Each month, Jason Fortner spotlights one or more musical theatre composers and/or lyricists, offering his own unique perspective on the songwriting legends of musical theatre. Send your comments/questions on this column to happgood@aol.com.

I just got in from seeing the latest version of POSEIDON! AN UPSIDE DOWN MUSICAL, with book, music and lyrics by Chicago's David Cerda. This campy, silly show-within-a-show about the film THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is loads of fun and is currently playing an open run at Chicago's Chopin Theatre, a quaint venue in the Wicker Park area. Highlights of the show include the infamous tidal wave scene, where the large cast deftly transforms the stage and themselves into the upside down craziness of the 1972 film, complete with a pint-sized climbable Christmas tree. Other great moments include the hilarious number "Just Panties (What Else Do I Need?)" sung by the ex-hooker with a heart of gold character "Linda", the Shelley Winters' character's song "In The Water I'm A Very Skinny Lady" or anytime the character of band singer "Nonnie" opens her mouth. The entire ensemble works deftly to create theatre magic on the stage, including using every single inch of the simple multi-level tinker-top inspired set to convey the many settings of the classic camp film.

After spending an evening on this classic cruise, I got to thinking about how many shows take place or have scenes aboard cruise ships or similar boats.

My first choice, of course, was ANYTHING GOES, the classic show with a Cole Porter score and various books (depending on the version). Hope, Billy, Reno and Moonface Martin run rampant aboard the ship, wearing various disguises and performing great musical numbers before ultimately finding a mate and ending the cruise. Of course, the ship lands safely, unlike the aforementioned Poseidon, but in early drafts of the show the ship was supposed to wreck, but the real life tragedy of the SS Morro Castle persuaded the authors to drop that plot point. No matter which version of the show you see, you are sure to have fun, even though the plot points and musical numbers vary in every stage or screen adaptation, making the title Anything Goes seem vary apropos. The Lincoln Center revival in 1987 re-instated cut numbers or interpolated new ones, most notably "There's No Cure Like Travel/Bon Voyage", "I Want To Row On The Crew" and the "Sailor's Chantey". Whichever version is your preference, you'll always have fun with ANYTHING GOES.

Ethel Merman performs "Anything Goes" on a 1954 TV special. Source: youtube.com

Another musical that did feature a real life tragedy was TITANIC, the Best Musical Tony winner for 1997, with a score by Maury Yeston and book by Peter Stone. With a large cast and a relatively bare stage, this epic retelling of the classic tragedy employed a big bag of theatrical tricks, including imaginarily placing the mighty ship over the audience's heads for the opening song "Ship Of Dreams". (This prompted the FORBIDDEN BROADWAY cast to immediately lampoon this with a number entitled "Ship Of Air"!) Tuneful and often heart wrenching, the musical ran about two years but unfortunately did not show a profit. Subsequent productions have played around the world, continuing the world's fascination with the Titanic, a tradition that also inspired a scene and the title for Meredith Willson's THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.

Brian D'Arcy James and Martin Moran performing "The Night Was Alive" from TITANIC on THE ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW Source: bluegobo.com

Earlier on Broadway, the Titanic tragedy was spoofed in the Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh/Neil Simon musical LITTLE ME, placing the lead characters aboard the SS GIGANTIC. As the stage tilted more and more, various Sid Caesar characterizations like "Noble Eggleston" and "Val Du Val" held on as the flailing passengers were comically given impromptu swimming lessons! Silly and goofy, this scene is one of the highlights of this irreverent musical comedy.

Another famous show that takes place primarily onboard a ship is SAIL AWAY. Featuring a Noel Coward score, this 1961 musical features songs like "Sail Away", "The Passenger's Always Right", "You're A Long, Long Way From America" and "Why Do The Wrong People Travel?". Elaine Stritch played "Mimi Paragon" in both the New York and London productions, having inherited parts of the show from Jean Fenn, whose role as the romantic lead was cut and absorbed on the road to Broadway. Although rarely produced, SAIL AWAY is a fun, albeit old fashioned musical comedy with some terrific numbers, although pieces like "Beatnik Love Affair" might seem a little odd to a modern audience.

The Pet Shop Boys performing their own unique version of "Sail Away" at a Noel Coward Tribute dinner. Source: youtube.com

Another shipboard show I think we'll never see again is the immortal flop ANKLES AWEIGH, a light (to put it mildly) vehicle for the Kean Sisters in 1955, featuring music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Dan Shapiro. Goofy, silly and often cringe-worthy, this is the kind of show they don't do anymore, even in 1955! The thinnest of plots stretched around a bouncy, serviceable score and over the top performances. A classic collectable LP for many years, ANKLES AWEIGH is a guilty pleasure, and songs like "Walk Like A Sailor", "An Eleven O'Clock Song" and "Headin' For The Bottom Blues" insures this show a place in musical flop history!

A less bumpier ride was had by GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, the Jule Styne / Leo Robin musical done as a Broadway show in 1949, a film vehicle for Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in 1953 and revived on Broadway in the 70's for original star Carol Channing as LORELEI. Each version has its charms, and the shipboard romances (does everybody fall in love on a ship?) and comic entanglements always prove seaworthy. Among the songs in this hit score are "It's High Time", "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend", "Bye Bye Baby" and "Homesick Blues".

Marilyn Monroe in "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friends" from the 1953 film version of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES Source: youtube.com

Not every stage sea excursion is as glamorous as these ocean liner cruises. The 1927 musical HIT THE DECK had music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Clifford Grey and Leo Robin and book by Herbert Fields. It is based on the play SHORE LEAVE by Hubert Osborne, telling the story of sailors and their loves, and ran for 352 performances, inspiring two film versions.

Act One of the Kern/Green/Reynolds 1915 musical VERY GOOD EDDIE takes place on the Hudson River Day Line Boat on its way to Poughkeepsie, with mismatched lovers trying not to worry their spouses who were left on shore. The Flaherty & Ahrens scored RAGTIME features two ships crossing in the night, one filled with wealthy explorers, the other penniless immigrants, each longing for something better. Shows like PETER PAN, HMS PINAFORE, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE and BILLY features songs aboard ship as well, continuing writers fascination with the sea and man's travels upon it.

Danny Kaye as Captain Hook performs "By Hook or By Crook" in the 1976 TV version of PETER PAN with songs by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. Source: youtube.com

Whichever your preference, the chance for adventure or romance on the high seas is an alluring one, and one that continues to be musicalized by musical theatre writers. We'll close this month with lyrics to Noel Coward's SAIL AWAY:

When you feel your song is orchestrated wrong
Why should you prolong your stay?
When the wind and the weather blow your dreams sky high
Sail away, sail away, sail away?