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[0:00] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I would say ANYTHING GOES is the quintessential 1930s musical.

[0:05] Barbara Dixon: Oh, absolutely. It sure is.

[0:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right?

[0:08] Barbara Dixon: Mm-hmm.

[0:08] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And as I was researching it, I found that it was the second longest-running musical of the 1930s, which then made me ask, well, if the quintessential musical of the 1930s is actually the second longest-running one, what was the first? And do you know, by chance, what that is, Barbara?

[0:26] Barbara Dixon: I do not know. Tell me, please. I'm on the edge of my seat.

[0:29] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It's called Hell's a-Poppin'.

[0:32] Barbara Dixon: Hell's a-Poppin'.

[0:33] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That was the musical that ran the longest in the 1930s. Have I ever heard of it? Nope. Can I sing a song from it? Nope. But do you know a song from Hell's a-Poppin'?

[0:43] Barbara Dixon: Maybe if you give me the titles.

[0:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh.

[0:46] Barbara Dixon: Do you have the title, the song list for Hell's a-Poppin'?

[0:49] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I think there, I mean, obviously, there's the title tune, Hell's a-Poppin'.

[0:52] Barbara Dixon: Oh, Hell's a-Poppin'.

[0:54] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[0:55] Barbara Dixon: And it's, uh...

[0:56] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It's pretty snappy. I feel like you've absorbed so much history that it's back there. Like, if you just...

[1:03] Barbara Dixon: Hell's a-Poppin', I'm a-boppin', cause I've got the gift of the razzmatazz.

[1:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You know, hell is better than heaven.

[1:12] Barbara Dixon: That's it! That was it!

[1:13] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Was that it?

[1:14] Barbara Dixon: That was the title track of Hell's a-Poppin'.

[1:18] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Wow.

[1:18] Barbara Dixon: Well, it is. It's buried deep in the cockles of my skull.

[1:26] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So, welcome, everybody, to a musical theater podcast where we discuss the cultural and emotional impact of some of our favorite musicals in theater history.

[1:43] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: My name is Jeffrey Scott Parsons. You can call me Jeff.

[1:46] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Now, folks, you know that I am a big lover of theater history, musical theater history, all of the wonderful artists that have come from this art form. And yet, I had never heard of the legendary Barbara Dixon until my friend from Los Angeles, actress Leah Sprecher, introduced me to her work. And I gotta tell you, folks, she is a character. You hear what I'm saying? So, I want to thank Leah for introducing me to our guest that I am now honored to introduce on a musical theater podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Barbara Dixon.

[2:26] Barbara Dixon: Oh, thank you so much for having me.

[2:29] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You said I can call you Jeff.

[2:31] Barbara Dixon: Yes, please.

[2:32] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: What if I call you Jeff Scott P?

[2:36] Barbara Dixon: Or how about just JSP? Is that cool?

[2:39] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: JSP is great.

[2:40] Barbara Dixon: I definitely answer to that in the rehearsal arena.

[2:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, wonderful.

[2:44] Barbara Dixon: Environment, you know? It's like the male version of SJP.

[2:49] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Thank you.

[2:51] Barbara Dixon: Nothing wrong with that, I say.

[2:53] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You're welcome. Well, thank you so much for having me on your podcast. I'm not only a fan of Broadway, but I'm a performer as well. And let me tell you, I never pass up the opportunity to mount the stage, not even orally. So, here we are.

[3:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Thank you.

[3:13] Barbara Dixon: That's wonderful.

[3:14] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's wonderful, Barbara. Now, you are quite a sensation on Instagram.

[3:18] Barbara Dixon: Oh, yes.

[3:20] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And how did you find the IG, the old Insta, as we call it?

[3:24] Barbara Dixon: How did I discover it?

[3:26] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, like, did you discover the social media and grab a hold?

[3:31] Barbara Dixon: No, you know what, actually? I have business cards that I got printed up. The listeners can't see, but you can see them.

[3:40] Barbara Dixon: I don't know if it's... Anyway.

[3:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Is that your headshot?

[3:42] Barbara Dixon: Oh, these are a couple of my beautiful headshots. And then on the back, it says, Barbara Dixon, the total package. Now, the kid at Kinko's was the one who told me to add total package. And it turns out he was right on the money. But then he was the one that asked me why I was getting business cards in the year 2019. He said, everybody does this stuff online these days. And so he was the one that turned me on to Instagram. I've got 3,000 of these business cards. If any of your listeners would like one, please tell them to find me on IG. Broadway Barbara official, at Broadway Barbara official. They can get, I'll send them a signed business card.

[4:32] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That is a deal.

[4:33] Barbara Dixon: That's fantastic.

[4:34] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Thank you.

[4:34] Barbara Dixon: I think so, too. Well, you are a breath of fresh air on that social media. And you have created videos spotlighting some of your talents, which are many, and your credits, which are many.

[4:47] Barbara Dixon: Yes.

[4:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I've specifically invited you on to discuss the musical Anything Goes, because you are a hoofer.

[4:56] Barbara Dixon: I sure am. I am a hoofer.

[4:59] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: For those who don't know, can you describe what it is to be a hoofer, etc?

[5:05] Barbara Dixon: Yes, darling. Well, I think what we have to first talk about is maybe the origin of tap dance.

[5:12] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes.

[5:12] Barbara Dixon: Oh yeah, why not? Please.

[5:14] Barbara Dixon: Hoofing is tap dancing. So tap dance is a rich tradition in America. And by that, I mean, it was an art form developed by Black people and then stolen by the Whiteys. So, you know, it belongs alongside other American art forms like rock and roll, hip hop, modern dance, and those Madea movies. You know, last I heard, they were developing a remake with Kevin James.

[5:45] Barbara Dixon: It's shameless.

[5:46] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Absolutely shameless.

[5:46] Barbara Dixon: Oh, that is shameless.

[5:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That is just awful.

[5:48] Barbara Dixon: I know, isn't it, though? But anyway, tap dance was seen as a vestige of vaudeville and, you know, a bit old fashioned.

[5:56] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: For sure.

[5:57] Barbara Dixon: For sure. But it started getting worked into Broadway with the reviews of the 1930s, you know, which were like greatest hits shows.

[6:06] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Absolutely.

[6:07] Barbara Dixon: You got the Ziegfeld, you got the Gershwins, you got everybody creating these reviews.

[6:13] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right.

