Tuesday, May. 03, 2011
Best Reincarnation of Ethel Merman
Sutton Foster proved herself a triple-threat musical star — singing, dancing and acting — in shows like Thoroughly Modern Millie and Little Women. Now, tackling one of the Merm's most famous roles in a revival of Anything Goes, she stakes a strong claim (and grabs a Tony nod) as the great musical-comedy star of her generation. With her brassy but warm voice, she gives a fresh twist to Cole Porter standards like "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You're the Top," moves like a kid from the chorus, and never seems to break a sweat. The revival needlessly adds a couple of ringers ("It's DeLovely," "Easy to Love") to the already hit-packed score, but every step of the way, Foster's the top.