Set in the early 1930s, this screwball comedy is replete with disguises and mistaken identities and, eventually, four happy couples. A state of confusion reigns, and the synopsis below probably reflects some of this. Many of the songs are some of the best known and cleverest to ever come from Broadway, and are still sung today.

ACT I Scene 1: The afterdeck of a luxury ocean liner about to sail from New York to London. During the opening music, the major characters are introduced as they peer through life preservers. They are: Reno Sweeney, Billy Crocker, Moonface Martin, Hope Harcourt, Bonnie Latour, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Mrs. Harcourt and Elisha J. Whitney.

The passengers are boarding the ship. Among them is the wealthy tycoon Elisha J. Whitney who, obviously use to service, gives orders to the steward regarding his luggage, table reservations and so forth. He asks about his manager, Billy Crocker, who has his passport. He is approached by a reporter and cameraman, but they lose interest in the businessman when the more intriguing Sir Evelyn Oakleigh appears with his fiancée Hope Harcourt and her mother. They are sailing to England for the wedding of Evelyn and Hope; and such high society stuff sells more papers than financiers. There is confusion about the name Evelyn which is a fairly common man's name in England (e.g. Evelyn Waugh), but the Americans assume it refers to one of the women. Although Evelyn is reluctant to do more than hold Hope by the arm, the newsmen finally get a picture of the "happy couple".

A Bishop enters with two Chinese converts, but at first the reporter is not interested in them; they take photos of some girls instead. However, when the Bishop introduces himself as a minister of the "Chinese Anglican Church", they decide he is worth a picture for their paper's Chinese edition! A fanfare announces the entrance of Reno Sweeney, a former evangelist She is now a night club singer but still retains some evangelistic proclivities. (There are a lot of sinners in night clubs!) She is accompanied by four "Angels", girls in her entourage, and the reporter and cameraman rush to them; they are certainly worth some pictures! Billy appears and greets Reno; he has arranged for the Royal Suite for her and her angels. When Whitney reenters, Billy introduces his boss to Reno and her girls. The entranced financier arranges to meet the singer in the lounge for a drink, fires Billy, and leaves, still without his passport. Reno returns and invites the now unemployed Billy to come to London with her group. An exchange of compliments leads to the song You're the Top. Billy refuses Reno's offer; he still has Whitney's passport. Sure enough, when his boss returns, he gives it to him, and is rehired. The tycoon then goes off to the lounge with Reno.

To Billy's surprise, Hope appears. He hasn't seen her in the three months since they spent a romantic night together riding around and around Central Park in a taxi. She starts to tell him she is engaged, but they are interrupted by Mrs. Harcourt and Sir Evelyn who now inform Billy they are sailing to England for the wedding with Hope. This makes up Billy's mind! He will sail too despite the fact he has no passport, no money and no ticket. Just then the "all ashore" is announced and the purser tells them there are some FBI agents waiting at the gangplank. It seems there are some gangsters on board, one dressed as a preacher! After the purser and Billy go off together, Moonface and Bonnie come out from hiding, she urging him to fix the ‘violin'. He is carrying a violin case and complaining about the disguise of clerical clothes she has found for him. As she leaves to find "Snake Eyes" the Bishop appears and greets the now preacher Dr. Moon as a fellow clergyman. They have a very confused conversation which displays the Moonface's complete ignorance of all matters ecclesiastical. In spite of this, the bishop is completely taken in. Bonnie returns with the news that the FBI men are looking for a man in a preacher's suit, and she warns Moon to stay away from his cabin and to mix with the other passengers. Mrs. Harcourt, Hope and Evelyn enter and Dr. Moon tries to join their conversation, responding to all their remarks with irrelevant platitudes, then hides as Billy comes in with the Purser looking for the gangster a clergyman's suit. Billy points to the genuine Bishop who is addressed as Moonface and seized in spite of his protests. All sing Bon Voyage.