[6:13] Barbara Dixon: And we'll get to that with Anything Goes, which was somewhat of its own review. But these reviews were like greatest hits shows where old classics and standards would be reworked for a new generation. They were kind of like the jukebox musicals of their time. So, you know.

[6:30] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: For sure.

[6:31] Barbara Dixon: I think we have the 1930s to blame for Rock of Ages and the Britney Spears musical.

[6:37] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Which I'm really excited to see that performed by someone other than Britney.

[6:43] Barbara Dixon: Do you remember in the RuPaul seasons where there was that guy that was the Britney?

[6:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You think he's, do you think he's it?

[6:50] Barbara Dixon: You get Derrick Barry out there in the Britney musical?

[6:53] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: He did Britney better than Britney.

[6:55] Barbara Dixon: You're not wrong, Barbara.

[6:57] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I love that you're a Drag Race fan.

[6:59] Barbara Dixon: Oh, of course I am. Are you kidding? The drag queens are my biggest support group.

[7:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Did they ask for makeup tips or vice versa?

[7:07] Barbara Dixon: You know, they did. They did ask for makeup tips. And I did do my beauty tutorial as a video if you want to go to the Instagram account.

[7:16] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Sure.

[7:16] Barbara Dixon: You know, many people wanted to see the process. But I myself haven't seen myself without makeup since I was 15. I just closed my eyes and beat my face. I just don't want to ruin the illusion.

[7:30] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So yeah, no, that is what theater is all about is that magic. And you, you don't want to ruin that for the audience.

[7:34] Barbara Dixon: And it sounds like not for yourself either.

[7:36] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: No, absolutely not.

[7:40] Barbara Dixon: So I did, I was able to still do a beauty tutorial with the help of a Farrah Fawcett head that I bought off eBay.

[7:51] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So check that one out.

[7:52] Barbara Dixon: How much did that run for?

[7:55] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It's not cheap. It was probably about 150 bucks. And I can't use it again. Her skin is dyed permanently.

[8:04] Barbara Dixon: Fair enough. Anyway.

[8:06] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: But back to tap dancing.

[8:08] Barbara Dixon: Oh, back to tap dancing. So yes, I consider myself a hoofer first and foremost. That is how I got my start. My first job in New York City was at a tap dancing themed beer bar in Times Square named Taps on Tap. I had to tap dance for nine hours a day while carrying pint glasses of low and brow.

[8:31] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh my goodness. What that is, that'll prepare you for anything in this business.

[8:36] Barbara Dixon: Oh, it sure will, won't it? But I love, I love to perform, you know, even for people in Times Square. I was one of those, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was one of those people in the Elmo costumes until last year.

[8:51] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You're kidding. Wow.

[8:53] Barbara Dixon: Did you ever have any dehydration problems? It seems like it's kind of treacherous.

[8:57] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, daily you vomit in your head. But you know, that whole stint in the Elmo costume ended because I got in trouble for kicking the naked cowboy.

[9:09] Barbara Dixon: Oh dear. Why did you have a physical altercation? He seems like a nice chap.

[9:14] Barbara Dixon: I can't help it. I'm territorial. He was inching in on my spot.

[9:20] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh man, well, you escaped that, you came to Los Angeles. And then the pandemic hit, so you know. Now, Anything Goes, like we mentioned earlier, was a huge smash and kind of the quintessential musical of the 1930s, a decade which also gave birth to Annie Get Your Gun, Of Thee I Sing, Porgy and Bess. And why do you think Anything Goes kind of ranks above all of them as a great representation for what was popular during that decade?

[9:47] Barbara Dixon: Oh, you know what? It beats me. Anything Goes has been reworked more times than Nicole Kidman's lips. The plot, you know, it's very madcap, which is a nostalgic word that means needlessly confusing and complicated.

[10:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: No, you're totally right.

[10:08] Barbara Dixon: Multiple identities.

[10:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, identity theft, arranged marriages, organized crime, all sorts of elements that are still considered hilarious in today's world, I'd say.

[10:20] Barbara Dixon: Maybe it's timeless. Maybe, you know, it's the beginning, as we were saying before, of those jukebox musicals. You've got a beautiful score by Cole Porter. And the plot points maybe don't matter because you just love singing those tunes.

[10:34] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Those dang clever lyrics.

[10:36] Barbara Dixon: You're exactly right. Let's talk about Cole Porter. This is the first musical of his that we're covering on the podcast.

[10:42] Barbara Dixon: Oh, wow. I have a confession to make. Up until a couple of years ago, I assumed that like many composers in musical theater, Cole Porter was a Jewish fella who changed his name in order to be more accepted, which is an unfortunate thing that happened all throughout our musical theater history. I was very, very wrong, and I am totally okay with admitting that.

[11:09] Barbara Dixon: Instead, I will read from a book about Cole Porter. Unlike many of his contemporaries who came from poor or modest Jewish immigrant families, Cole Porter was actually born into a wealthy Midwestern Protestant clan. He went to Yale. He wrote all of the football songs, which are still sung today. He had quite a different life than many of his contemporaries. And in many ways, when you look at his work, it's both intelligent and sophisticated and living in these madcap worlds, right? He's always singing about Paris and singing about all of the finer things in life.

[11:46] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Which he, of course, had access to.

[11:48] Barbara Dixon: Now we know.

[11:50] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Exactly, exactly. So Cole Porter is very much a unique composer in this early time, especially since when you think about the Great Depression, which generally we think of between the years of 1929-1933, Anything Goes is in 1934, right at the beginning of this new era out of the Great Depression. And so you got old privileged pants himself, Porter, bringing to the table something that's both silly and sophisticated and I think exactly what people were in the mood for after this decade of hardship and recession and clawing our way out of the Great Depression.

[12:32] Barbara Dixon: Absolutely. I didn't mean to say that he didn't have value.

[12:39] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I didn't get that at all, Barbara. Don't worry.

[12:41] Barbara Dixon: I mean, I said he was great, but I did not say that the show Anything Goes was something that was a barrel of laughs after people were deep in depression. And maybe you're correct in that sense.

[12:55] Barbara Dixon: He made a splash for himself by writing Let's Misbehave. I mean, Cole Porter was known for some naughty lyrics.

[13:03] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes, he was. A lot of scandal.

[13:05] Barbara Dixon: I want to say first, I want to say that basically, Cole Porter was a legendary songwriter responsible for some of the all-time classics in history of musical theater, as you've said. I would say, I would argue he's basically on the Mount Rushmore of people who contributed to Broadway.

