By Brooklynn Knowles and Kelly Fleischmann

West Hartford’s Conard High School performed Anything Goes (2022 Revision) for two weekends, with shows on March 6, 7, 8, 13, and 14, 2026.

Among the students at Conard High School were multiple triple threats—students who could act, sing, and dance—and their talents were on display for two weekends this March in Anything Goes, which opened on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m., and also had performances at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, March 8, and 7 p.m. performances on Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14.

​

Conard Theater Director Hunter Parker aimed to expose students to a variety of musical styles over the course of their four years in high school, and Anything Goes was a contrast to recent musicals the school had performed, like the classic Les Misérables in 2024 and the much sillier show, Disaster, in 2025. The show included several classic hits from the 1930s, including “Anything Goes,” the witty duet “You’re the Top,” and the romantic ballads “I Get a Kick Out of You” and “It’s De-Lovely.”

Anything Goes was written by celebrated American composer and songwriter Cole Porter in 1934. Its humor and songs, though slightly dated, still made for a great show full of laughs and good music. Conard’s version was the 2022 revision of the original production, modernized and adapted from the 1987 Broadway revival of the show. Taking place in the 1930s, Anything Goes delivered comedy, drama, and romance—and several love triangles—from an authentic musical theater standpoint with timeless themes, unlike the previous year’s musical parody Disaster, which Delia Canarie—who had appeared in both shows—said was “a spoof of this kind of classic show.” That being said, however, there was a big similarity between these back-to-back productions: the set of Anything Goes was also mainly on a boat.

Conard’s musical productions are known for challenging students in different ways each year while appealing to a wide range of audiences. Hunter Parker, who is in her fifth year as Conard’s theater director, often selects shows that test different aspects of the performers’ abilities. Two years prior, Les Misérables placed little emphasis on dancing, instead focusing on the show’s intense dialogue and emotional storytelling. This production, however, highlighted a significant amount of choreography, arranged by Christine Simones and assisted by Nora McHugh. A few cast members with previous dance training were chosen to serve as dance captains, including Bridget Dawson, Rachel Sullo, and Makai King.

The cast—including the entire 42-person ensemble—performed multiple tap numbers. The impressive performance made audiences wonder how the directors found so many students with such dance talent. The pit orchestra was entirely comprised of students, as was the stage crew. Lead Alisdair McLaren, starring in the role of Billy Crocker, shared his experience with dancing for the show, stating that the role had been a fun challenge for him because he was “not a dancer, but [had] a lot of dancing to do.” This was not much of a concern for McLaren, though, as his role was mostly singing, which is his strong suit.

Canarie, a senior, played Reno Sweeney, who she described as “a very strong woman.” Her confident personality and energetic stage presence made Reno a particularly memorable character. Canarie also noted that, considering the time period of the 1930s, a female character like Reno “wasn’t really a thing back then,” but because of this, Reno Sweeney stood out even more as one of the most distinctive characters in the show.

Anything Goes connected with audiences of all ages. Unlike the previous year’s Disaster, which focused on modern parody and humor, this production embraced a style of comedy from an earlier era. Lead Graeham Rogers, who played Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, explained the contrast between the two shows, saying that Disaster “was made to be funny in a modern era,” while Anything Goes “was made to be happy in an older era.” Because the show reflected the humor and style of the 1930s, some of the jokes did not relate as much to modern audiences. However, McLaren noted, “As we’ve rehearsed this, I think we’ve definitely come to understand some of the jokes that modern-day audiences won’t understand.” However, Rogers and McLaren emphasized that this difference actually made the show more inclusive for audiences of different generations. 
Canarie’s message to viewers of the musical was to simply “Enjoy yourself, sweetheart.”

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Reno Sweeney (Delia Canarie) with Billy Crocker (Alisdair McLaren), March 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

 

 

 

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

​

https://we-ha.com/anything-goes-brings-anything-and-everything-to-conard