Moon thanks Billy for hiding him from the people he did not want to see and, when he hears Billy needs money, offers to get some for him. Bonnie returns with the news that Snake Eyes has not shown up, but they still have his ticket! They offer it and the passport to Billy. As long as the authorities don't check him Mr. James Hill's passport (Snake Eyes' real name) and picture, this solves Billy's immediate problems

Scene 2: Night, on the ship's deck.
Hope and Evelyn are on deck. She rhapsodizes about the beauty of the night, but he is seasick and unresponsive. Billy appears and encourages the Englishman to go back to his cabin. Hope and Billy recall the night they spent together. (Note: She was already engaged to Evelyn at the time but hadn't told him.) They sing It's De-Lovely.

Scene 3: The interiors of two staterooms with the corridor down the center of the stage between them. One is Whitney's and the other is shared by Billy and Dr. Moon.
As the Steward enters with his breakfast Moon hastily hides the "violin" he is cleaning. When the Steward comments that most passengers have breakfast in bed, the naïve Moon starts to undress. He is told that isn't necessary so he climbs fully-dressed into the upper bunk. Billy enters, still on cloud nine after his tryst with Hope, but he needs to have a change of clothes, and he and Dr. Moon need to move to another cabin. (His boss, who thinks he is back in the New York office, is in the next cabin, and Billy mustn't be spotted on the ship.) Moon solves that problem by swiping the very nearsighted Whitney's glasses. Bonnie comes in and Billy leaves to find a new suit. She hides when the Purser knocks looking for James Hill (Snake Eyes Johnson's real name, and Billy's adopted alias). Washington is looking for him; he is Public Enemy Number One. When Billy returns Moon and Connie reveal he is not a clergyman but Public Enemy Number Thirteen! At first Billy does not believe him, but they convince him by showing the machine gun and revealing that James Hill is Public Enemy Number One. Now Billy really does need a disguise so he can go on deck to meet Hope. Bonnie agrees to get him a sailor suit, and Moon gathers an armful of shoes from those waiting in the corridor to be shined. He can disguise himself as a member of the crew.

Scene 4:
Bonnie meets a sailor, who takes her for one of Reno's angels, and she sings Heaven Hop.

Scene 5: On Deck
Hope and her Mother have been touring the ship. When Evelyn appears, Mrs. Harcourt confuses him by accusing him of keeping Hope up all night; he had really been sick in his cabin. However, when he learns that Billy had spent the night with her, the clueless Englishman is pleased! Hope didn't have to be up alone, and he got a good night's sleep. He'll even find Billy and buy him a drink to thank him! He leaves and Billy enters dressed as a sailor. He tells her Hope he loves her and wants to marry her, but they are interrupted by the Purser who takes the "sailor" off with him. Billy manages to get away and returns just as the Captain and Mrs. Harcourt enter. She is bored stiff; there is no one of any "importance" on the ship! When Billy mentions Reno Sweeney she responds that "she is not famous, she is notorious". She then wonders where the sea gulls go at night, and Billy tells her to the Gullery. Hope leads her gullible mother off to find it.

Dr. Moon comes in and doesn't recognize Billy at first. When Reno and her Angels appear, she recognizes him as Moonface immediately in spite of his garb, and she describes him as "the slickest con man in forty-six states". She agrees to help Billy by distracting Evelyn Oakleigh, and making a play for him; that will give lBilly free access to Hope. When the Purser takes "the sailor" off once more, Evelyn comes in and asks Moon to introduce him to Reno. He and Hope were in her nightclub one evening, and he was so stirred by her singing that he impulsively proposed to Hope. He suggests they all meet for cocktails that evening and leaves to find his fiancée. Alone Moonface and Reno plot to compromise Evelyn and blackmail him into breaking his engagement. When Billy returns she indicates she has been attracted to the Englishman and agrees to keep him entertained during the whole voyage. The three sing Friendship.

