There's little wonder why Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" remains one of the greatest musicals of all time. Five songs in the first act alone have become classics of the great American songbook.

There are a couple more major tunes in the second act, and even the so-called secondary songs have a tuneful panache that many of today's musicals don't pull off even once.

The hugely satisfying Music Circus production of Porter's 1934 masterpiece sails smartly on Marcia Milgrom Dodge's assured direction. Dodge, who also choreographed the show, revels not only in Porter's genius but also in the astute casting of brassy-voiced Vicki Lewis.

Lewis has become the signature star of the Music Circus in the Wells Fargo Pavilion era with outsize performances in outsize roles – Mama Rose in 2008's "Gypsy" and Fanny Brice in 2010's "Funny Girl."

With Lewis as the show's centerpiece, "evangelist" Reno Sweeney, the production has the game comic persona needed to anchor the oft-altered story. First written by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, the show went through a significant revision by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse before the Broadway opening in 1934.

That version was re- revised in 1987 by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, which is what is now commonly produced. While some may quibble about certain subtleties of plot mechanics, there's no question where the strength of this musical lies.

Lewis' Sweeney opens the show with one of Porter's most popular and sophisticated love songs, "I Get A Kick Out of You." She's singing to good-looking young stockbroker Billy Crocker (David Elder) whose heart is elsewhere, but they have a charming "we're buddies" duet with the wonderful list song "You're the Top."

Crocker is smitten with the young ingenue Hope Harcourt (Natalie Cortez), and they have gorgeous duets of the wistful "Easy To Love" and "It's De-Lovely."

They have ended up on an ocean liner, where Hope will marry Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (a charming and very funny John Scherer). Scherer and Lewis have a wonderful comic duet on his "The Gypsy in Me." It's a marriage of convenience arranged by Hope's cash-strapped mother, but Billy plans to change the arrangements.

Helping Billy disrupt the planned nuptials are his newfound pals Moonface Martin (the excellent Jason Graae), Public Enemy No. 13, and his consort, Erma, (the clever comedienne Melissa Fahn). Billy gets mistaken for Public Enemy No. 1, which makes him a momentary celebrity on the sensation-starved cruise.

Dodge plays great homage to the tap-dancing traditions in musicals from this period, and there are several rousing production numbers that make good use of the full cast, including the title tune, Reno's "Blow, Gabriel Blow" and "All Through the Night."

So much comes together so well in this lively production, including an outstanding performance from the skilled orchestra, and director Dodge manages it all with seeming ease.

ANYTHING GOES

4 stars

What: With Music Circus favorite Vicki Lewis as the show's centerpiece character, this production of the Cole Porter musical has the game comic persona that anchors a story that has often been revised.

When: 8 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. today and Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday (last show)

Where: Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H St., Sacramento

Cost: $42-$74

Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes, including one intermission

Information: (916) 557-1999, www. californiamusicaltheatre.com

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Call The Bee's Marcus Crowder, (916) 321-1120.

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