Opera Australia has announced the cast for its upcoming production of Cole Porter’s 1930s, feel-good, maritime romp Anything Goes.  The casting for the multi-award winning revival, which will tour across Australia in 2015, has some real treats for Australian musical theatre fans, as well as one less convincing choice. OA Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini and Producer John Frost have assembled a wonderful quartet for the four principal roles, combining seasoned fan favourites with some exciting up-and-comers, and an well-credentialed supporting cast (with one notable exception, but we’ll get to that!)

The standout jewel-in-the-crown of the production is without a doubt Caroline O’Connor, whose comic flair and vocal flexibility seem made for the role of Reno Sweeny, an evangelist turned nightclub owner. This is a role O’Connor has already played to critical acclaim over-seas, so it’s a credit to Opera Australia for pouncing on this opportunity to bring her portrayal of Reno to an Australian audience.  A firm favourite with musical theatre fans all over the world, O’Connor’s performances on stage and screen (she is perhaps most widely known for appearing alongside Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge) have earned her a raft of accolades including a Helpmann Award, three...