[13:22] Barbara Dixon: Oh, wow. Yes, it's Cole Porter, Carol Channing, Jerome Robbins, and Tony Danza for his role in the Las Vegas production of The Producers.

[13:33] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I have never, I have never seen a more electric performer in my life.

[13:37] Barbara Dixon: And you can quote me on that.

[13:39] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So, yes.

[13:40] Barbara Dixon: I will quote you on that, Barbara.

[13:42] Barbara Dixon: Yes. So, Cole Porter is a legend and he was a gay man. Am I correct in saying this?

[13:48] Barbara Dixon: He was married to a very patient woman.

[13:55] Barbara Dixon: You won't say it in so many words, but he certainly wasn't openly gay, but he was very casually gay in that he would have pool parties with lots of boys over. He had kind of lifelong companions that were always by his side. All the meanwhile, having this wife who he loved in some way, certainly not in the way that we think of in traditional marriage. And there's in fact a whole film about him called Night and Day that is an old school musical film that is about him and his wife, which very much doesn't even touch on that portion of their relationship. But they were both very public figures and also had this very complex relationship. Perhaps as you were saying that his lyrics had a ton of sexual innuendo, so perhaps that's where he channeled his sexuality. He was a secret gay man who wrote catchy stuff with a ton of sexual innuendo, so he was like the original Ryan Murphy. Really, let's just say that. Cole Porter was the original Ryan Murphy.

[15:06] Leah Sprecher: I think so. That's what we've come to. Did you by chance see the film Delovely with Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd? It kind of goes a little bit more into that.

[15:13] Barbara Dixon: Right. I never got a chance to see that film, but I...

[15:19] Leah Sprecher: It's not great, but it has its heart in the right place.

[15:25] Barbara Dixon: Right. Well, that song Delovely is probably the best song in the musical Anything Goes. Isn't it fantastic?

[15:31] Leah Sprecher: It's a fantastic song.

[15:33] Barbara Dixon: I'm not sure I can think of another show except for maybe one written by Irving Berlin, where there are so many standards in one score. Now, like you said, over the years, since 1934, Anything Goes has been revised and revised and revised, and other Cole Porter songs have been put in and some have taken out. It has quite a trajectory to the show that we have now.

[15:57] Leah Sprecher: Exactly. Just speaking on these changes, if I might...

[16:02] Barbara Dixon: Yeah, please, please.

[16:03] Leah Sprecher: I recall there was Ching and Ling in the original version, who were two Chinese stereotypes, right?

[16:11] Barbara Dixon: Correct.

[16:12] Leah Sprecher: So that was certainly unfortunate and really needed to be addressed. So in later versions of the show, those characters were changed into Italian mobsters, which is a stereotype everyone seems to enjoy. And then in the most recent revival, they kept the mobsters, if I'm correct, but then cast Chinese men to play them. So...

[16:36] Barbara Dixon: Oh, what an interesting twist.

[16:39] Leah Sprecher: Right. So Anything Goes is like the American South. We keep trying to get the racism out of it, and it keeps getting put back in.

[16:49] Barbara Dixon: I'm really impressed at how progressive you are, Barbara.

[16:52] Leah Sprecher: Thank you. Well, these are changing times. We've got to keep up with the changing times.

[16:57] Barbara Dixon: Absolutely. Absolutely. What a great example for your generation.

[17:01] Leah Sprecher: Thank you so much. Thank you for it. I know. Now, the show was originally brought to pass by this producer named Vinton Freedly. And knowing that Cole Porter was a great composer, he gets him to write the entire score. And the book was written by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton, both of whom were famous kind of essayist, humorist writers, also playwrights of the time. And they constructed this whole musical about things happening on a cruise line. This concept also seems to be very popular in the 1930s. There are so many sailors in 1930s musicals. Am I right?

[17:46] Barbara Dixon: Yes, you're correct.

[17:48] Leah Sprecher: Maybe it was because Cole Porter liked his sailors. I don't know.

[17:51] Barbara Dixon: I mean, that tracks. Now, the original this is this is rumor, but rumored by a lot of people that the original script had like a bomb scare. So a big plot point would be that the ship was going to sink. Now, right around that time, there was an actual cruise liner called the Morrow Castle that did sink. It was shipwrecked and it was a huge story. The producer kind of freaked out because now this very important plot point in the show seems a little tone deaf. So then he gets two other people to come in and rewrite some of the book because Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse are busy doing different things at this point. So he gets Russell Krauss and Howard Lindsay, who in many ways after this become incredibly popular playwrights, both in straight plays and musicals, they wrote Life with Father, which was a really long running play.

And then they also wrote the book for Sound of Music. But that means that in addition to all of the different revisions over the years, you've just got a list of all of these dudes trying to fix the script.

[19:04] Leah Sprecher: Right. And I also recall another fun fact that, you know, after they scrapped the original version of the show, they had to have it remain set on a boat because they'd already built all the sets.

[19:17] Barbara Dixon: Correct. Oh, that totally makes sense to me. Yes. Yes. So I also want to say that also happened with Phantom of the Opera. That musical was originally entitled Old Half-Faced Jerry and His Giant Chandelier. They totally they reworked it after previews, but kept all the sets.

[19:37] Leah Sprecher: Sets are expensive, darling.

[19:39] Barbara Dixon: They are. I had no idea. What was it called again? Old Half-Faced Jerry and His Giant Chandelier. And then they had to scrap that script, but they had that giant chandelier and they had that mask. They had to rework it. Like, what you going to do? What can you do? That's, you know, I remember always being a replacement on Broadway tours. You have to fit the costumes. I actually have quite a wonderful story about having to fill in that has to do with costumes. Would you like to hear it?

[20:09] Leah Sprecher: Yes, please.

[20:12] Barbara Dixon: Okay. There was a time I was understudying the female lead in Laverne and Shirley the Musical. Yes. We had barely hit previews when one night on the other end of the phone, I heard those magic words, Barbara, we need you. Shirley's got shingles on her face. Oh, shoot. You know, there was just one catch to get the job. I lied about my size.

[20:30] Leah Sprecher: Oh, no.

[20:38] Barbara Dixon: Yes. The woman I was understudying was four foot nine and weighed about 76 pounds. Well, I managed to shimmy myself into her costume, but at the end of the first act, I did a particularly acrobatic grand jeté and I split that dress from my tits to my anus. But, you know, as they say, the show must go on.

