Crazy For You - Goodspeed Opera House

A classic Goodspeed musical mines the Great American Songbook, and includes plenty of dancing.  A lot of dancing, especially tap-dancing extravaganzas.  The theater’s summer offering, Crazy For You, has all that…and much more.  Director Michael Fling has crafted a light-hearted piece of escapism that will invigorate anyone suffering the summertime blues.  He effortlessly has the production glide from scene to scene, helped immensely by Choreographer Kelli Barclay’s seemingly non-stop dance numbers.  For example, Will Burton, who stars as Bobby Child, a would-be banker that wants a life on the musical theater stage, hardly gets to rest during the first 15 minutes of the show as he moves from one crowd-pleasing tap dance production number to another.  Ms. Barclay’s routines are also helped by Paige Seber’s Lighting Design which, in some numbers, bathes the dancers in a heavenly glow.

Will Burton and the cast of Goodspeed's Crazy For You. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The book by Ken Ludwig is breezy, full of amusing quips, and mistaken identities.  The premise is right out of the Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney playbook of “let’s put on a show.”  New York playboy Bobby Child is sent off by his controlling mother, to a laid-back mining town in Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on an aging theater.  Once there, he quickly falls for the local gal, Polly, a straight-talking, no-nonsense postal official, who’s father just happens to own the woe-be-gone performance hall.  To save the theater, and win Polly’s heart, Child disguises himself as a famous Broadway producer, and brings in a train load of his New York showgirl friends to stage a high-energy, fund-raising spectacular.  Unfortunately, the scheme doesn’t exactly work out.  Bobby and Polly have a falling out, but true love does prevail by the show’s graceful ending.

The cast of Goodspeed's Crazy For You. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

 

The score to Crazy For You is a cavalcade of Gershwin classics, taken from a number of their shows.  Under the steady hand of Music Director Adam Souza, each shimmers and glows.  They include such well-known songs as “I Can’t Be Bothered Now,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Slap That Bass,” and “I Got Rhythm.”  And those are just in Act I!

 

The cast is marvelous, led by the aforementioned Will Burton, who exudes a winning combination of verve and naivety.  Brittany Zeinstra’s Polly Baker deliciously mixes a serious demeanor with a winsome outlook on love.  She and Burton have a delightful chemistry that fosters an overall enjoyment of the musical.   

 

Brittany Zeinstra and Will Burton with Claire Avakian, Courtney Brady and Kelly Gleason in Goodspeed's Crazy For You.  Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

Many in the supporting cast are worth noting.  They include Jeremy Davis, as Polly’s doleful father Everett.  His character mopes about the stage until it’s dance time, when the Broadway veteran shows off some fancy footwork.   Edward Juvier is splendid, radiating bluster and charm as the impresario Bela Zangler.   Hailey Thomas is the very essence of repressed indignation as the put-upon fiancée Irene Roth, while David Andrew Morton imbues the character of Lank Hawkins, the saloon owner seeking ownership of said theater, with a harried irritation that livens up stage.

 

Will Burton and the cast of Goodspeed's Crazy For You. Photo by Diane Sobolewski

 

The Scenic Design by Anny Beyersdorfer flits from gray, starker tones for the New York City backdrops to a brighter palette for the scenes in Dreadlock, which are a series of aged wood structures.  Joseph Shrope’s Costume Designs, primarily for the showgirls, are a cornucopia of bright colors and exotic creations.  She keeps the color palette of the Dreadrock denizens the same vibrant shades.

Crazy For You, now playing at the Goodspeed Opera House through August 16.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.