UA’s SummerTide Theatre Returns to Gulf Shores with ‘Anything Goes’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second summer in a row, when the sun sets on the Gulf Coast, residents and visitors will be able to spend the evening entertained by live theatre provided by The University of Alabama’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

SummerTide, UA’s professional summer theatre company, will perform the classic musical “Anything Goes,” each evening except Sunday at the George C. Meyers Theatre Arts Center in Gulf Shores June 3-July 2.

“SummerTide’s first season in Gulf Shores was a resounding success, with many sold-out evenings,” said Ed Williams, chair of the department of theatre and dance and director of the production of “Anything Goes.” “The Gulf Coast community gave us a most enthusiastic welcome, and we couldn’t wait, despite Ivan, to return,” said Williams.

Performances will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets prices are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children 12 and under. Reservations can be made by phone at 205/348-3400 before May 30 and at the George C. Meyers Theatre Art Center, 251/968-6721 after May 30. Information and reservations also are available on line at www.SummerTide.org

The theatre is located at 2022 West 2nd Street in Gulf Shores.

“SummerTide was a very welcome addition to the attractions that entertain visitors on Alabama’s Gulf Coast,” said Mike Foster, vice president of marketing for the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We’re excited to have SummerTide theatre return,” Foster said. “And we know this year the production is going to be even bigger and better.”

Set on an elegant 1930s cruise ship, the Broadway hit musical “Anything Goes” blends romance, disguises, comedy and glamour with some of Cole Porter’s most enduringly classic songs.

“This musical is a toe-tapping, tuneful romp that guarantees a great evening of family entertainment,” said Williams. “There’s a beautiful heiress, a lovelorn suitor, a very proper gentleman, a sassy showgirl and a gangster who’s not nearly the desperado he imagines himself to be. It is both funny and tender. And it is chock full of great Cole Porter songs such as ‘It’s DeLovely,’ ‘You’re the Top,’ ‘I Get A Kick Out of You,’ and ‘Anything Goes.’ This is also a terrific show for our professional actors who are able to sing and dance their way through the story,” said Williams.

The cast features students and alumni of the UA department of theatre and dance and includes Meagan McNerney as Reno Sweeney, Kelly Ann Shamburger as Hope Harcourt, Stacy Searle as Evangeline Harcourt, Stephen Tyler Davis as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Kyle Everett as Elisha Whitney, Michael Freeman as Billy Crocker, Taylor Bridges as Moonface Martin, and Elise Zieman as Erma.

SummerTide is made possible by the Herbert Clark West Endowed Support Fund at The University of Alabama with additional support from the George Meyer Foundation of Gulf Shores, The University of Alabama National Alumni Association, the Alabama Credit Union, Capstone Village Inc., and Gulf Coast businessman Lewis Ricci. Additional support is provided by the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau and South Baldwin Community Theatre.

West is a founder of Southern Shores Properties Inc., a real estate development firm based in Northwest Florida that specializes in residential and business developments along the Scenic Highway 30A in the Florida Panhandle. The Meyer Foundation was established by George C. Meyer of Gulf Shores in 1953 to support public, scientific, educational, religious and charitable purposes in the Gulf Shores area. The Foundation has been instrumental in supporting a number of key civic developments in the community.

The UA department of theatre and dance is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, UA’s largest division with 6,600 students and 360 faculty. It is the largest liberal arts college in Alabama.