[21:02] Leah Sprecher: So it must go on.

[21:07] Barbara Dixon: I did the entire back half of the show completely nude. And unfortunately, I hadn't trimmed the hedges in a while. So my crotch looked like the shower drain in an Armenian day spa. But by the end of the night, I was the talk of the town.

[21:24] Leah Sprecher: I bet you were. Most of the talk being the audience demanding an immediate refund. Unfortunately, the show closed during curtain call.

[21:33] Barbara Dixon: So. Oh, no.

[21:35] Leah Sprecher: I know. But that's...

[21:37] Barbara Dixon: Costumes are paramount. That is the biz.

[21:39] Leah Sprecher: Those are the breaks. I mean, listeners can't see you, but you really do have on quite a smashing jacket ensemble.

[21:48] Barbara Dixon: Thank you so much. This is my athletic wear.

[21:52] Leah Sprecher: Is it? I mean, it looks breathable.

[21:55] Barbara Dixon: It sure is. That makes sense.

[21:57] Leah Sprecher: It's sheer. That's great.

[21:58] Barbara Dixon: It's sheer, darling. And on purpose, it's sheer, right?

[22:02] Leah Sprecher: Of course. You don't want to leave anything to the imagination.

[22:07] Barbara Dixon: No, and you certainly didn't in that performance of Laverne and Shirley. Are there any other, you know, greatest hits that you'd like to share with our listeners? Because I know you have just a treasure trove of stories from your career.

[22:19] Barbara Dixon: You know, my claim to fame is logging more audition time without booking a lead than any performer in Broadway history.

[22:24] Leah Sprecher: Wow. Congratulations.

[22:29] Barbara Dixon: Oh, thank you. So for a while, my nickname was Someone Call Security, because that's the only way they could get me to leave an open call. I once auditioned for Jesus Christ Superstar and Starlight Express at the same time.

[22:43] Leah Sprecher: No.

[22:43] Barbara Dixon: Yes. Those two shows are basically interchangeable. Don't ask me how I did it. Let's just say I took a few of the magic pills my son Buddy was prescribed to help him pay attention in school. And I did what the kids call a mashup of I Don't Know How to Love Him and He Whistled at Me. Because again, it's basically the same song.

[23:06] Leah Sprecher: Right.

[23:07] Barbara Dixon: So the producers tried to get me to stop. But when I start performing, you can't interrupt me. It's like waking up a sleepwalker. You're liable to get bitten for your troubles. So I finished panting and sweating, and they just blinked at me. And I said, what's it going to be, Big Shots? You want me as Mary Magdalene or a talking train?

[23:28] Leah Sprecher: They just said, Miss Dixon, these are the auditions for Miss Saigon.

[23:33] Barbara Dixon: Oh, no. You're kidding.

[23:36] Leah Sprecher: Honest mistake, Joaquin.

[23:38] Barbara Dixon: Absolutely. Those Pearl Studios, there's so many of them.

[23:41] Leah Sprecher: There's so many. And what's it called? What's the other guy? Ripley.

[23:48] Barbara Dixon: Oh, Ripley Greer, of course.

[23:50] Leah Sprecher: Did Ripley Greer close? I heard it. I heard it might have closed.

[23:54] Barbara Dixon: I don't know. Do you know the last thing I heard about the audition facilities in New York, prior to, of course, the pandemic, which unfortunately has shut everything down, was the Phantom Defecator.

[24:08] Leah Sprecher: Oh, somebody was taking turds in the corners.

[24:12] Barbara Dixon: Yes. Yes. Somebody was pooping at the Broadway open calls.

[24:17] Leah Sprecher: Well, I'm pissed I didn't think of that myself.

[24:22] Barbara Dixon: Maybe could have gotten me some jobs, you know.

[24:25] Leah Sprecher: It could have been right out of the Barbara Dixon handbook.

[24:28] Barbara Dixon: I think so. You don't stop. You don't quit. Do everything it takes.

[24:34] Leah Sprecher: Well, speaking of, you know, actors and getting the job and being cast, Anything Goes has been populated by some of the most incredible performers in musical theater history, starting right off the bat, right? We have these delicious characters. You got Reno Sweeney, who's a famous kind of evangelist, but also a lounge cabaret singer. It's a really interesting combination of occupations in one character. And she was originally played by Ethel Merman, probably the most famous Broadway star of her time, if not all time.

[25:09] Barbara Dixon: Absolutely.

[25:10] Leah Sprecher: And because someone that legendary played that role ever since, that role has been populated by Broadway divas, right? We have Ethel Merman, we have Eileen Rogers, Patti LuPone, and then most recently, Sutton Foster. What do you think of these ladies? Because they're all true talents, to be said for sure.

[25:32] Barbara Dixon: Now, I have to say, I wasn't around when Anything Goes first premiered. That was 1934, and I was still a whisper of a chance of a dream in my mama's ovaries back then. So, I didn't see the original, but I did have the pleasure of meeting her backstage at the Broadhurst Theater in the mid-60s.

[25:54] Leah Sprecher: Oh, wow.

[25:55] Barbara Dixon: Yes. And let me tell you, she was everything you'd hope she'd be.

[25:59] Leah Sprecher: That's wonderful.

[26:00] Barbara Dixon: Yes, by which I mean, she called me a C-word and told me my calves looked like unbaked loaves of French bread.

[26:08] Leah Sprecher: I don't mean to laugh. I'm so sorry.

[26:10] Barbara Dixon: No, she was truly one of a kind. I love her. She's a doll.

[26:14] Leah Sprecher: So, as you were saying, she originated the role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Ethel did, and wound up playing the role in the first movie version.

[26:25] Barbara Dixon: True, because they did make a film version. You're absolutely right.

[26:29] Leah Sprecher: I don't know if you knew this, but she almost didn't get the chance because Bing Crosby was starring in the movie, and he wanted his wife, Dixie Lee, to play the role, but she dropped out.

[26:41] Barbara Dixon: Wow, I did not know that.

[26:42] Leah Sprecher: This is true to fact trivia. So, after his wife dropped out, Bing wanted the role to go to his second favorite co-star, a crate of Johnny Walker whiskey, but which also is true to fact trivia, but producers told him that wasn't physically possible. So, they went back to Ethel Merman, and the rest is history.