Scene 6: Evelyn's stateroom.
With his back to the door, the Englishman is finishing shaving when there is a knock It is the Steward and Evelyn orders tea. Soon there is another knock; this time it is Reno. She is surprised to find him in his undershorts and she asks if it is too early. She then tells him she feels "that way" about him while she caresses his neck. He is collecting American expressions and writes in his book: "To feel that way about a person means 'to rub his neck'". She tries to explain, but all her phrases such as "send me", "have the hots for you", etc. are misinterpreted by him as he writes them down. They are interrupted by Dr. Moon who accuses Evelyn of molesting Reno while he is in his underwear; he will tell Hope! Instead Evelyn urges him to make Hope think he is a real beast; she is always accusing him of lacking fervor. This disorients Moon who, still in his clerical clothes, insists he, himself, is a dangerous criminal. He leaves saying he will be right back and returns with a gun, determined to save Reno's honor (against her will). Evelyn tells the gangster, whom he still thinks is a preacher, that he really admires him and, uses one of his new phrases, that he "has the hots for him". At this, Moonface threatens to shoot him.

Scene 7: Reno and her angels are together when Bonnie appears wishing to audition to be an angel. Reno puts her off and, thinking of Evelyn, sings I Get a Kick Out of You.

Scene 8: The afterdeck
Evelyn is attempting to tuck Hope into a blanket in her deck chair when Billy, disguised as a woman sits down next to her and introduces himself to Evelyn as Mrs. George Bernard Shaw. (This obvious lie brings no reaction from Evelyn.) Billy says he must be English and, when he hears of the engagement, insists on kissing the bride himself. However, he is prevented by the entrance of Mrs. Harcourt and the Purser, and he runs off. Evelyn thinks Billy should be punished for his actions, but Hope comes to his defense. When Evelyn and Mrs. Harcourt go off to find him, he returns, this time disguised as a chef and carrying a lunch which the Purser directs him to take to the bar. The Purser returns with the "Chef s" hat and exits. Then Billy comes back wearing the Purser's hat and tells Moon he needs civilian clothes. A drunk enters; the ever resourceful Moon yells "Man overboard", the Drunk takes off his coat and runs off. Now Billy has a coat, they need only to disguise his face. Mrs. Harcourt returns and, without her knowledge, her fur coat provides the material for a beard. When she leaves and returns with Hope, Billy introduces himself as the relative of a French Duke and pretends to mistake Hope for her mother's sister. Flattered, Mrs. Harcourt leaves the young people alone. He spouts some nonsense, and Hope is laughing as her mother returns and invites him to join them for cocktails, asking if he is French or Spanish. He is neither; he is Chinchilean! All go off.

Moon and the Purser enter; the two Chinese converts have been causing trouble. They are gambling in third class which is forbidden. A sailor brings the culprits in, and Moon asks to speak to them alone. Ching asks to see the Bishop, who is really the one in charge of them. When Moon finds they have won 300 dollars he has them kneel down, takes out a pair of dice, and they start to play craps. (When the Purser returns they pretend they have been praying.) The sailor takes the Chinamen away and the Purser invites Dr. Moon to join in some trap shooting. At first he does not understand, but when he learns he could win $100 he accepts. Shots are heard and soon Moon returns counting his winnings.

Billy comes in, frantic because his "beard" is falling off. When he kisses Mrs. Harcourt's hand, the beard does fall off and she says she recognizes him as George Bernard Shaw!.* In turn the Purser identifies him as Snake Eyes Johnson. When Moonface threatens to shoot, the Purser decides he is an accomplice of "Snake Eyes". However, the excited Captain says its obvious Mr. Johnson is someone important; they have a celebrity on board after all! All leave except Billy and Hope; she is not happy that he is such a clown. Reno returns to announce Billy is the hero of the ship, but Billy is disconsolate. He is afraid Hope prefers Evelyn. Reno responds with Anything Goes and the chorus joins in as the curtain falls.

* Note: This picture shows G.B. Shaw in 1925. In 1934 he was 78 years old. Mrs. Harcourt recognizes his name as a celebrity but obviously knows nothing about him if she misidentifies a young and now beardless Billy as him.

