress is ideal for his or her role, and they deliver their performances with a great deal of passion and talent. From the performers embodying the major characters—senior Marcy Wiegert in the role of Reno Sweeney, for example—to the smaller roles—the Fallen Angels played by sophomores Julia Crump and Anita Shastri and freshmen Emily Grimm and Kristin McGuire—the performances are so effective that they elicit a wide range emotion from the crowd and draw an audience in with their infectiousness.

This incredible talent among the cast combined with the seamless choreography makes every musical number a joy to watch. Some admirable musical numbers include: “Bon Voyage,” “Anything Goes,” “You’re The Top” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

Simply put, this production is practically flawless: the cast is phenomenal, the musical numbers are pleasing, the plot is infectious, the costume design is eloquent and, most importantly, it brings so many laughs to the audience.

If you haven’t seen the SLU production of “Anything Goes,” you are surely missing out.  Luckily for you, there are three more productions of the play on Feb. 26 and 27 at 8 p.m., and on Feb 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office, located in Xavier Hall. Go get your tickets now!

For more information about The University Theatre and its season, visit www.slu.edu/theatre.