[27:03] Barbara Dixon: Yeah, God bless her. She's a tough cookie with the mouth of a sailor, and by that, I mean not a sailor in Anything Goes, like an actual sailor. That's why she called me the C-word. It was everything I would have dreamed.

[27:50] Barbara Dixon: Anything Goes audition story. Since I didn't have a chance in the 30s and I knew that this role was a quintessential Broadway broad role, I knew I had to go for it. So in the 1960s, I knew deep down that I could sing the shingles off any theatre and I could dance the tits off any other broad, anywhere on Broadway, even Eileen. So this was a different game because this Anything Goes was getting relaunched off Broadway where there are no rules, just like at Outback Steakhouse. So I got an audition for the show and I knew this was the biggest opportunity of my career, but there was just one hitch. I'd been rehearsing so hard, my pipes were raw. And also, yes, also I got into a screaming match with my landlord because of his new policy about not allowing bobcats in the building.

[28:48] Leah Sprecher: Oh, did you have a live bobcat in the building?

[28:52] Barbara Dixon: Well, darling, I'm a classic triple threat. I'm a singer, a dancer and the owner of four illegal bobcats. Anyway, so I had been screaming and I had been rehearsing and my pipes were raw. So I needed something to restore my competitive edge. And a performer, a friend of mine, an A-list performer, recommended fish oil to soothe the inflammation. So before my big day, I pounded two liters of the stuff and, you know, it worked. It actually worked. My voice never sounded more strong and steady. I wish I could say the same for my bowels.

[29:31] Leah Sprecher: Of course.

[29:32] Barbara Dixon: This podcast is turning very scatological. I hope the listeners don't mind.

[29:42] Leah Sprecher: I mean, it takes place on a ship. There's a poop deck. I think we're good.

[29:47] Barbara Dixon: OK, great. So right there in the middle of my rendition of I Get a Kick Out of You, my leotard got a kick out of something. I don't know how to put it delicately, but I shat myself in the middle of that audition and everyone knew it. I knew it. The producers knew it. My cab driver on the ride home definitely knew it. And guess who else knew it? Eileen goddamn Rogers.

[30:11] Leah Sprecher: No.

[30:11] Barbara Dixon: Yes. Who stole the role of Reno Sweeney right out from under me.

[30:16] Leah Sprecher: Oh, I'm so sorry.

[30:18] Barbara Dixon: Yeah. I'm a real competitive dame. I really am.

[30:21] Leah Sprecher: Yeah.

[30:22] Barbara Dixon: It gives me no pleasure to offer compliments to my fellow performers because my generation didn't believe in that stuff. It was every gal for herself. But I do want to say that Eileen Rogers could belt out a tune.

[30:36] Leah Sprecher: Oh, good.

[30:37] Barbara Dixon: Yeah. She had stronger pipes in the men's room at Shea Stadium. She still sure could sing.

[30:44] Leah Sprecher: Yeah, she sure could. And you know what? I actually really do love that 60s version of Anything Goes. It has some great songs like Heaven Hop and Take Me Back to Manhattan.

[30:52] Barbara Dixon: Oh, Heaven Hop. Yes. And then that got deleted later, huh?

[30:56] Leah Sprecher: Right. Yeah.

[30:58] Barbara Dixon: Anything Goes got probably its biggest and most successful revival at Lincoln Center, starring the legendary Patti LuPone. October 20th, 1987. In fact, I have in my hands the review from Ben Brantley, who's the really harsh critic from the New York Times.

[31:18] Leah Sprecher: Mm-hmm.

[31:19] Barbara Dixon: And this is how his review for Anything Goes began. Forget about the Coliseum, the Louvre Museum, a melody from a symphony by Strauss, Patti LuPone is the top.

[31:34] Leah Sprecher: That's how the review begins, Barbara. And it's just like a love letter to her.

[31:39] Barbara Dixon: Well, you know, the number You're the Top from Anything Goes is, of course, one of Cole Porter's sexual innuendos. And the line is, if I'm the bottom, you're the top. And, you know, in that original version in 1933, the lyric was, if I'm the power bottom, you're the top, which admittedly is too spicy even for today. So maybe he was trying to say that Patti was a top to a power bottom.

[32:08] Leah Sprecher: That's fascinating. I never thought that this could be the declaration of Cole Porter's sexual preferences.

[32:15] Barbara Dixon: Yes. I mean, it's through all of the tunes. You can find it anywhere. They're hidden, like little codes, a little path to a sexuality. The shoe fits, right?

[32:26] Leah Sprecher: Now, she did not win a Tony Award for that performance. And I think it irked her, I'm not going to lie, especially with a review like that from the Times.

[32:35] Barbara Dixon: It instead went to Joanna Gleeson for Into the Woods.

[32:38] Leah Sprecher: Right. And then later went to Sutton Foster, huh? That must have put a thorn in her side.

[32:44] Barbara Dixon: Exactly, Barbara. And then so then the 2000s come around with this latest Anything Goes revival, Sutton Foster, big Broadway belter, triple threat. Although I don't know if she owns bobcats, so might need to rethink that. But she wins a Tony for playing Reno. And boy, that must have, there were some angry Norma Desmonds, if you know what I mean.

[33:07] Leah Sprecher: You know what I have to say, personally, I don't think revivals should be eligible for major awards.

[33:13] Barbara Dixon: You know?

[33:16] Leah Sprecher: Oh, interesting. And why do you think that?

[33:16] Barbara Dixon: They should only be given out to completely original works of theater, like Jagged Little Pill or the one where the kids are trying to figure out how to pay their rent.

[33:27] Leah Sprecher: The title escapes me at the moment, but you know what I'm saying.

[33:31] Barbara Dixon: I think it actually is called Rent.

[33:33] Leah Sprecher: Oh, OK, that makes sense.

[33:35] Barbara Dixon: Yeah, it's a little bit older than Jagged Little Pill, though.

[33:39] Leah Sprecher: Right. These are both brilliant original pieces.

[33:42] Barbara Dixon: And that's the point I'm trying to drive home. Not mounting the same thing over and over and over and over. I feel like Cole Porter led us to this golden age of musicals that are exemplified by shows like Beetlejuice, the musical, you know, Pretty Woman, the musical, and of course, the Karate Kid Part Three, the musical, which had to halt previews due to the pandemic. But I hear Nathan Lane is amazing as Mr. Miyagi.

[34:14] Leah Sprecher: It's a shame they had to pull that one.

[34:16] Barbara Dixon: But these are at least original stories and not just revivals.

