In 1991, retired Texas retailer Roger Horchow convinced Broadway Producer Elizabeth Beck Williams that they should remake George and Ira Gershwin’s 1930 dud “Girl Crazy.” They got permission from the songwriters’ estate and had Ken Ludwig to write a new musical using songs from the Gershwins’ Great American Songbook. The result was “Crazy for You,” which is on stage at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre through April 5.
Ludwig’s musical succeeded where “Girl Crazy” didn’t because Ludwig elected to incorporate beloved Gershwin songs into a fully integrated story rather than writing a revue or a jukebox musical.
“What I do is a completely different art form,” Ludwig observed. “It’s something that happens in a span of two hours on stage. You must tell a story from beginning to end. In my case, I try to touch people’s hearts in a way that matters to me, and a story that matters to me.”
Ludwig chose songs that advanced the story of New York banker Bobby Child. Bobby arrives in the po-dunk town of Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on the town’s decaying opera house. He falls head over heels for the owner’s daughter, Polly Baker, who wants absolutely nothing to do with him. To win her heart and save the theater, he pretends to be a big-time Broadway producer. What ensues is a show filled with witty repartee, light-hearted comedy, mistaken identities and luscious song and dance numbers such as “Slap that Bass” and the act one closing tap de force, “I Got Rhythm.”
In his 1992 review, New York Times critic Frank Rich exclaimed that Ludwig’s riotously entertaining musical initiated a new era of American musicals with a “classic blend of music, laughter, dancing, sentiment and showmanship with a freshness and confidence rarely seen.”
With powerful vocals, imaginative choreography and screened projections, “Crazy for You” exceeds the hype the musical has received since its debut.
Who could ask for anything more?
MORE INFORMATION:
“Crazy for You” is on the main stage at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre through April 5.
It is the 241st show produced by Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
Ken Ludwig is credited with the musical’s co-conception along with Mike Ockrent.
The original choreography was provided by Susan Stroman.
The musical won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Ludwig, who is best known for “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Moon Over Buffalo” and, most recently, “Lady Molly of Scotland Yard,” earned a Tony nomination for the book.
In addition to the three Tony Awards, “Crazy for You” won an Olivier Award in 1993 and the 1994 Dora Award (Toronto) for Best Musical.
For the Broadway Palm production, Ford Haeuser was director and choreographer.
Riley Wesson plays the part of Bobby Child. Liv Pelton plays Polly Baker.
The rest of the cast consists of Kassi Popcevski as Irene Roth; Margaret Warrington as Patricia Fodor; Kyle Munson as Bela Zangler; Robert McCandlish as Eugene Fodor; Jim Heffernan as Everett Baker; Sean Gregory as Lank Hawkins; Nancy Antonio as Mrs. Lottie Child; Sami Doherty as Tess (and Dance Captain); Madeleine Bourgeois as Mitzi; Giselle Meyer as Elaine; Audrey Ella Garland as Betsy; Maya Senecharles as Vera; Remy VanCollen as Moose; Salvador Diaz-DeBose as Mingo; Jaden Kindle as Sam; Colin Denehy at Harry; Trey Plutnicki as Wyatt; Ronan O’Toole as Pete; and Jonathan Woodruff as Custus.
The orchestra is composed of Loren Strickland/Gary Stroh as Conductor/Keyboards; Jordan Aquila, Anthony Fransway and Gary Greenstein on trumpet; George Mancini, Rock Ciccarone, Jeff Lego and Kevin Devitt on trombone; Daniel Klimoski and Adam Costello on woodwinds; and Gary Leone and Bobby Ryonani on drums.
Although George and Ira Gershwin wrote the songs included in “Crazy for You” for other shows, Ludwig culled the Great American Songbook to find songs that fit the new storyline he was crafting for his new musical. To express the excitement of opening night at the theater, he chose “Tonight’s the Night.” For the closing number in act one, he picked “I Got Rhythm.” And for the scene in act two where Bela Zangler discovers that Bobby Child has been impersonating him, he ultimately settled on “What Causes That.”
The latter is one of the most humorous and impressive numbers in the show. In it, Bobby and Bela sit at a table in a saloon and peer at one another as if they were looking at their own reflection in a mirror. That causes Bela to remark at one point, “I’m beside myself.”
Riley Wesson and Liv Pelton turn in remarkable performances in the roles of Bobby and Polly. This is Wesson’s Broadway Palm debut. Pelton was previously seen in the role of Morticia in “The Addams Family.” The summa cum laude Brenau University graduate has also played such noteworthy roles as Sandy in “Grease,” Cynthia Weil in “Beautiful” and Judy Haynes in “White Christmas.”
Sami Doherty in the role of Tess also anchors an excellent dance ensemble.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.