ACT II, Scene 1: The ship's lounge
Bonnie, with the chorus, is singing the praises of Public Enemy Number One and Let's Step Out. A tipsy Whitney is also there. The Captain announces that Mr. Johnson (i.e. Billy), the new celebrity, has been moved to the suite deluxe! Billy appears and asks the Captain to release Dr. Moon from the brig; the machine gun he was waving is really Billy's. The Captain hesitates; the Doctor is a very unusual sort of clergyman. However, he agrees to see him. Hope mocks Billy by asking him to describe the jails he has seen and similar questions. His foolishness is making her lose her respect for him. He agrees to make the passengers lay off the hero worship, but he is pulled away to crown "Miss Upper Berth". Sir Evelyn enters with Reno and asks Hope if she has seen the moon in the sky. Commenting that he seems to have regained sea legs, she leaves. Reno proceeds to tell the Englishman that he really attracts her more than all her other suitors do, and they sing Let's Misbehave.

The Captain appears and asks Reno to lead a religious service assisted by Dr. Moon. Billy says he will stand by him and they give Moon the song books. Reno starts the prayer meeting: they are here to reform Snake Eyes. Moon joins in with platitudes which make no sense, and Reno announces they are here to fight the devil as the passengers interject, cheering them on and confessing their sins. Evelyn enters into the spirit of the occasion by confessing that, when he was in China, he had a fling with a Chinese girl named Plum Blossom. Then, urged by Hope, Billy finally reveals who he really is, and he is arrested for stealing a passport and ticket. Not to be outdone, Dr. Moon confesses he is not a clergyman but Public Enemy Number Thirteen. He and Billy are sent to the brig and all join in the Gospell-type song Blow, Gabriel, Blow.

Scene 2: The brig, five days later. The ship is in port in England.
Moonface thinks that, as jails go, this one is not bad He plays cards while a distraught Billy sings of Hope. All Through the Night. Her voice joins in from outside. Moonface tries to encourage him but Billy is afraid Hope will be married to Evelyn and stay in England while he himself will be shipped back to America. Moonface responds with Be Like a Bluebird, an Australian Bush song. Suddenly Bonnie appears upside down at the window. (She is being held by the feet by a sailor friend.) She tells them they are to be sent right back and that Hope is still on board, wandering around by herself. She will try to get them to let her in to see Billy

The Purser enters with the two Chinamen; they have cleaned out third class in a crap game. Hope enters and she and Billy have a joyful reunion. However, her mother is insisting she be married to Evelyn immediately by the Captain. Sadly, they join in All Through the Night and confess their love for each other. He has to get out. If only they could get the Chinamen's clothes as a disguise. Moon has an idea; they will play poker with the Chinamen, who are to be released soon, use ing clothes to bet with. Of course, the master cheat Moonface wins and Billy has a new disguise.

Scene 3:
Reno and her Angels sing of New York: Take Me Back to Manhattan. Evelyn appears and asks to speak to Reno. He is unhappy because he has to marry Hope shortly, and he wouldn't be a gentleman if he dumped her for Reno. Reno tells him he will see her again soon and leaves with Bonnie. The wedding party enters and the ceremony begins, but the Captain is confused. This is his first wedding; he is more used to funerals for burials at sea. Before he can collect himself, Billy bursts in to stop the wedding, disguised as a Chinaman. He announces Evelyn is not free and brings in Reno disguised as the Plum Blossom whom Evelyn seduced in China and left pregnant. A happy Evelyn says that under the circumstances he can't marry Hope. Nonsense says Mrs. Harcourt. They just want money. Reluctantly he offers the money. Billy refuses, but Moon is ready to accept it when Hope suddenly says he shouldn't pay. The only way to make restitution is to give the "Chinaman" HER! Evelyn thinks that is a great idea! Billy joyfully accepts and suggests Evelyn marry Plum Blossom-Reno. The couples all agree.

Whitney enters, surprised to see Billy, he is supposed to be in New York! He is told his assistant flew over to tell him of two new accounts, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh and Mrs. Harcourt. Billy introduces her to the financier, and she is fascinated when she hears the magic words "Wall Street". The wealthy womanizer offers her a drink. Then the Captain offers the couples who are about to be married a free passage home. On top of everything, a radiogram has just been received from Washington to the effect that Moonface is no longer a wanted man; he is entirely harmless. Bonnie consoles him. The four couples start You're the Top! and segue into Anything Goes!

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Revised August 2009
Please credit Lyric Opera San Diego when using this material.