[34:21] Leah Sprecher: Yeah, no, I think I see what you're saying.

[34:24] Barbara Dixon: Nothing says the wit and intelligence of Cole Porter like the Karate Kid Part Three.

[34:31] Leah Sprecher: You really get me.

[34:33] Barbara Dixon: Now, there were other stars in the original Anything Goes besides Miss Ethel Merman. There was a fellow by the name of William Gaxton. Now, he was a popular comedian known for impressions. So you see, and he played Billy Crocker, who throughout the show has to don many disguises. And those sorts of moments in the show were crafted for him and his impressions. You also had Victor Moore, who I had never heard of before doing the research for this show, was quite possibly one of the biggest stars of the time. He was in hit after hit after hit. He knew how to pick those roles. And for being kind of a not a traditional leading man, but a scrappy character actor, really made a name for himself in the 1930s.

[35:23] Leah Sprecher: I have no idea who those guys are.

[35:25] Barbara Dixon: Sorry.

[35:25] Leah Sprecher: Yeah, no, that's okay.

[35:27] Barbara Dixon: It's okay. I didn't either. But apparently, they were big deals back then. Those roles have been, once again, morphed. Now, the Billy Crocker role is more of a singer-dancer than an impressionist. Let's actually, because we were talking about some of these really fun characters, let's just give a brief synopsis of the show that has so many twists and turns it can get quite convoluted, like you said.

[35:53] Leah Sprecher: You know, the plot, I can't follow it. People talk so much faster back then.

[35:56] Barbara Dixon: You watch it now and you get swimmy trying to keep up. I feel like I'm watching an episode of The Crown with the subtitles turned off. It's just all chirps and buzzes to me, you know?

[36:10] Leah Sprecher: Isn't it interesting?

[36:11] Barbara Dixon: I fall into the same problems, Barbara, where a show will be in English, and yet I need subtitles. I'm like, what language am I speaking?

[36:18] Leah Sprecher: Exactly. They're talking so fast.

[36:21] Barbara Dixon: It's just like, especially, I don't know if you ever got into Game of Thrones.

[36:27] Leah Sprecher: I only made it, you know, to season three because it was just, it was a little too gory for me.

[36:33] Barbara Dixon: But I had to put on subtitles then, and they weren't even saying that much. They were just, you know, killing each other a lot.

[36:39] Leah Sprecher: Right, especially in that last season.

[36:41] Barbara Dixon: So I'll just...

[36:42] Leah Sprecher: So you made it all the way through. I'm impressed, Barbara.

[36:46] Barbara Dixon: Well, what else am I going to do during a pandemic? I binged it over the course of 48 hours.

[36:53] Leah Sprecher: Oh my gosh, that is a lot of Game of Thrones.

[36:56] Barbara Dixon: Yes, I read some of those spoilers online, and then I just got to the meaty ones. But I understand. It's a lot of thick accents, and also not real accents. Like, they're all over the place.

[37:09] Leah Sprecher: They're all over the map.

[37:11] Barbara Dixon: Yeah. Do you ever do, like, coaching or teaching in terms of acting and dialects and all of those sorts of things?

[37:15] Leah Sprecher: You know, I haven't...

[37:20] Barbara Dixon: I'm just curious.

[37:21] Leah Sprecher: I haven't gotten into dialect coaching just yet, but that's a good suggestion. I could make a video, but I do do some vocal, you know, singing tutorials. Because I studied under the famous Jerry Corb. He and his brother had that famous vocal studio in New York City called The Vocal Corbs. And what they taught me was when you're reaching for those high notes, you have to sing from your sphincter.

[37:52] Barbara Dixon: Oh, sure.

[37:53] Leah Sprecher: Yes. Otherwise, there's very few people that can sing those high notes without giving themselves anal fissures, so you need to have the proper technique. And The Vocal Corbs, the studio closed after the death of Jerry Corb, and they don't really have anybody else teaching their legacy. So I am teaching their method currently to a couple young students.

[38:15] Barbara Dixon: Oh, that's great.

[38:16] Leah Sprecher: Lucky kids they are.

[38:18] Barbara Dixon: Yes, they are. So Anything Goes, Act 1 starts out, like we said, with this cruise liner called the USS American, I think. And we have all of these folks coming onto the ship, one of which is Miss Reno Sweeney. She has been hired to come aboard the ship to both entertain and save souls. Nothing more American than that. Then you've got her male friend there. There's nothing between them romantically, as far as he's concerned, by the name of Billy Crocker. Billy comes up to Reno before she's going onto the ship and says, Reno, I just had the most amazing night with this girl. I don't know who she is. We were both in a taxi cab, and we just drove around and around. And I think I love her. And Reno is like, oh, I wish you loved me.

And so then she sings, I Get a Kick Out of You. And, you know, we always talk about Oklahoma as being so daring for opening a show with just a solo, right? There's no big fireworks, no chorus girls in tiny outfits. It was just Ann Eller churning butter with Curly singing, Oh, What a Beautiful Morning. And yet here in the 1930s, we have Ethel Merman singing a slow ballad right at the top of the show. But in I Get a Kick Out of You, she's dropping things like don't get no kick from cocaine. So that's a little spicy lyric.

[40:43] Leah Sprecher: Yeah, that's a little spicier than churning butter.

[40:45] Barbara Dixon: You're totally right. I also hear that they had to change that lyric for high school productions to coding.

[40:53] Leah Sprecher: So it's a little more relevant?

[40:55] Barbara Dixon: Yes. You know, less intense for the children. There probably was a version where the lyric was heroin, because heroin is my favorite high. Back when I was on the scene, everybody was doing drugs. We did coke, horse, dust, juleps, dundos, the whole bit.

[41:16] Leah Sprecher: Oh, not at all. Of course not.

[41:18] Leah Sprecher: I haven't heard of 75% of those, but I'm about as stone cold sober as you get.

[41:18] Barbara Dixon: As it turns out, the girl that Billy Crocker has been obsessed with is also getting on the ship. Her name is Hope Harcourt. She's getting on with her fiancé, gasp, she's actually engaged to this very elegant British gent named Sir Evelyn O'Clay. And then she also has a domineering mother. And so as Billy...

[41:24] Barbara Dixon: There's all different kinds of chemical. To stay under the radar of the FDA, you must be creative. There are other people getting on the ship, namely Moonface Martin. Now, he is a gangster, and he thinks that he's a really good gangster. He's actually not that great of a gangster. He's known as public enemy number 13. So he's not even cracking the top 10 of public enemies at this time. He's got his girlfriend, Bonnie, who's your typical gangster mall, and they are waiting for their boss, who is Snake Eyes Johnson, public enemy number one. He's the guy that everyone is looking after. And in the 1930s, this is when we're really celebrating criminals and crooks, right? They're on the front page of the newspaper, which is something that we don't do nowadays at all.

[41:45] Barbara Dixon: So, Billy Crocker sneaks on board and gets the passport of Snake Eyes Johnson, public enemy number one, so that he can stay on board and maybe convince Hope to be with him. And by the end of this big Bon Voyage number, everybody's trapped on the ship, and hilarity is bound to happen.

[41:59] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, I just have to say that already I'm lost. You know, it's so clear that ANYTHING GOES is just pure nonsense, and for a Broadway show that's really saying something, you know? I actually remember a time I snuck into the opening night of The Lion King, and I was expecting to see actual singing animals, and when I realized it was just a bunch of Cirque du Soleil people with pipe cleaners glued to their foreheads, I shouted, FAKE, and was escorted out by security. So, to say ANYTHING GOES is nonsense is... It's saying something.

[42:56] Barbara Dixon: It's saying something, yeah. Do you have more to say about the plot? Was that just Act One? Because I'm going to die.

[43:02] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That was actually the first scene, but we don't...

[43:07] Barbara Dixon: That was the first scene?

[43:08] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That was the first scene.

[43:10] Barbara Dixon: I want my money back.

[43:14] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: But it's actually filled with lots of hysterical twists and turns, you know?

[43:19] Barbara Dixon: Switch-em-ups?

[43:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Switch-em-ups. Basically, what ends up happening, spoiler alert, they all need to tell the truth, because Reno Sweeney sings this great song called Blow, Gabriel, Blow, right?

[43:33] Barbara Dixon: Which, again, is another one of those innuendos.

[43:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It is, it is. That song, Blow, Gabriel, Blow, was actually censored from the first movie version because it didn't conform to the motion picture production code. That is truth. And the reason being was that the song was suggestive, of course, because it was about a trumpet, which many consider the most sexual of all instruments. You put your lips on it, there's some fingering involved, and there's a spit valve. It's all very naughty. Continue.

[44:09] Barbara Dixon: Yeah, thank you. But in any case, she uses this song, I guess in an ironic way now that you mention it, to inspire the sinners that may be around her to confess their sins and be saved. And so, in doing so, Moonface Martin confesses that he is, in fact, who he is, not a reverend. And Billy Crocker confesses that he is not public enemy number one, like everyone has been obsessed with throughout the show, that he is, in fact, just plain old Billy Crocker. Which means they both get thrown into the jail in the cruise liner.

[44:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Now, I didn't even know there was, like, cruise jails.

[44:51] Barbara Dixon: Cruise jails.

[44:52] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah.

[44:53] Barbara Dixon: There's gotta be. What kind of people are on a cruise ship anyway? They're all criminals.

[44:58] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: In jail, Billy's feeling very depressed because all he really wanted was hope, and now it seems that literally hope is lost. Moonface manages to build his spirits back up by singing about a bluebird, which is really funny. Trust me on that. And then they break out of jail in yet another disguise. Now, the other person to tell the truth is Sir Evelyn O'Clay, who lets it be known that he once had an affair with a young Chinese girl by the name of Plumblossom. And this, of course, is news to Hope because she didn't know about this tryst. But that gives Reno Sweeney the idea to dress up as Plumblossom so that maybe they can end up together. Anyway, by the end of the show, Reno and Evelyn are together. You got Hope and Billy together. Like, everybody ends up with somebody, and they sing Anything Goes.

[46:00] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I just wanna know, what was the obsession with the Chinese?

[46:05] Barbara Dixon: It's interesting, right?

[46:06] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah.

[46:07] Barbara Dixon: We frown nowadays on words like exotic because it's both derogatory and embarrassing. But back then, anything that wasn't boring and vanilla white was incredibly attractive to Western culture. And so you see a real interest in Cuba, you see a real interest in South America.

[46:33] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right, like in The King and I, musicals like that.

[46:35] Barbara Dixon: Exactly. And then in the East as well, yeah.

[46:38] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So instead of just figuring out a way to be interesting, they just shoehorn ethnicities in there?

[46:45] Barbara Dixon: Yeah, I think so. I think you're exactly right.

[46:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right. You know, speaking of which, interestingly, you know, that title song, Anything Goes, is most famous for being in the opening credits of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. You remember this?

[46:58] Barbara Dixon: Something else that's quite problematic. Absolutely.

[47:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right, that's right.

[47:02] Barbara Dixon: I love me some Indiana Jones.

[47:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right. It was performed by Kate Capshaw, that opening number. And I was up for that role too.

[47:12] Barbara Dixon: You're kidding me.

[47:13] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes, but I didn't get it because I was neither invited nor admitted into the casting sessions.

[47:18] Barbara Dixon: Oh no. Did you storm that audition?

[47:22] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Of course. What do you think?

[47:23] Barbara Dixon: Yeah.

[47:23] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Who do you think I am?

[47:25] Barbara Dixon: You're a goer. You're a getter.

[47:26] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Exactly.

[47:27] Barbara Dixon: The first time that I did Anything Goes, I've done it three times now. We had to change-

[47:31] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Congratulations, darling.

[47:33] Barbara Dixon: Thank you, Barbara. It was, you know, at a small community theater in northern Utah, and we had to change some of the lyrics. And I remember thinking, this song was written in 1930. How is it possibly offensive?

[47:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: What did they consider racy?

[47:50] Barbara Dixon: I think because the lyric says, but now God knows, was kind of considered more of a, like, taking the Lord's name in vain type thing. So we said, but heaven knows. I think also nudist parties. There's a verse about nudist parties and gigolos. Anything Goes.

[48:09] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right. Yes.

[48:09] Barbara Dixon: That one got changed. I don't know what to. Maybe-

[48:12] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Fully clothed parties.

[48:14] Barbara Dixon: Yes. Consensual fully clothed parties.

[48:17] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes, I'm sure.

[48:19] Barbara Dixon: It makes me think, like, if it was that racy when I was younger, what were people in the 30s thinking? Apparently they loved it.

[48:26] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Well, yeah, of course they do. Who doesn't want sex, sex, sex?

[48:31] Barbara Dixon: Which is why Cole Porter is so popular. Are there any other tunes that we haven't mentioned? All Through the Night, which is a beautiful song. Easy to Love. Oh, Easy to Love.

[48:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, that's a gorgeous tune, yes.

[48:43] Barbara Dixon: Is a perfect song, as far as I'm concerned.

[48:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Do you sing yourself, don't you?

[48:49] Barbara Dixon: I do. I do.

[48:51] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And would that be the choice you would make?

[48:53] Barbara Dixon: If I'm going to sing an old school ballad, Easy to Love, top of the list.

[48:59] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: For sure.

[49:00] Barbara Dixon: Do you have a nice rich tone?

[49:03] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I try.

[49:04] Barbara Dixon: Maybe you should sign up for my lessons, darling.

[49:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh my gosh. Well, you know, singing with my sphincter with Barbara Dixon.

[49:11] Barbara Dixon: Exactly. I only charge a low, low price of $250 per 20 minutes.

[49:17] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh my gosh. But do you know what? You probably get results, don't you?

[49:21] Barbara Dixon: I do get results. And that actually reminds me, how much am I getting paid for this podcast?

[49:30] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Your silence leads me to believe it's a huge hefty sum.

[49:33] Barbara Dixon: And I do, I take Venmo. I take, actually, I do not take Venmo. I don't know what that is. I only have a flip phone. But I, but there is a Western Union near my house, if you'd like to wire transfer.

[49:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Western Union. I haven't used that thing in ages, but I'm hoping to just send you a lot of traffic for people who want those business cards and maybe we'll call it even.

[49:55] Barbara Dixon: That could work too, darling.

[49:56] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Great. That would be awesome.

[49:58] Barbara Dixon: Wonderful.

[49:59] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So I have done it a couple of times, like I said. Have you been able to do it? I know that you went in, you know, for that 1960s version, but.

[50:07] Barbara Dixon: Yes, but then, you know, you know, the debacle.

[50:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, of course.

[50:12] Barbara Dixon: I did eventually have the last laugh because in the late 90s, I finally got a chance to play Reno Sweeney.

[50:20] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You're kidding. Oh, Barbara, that makes me so happy.

[50:23] Barbara Dixon: I know I did. And it was anything goes as it was meant to be seen as the featured entertainment on a Serbian cruise liner. My co-stars were a former Yugoslavian weatherman and playing Moonface Martin was whatever passenger won that evening's raffle. So it was a wild mess of a show.

[50:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: What an exercise in yes and.

[50:49] Barbara Dixon: I know, but I did finally get that chance to play Reno for one night only. You see, there was a viral outbreak of Legionnaire's disease the day after we left port. So the ship had to immediately turn around. But I finally accomplished what I set out to do 30 years before, when, you know, the dreams got scuttled by two liters of fish oil. But hey, that's showbiz, right?

[51:14] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It certainly is.

[51:16] Barbara Dixon: The real legacy of anything goes is its timelessness. You can put those tunes in any context and it still works. You know, you could even you could do a version of the show about life in the year 2020 and just change the title to Everything Blows. You know, you have got the covid and your racist uncle voted for Trump again because everything blows. See, it works no matter the time period.

[51:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I think Cole would appreciate it.

[51:47] Barbara Dixon: And I think that it deserves to live on.

[51:49] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So, amen.

[51:52] Barbara Dixon: Anything Goes is a ridiculous, hilarious show that still holds up in many ways and deserves our at least recognition for ushering in just some of the silliest humor that we could ever hope for in a Broadway musical.

[52:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Absolutely.

[52:08] Barbara Dixon: Thank you so much for having me on the show.

[52:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Barbara, thank you. I am honored.

[52:13] Barbara Dixon: I am honored to have you and your presence and your wisdom and everything that is you on this show to talk about a legendary show. Who better to have than a than a legendary performer?

[52:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, thank you so much. It was a delight, you know, and I know I know I said some prickly things about my first love Broadway, but I really do love musical theater. And I just know, even though things are so uncertain right now that we're going to bounce back.

[52:41] Barbara Dixon: Amen, sister.

[52:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The world is an unpredictable, scary place, but I know that sometime in the future, people are going to gather together yet again, huddled in the darkness as one to watch a bunch of people and leotards pretending to be cats.

[53:00] Barbara Dixon: From your mouth to God's ears, Barbara Dixon. Thank you so much.

[53:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Thank you for it. As always, if you have recommendations for shows you'd like us to cover on a musical theater podcast, you can always contact me by email at amusicalpodcast at gmail.com. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram at amusicalpodcast for more great content. And don't forget about our TeePublic store that has great designs based on favorite moments of podcasts past and present. Barbara, one more time. How can we follow you on all things that you're up to?

[53:36] Barbara Dixon: Well, I do have an Instagram, which is at broadwaybarbaraofficial, and you can also email me at broadwaybarbarajima.com and then my website broadwaybarbaraofficial.com for future shows and all the like. But right now, I am putting out a lot of beautiful tutorial videos. My latest is about my health practices. You know, staying trim can be difficult. So I have a smoothie, a special smoothie tutorial on my Instagram if you want to check that out.

[54:15] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Fantastic. I think we will all take a gander.

[54:19] Barbara Dixon: Thank you again, Barbara. And everybody out there, keep tapping your toes.

[54:24] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, keep tapping those tits off.

[54:26] Barbara Dixon: Tap your toes because anything goes.

[54:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You know, the plot of Anything Goes is essentially a love triangle on board a boat. So basically, Titanic, if it had songs and 40% more Billy Zane. You know what? Actually, you could argue that Anything Goes got ripped off by the Titanic musical and, you know, the Titanic movie, and even to a lesser extent, the actual Titanic itself. Everything's derivative of everything.

[55:10] Barbara Dixon: I can't speak. I really should work on my diction.

[55:13] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City.

[55:17] Barbara Dixon: Can you do that?

[55:19] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: No, what?

[55:19] Barbara Dixon: I don't even know what you're saying.

[55:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Sunshine City, Sunshine City.

[55:24] Barbara Dixon: Sunshine City, Sunshine City.

[55:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, that that's a recipe for disaster.

[55:30] Barbara Dixon: I don't know if I should do that one.

[55:31] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: But I do it perfectly.

[55:32] Barbara Dixon: Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City, Sunshine City.

[55:37] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Anyway, now I'm ready.