‘Crazy For You’ –Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Book by Ken Ludwig. Direction and Choreography by Angelique Ilo. Music Direction by Ken Clifton. Scenic Design by Adam Koch. Lighting Design by Richard Lara. Original Costume Design by William Ivey Long. Sound Design by Daniel Lundberg. Wig/Hair & Make-Up Design by Roxanne De Luna. Presented by Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, Maine, through July 13, 2024.
By Linda Chin
Written by sensational songwriters George and Ira Gershwin for their 1930 musical comedy Girl Crazy, the much-loved tune “I Got Rhythm” was introduced to the New York theatre world by a young singer with a sensational belt who was making her Broadway debut. Practically overnight, the catchy song became a hit, and before long, the newbie – whose stage name was Ethel Merman – became a star. The song’s brilliant chord progressions inspired new jazz variations by Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker; its inventive rhyme sequences and uplifting lyrics sparked recordings by Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and other notable artists; and tap dance greats Gene Kelly and Gregory Hines. “I Got Rhythm” was featured prominently in the Gershwin’s’ 1992 Tony Award-winning Crazy for You.
A throwback to the thirties, Crazy for You tells the story of Bobby Child (a marvelous Max Clayton), the stage-struck son of a wealthy New York banking family who dreams of dancing on Broadway. Bobby’s overbearing mother (a sassy, scene-stealing Sally Struthers) wants him to work in the business and sends him out west to foreclose on an ailing theater. Once a bustling gold mining destination, the dusty town of Deadrock, Nevada, is a one-stoplight, one hotel, one saloon town. It’s also a one-woman town – the spunky postmistress Polly Baker (appealing triple-threat Taylor Aronson) is Deadrock’s only female resident, and when Bobby meets her, he falls hard.
The crazy-talented 27 actors and nine-musician orchestra (led by Ken Clifton) do very ‘nice work’ portraying multiple characters (Struthers appears again as a funny Patricia Fodor of guidebook fame) and bringing the glorious Gershwin songs to life (eleven in the first act alone). Broadway star Max Clayton demonstrates that he is this show’s star vehicle from the moment he steps onto the stage, dances clumsily (!) when showing Bela Zangler (Tony Roach, terrific in channeling Florenz Ziegfeld) what he’s got, or stars in his own fabulous fantasy sequence – tap dancing with Follies Girls as they spill out of a life-size vehicle (“I Can’t Be Bothered Now”).
Clayton lights up the stage whenever he’s on it (seemingly most of the time) and displays vocal stamina with three duets with Aronson (and two solos). But Clayton is also a generous collaborator/ensemble member while being the leading man – in the energetic (and precise) number “Slap That Bass,” he gets the cowboys up dancing, discovering their rhythm and a new lease on life. As Moose, Matthew Victor Carter is one to watch. Impressive, indeed, but there’s more…
In Crazy for You the number “I Got Rhythm” takes center stage as the first act closer. Ogunquit’s rousing rendition by Polly (Aronson) & Company is replete with a corrugated tin roof, silver mining pans, pickaxes, watering cans, and found objects from the town’s feed and hardware store and ends with a bang. Resplendent in period costumes, the showgirls and cowboys stay frozen in picture-perfect poses amidst thunderous applause (or some audience members’ standing ovations).
A word about the formula of many good musicals – those structured in two acts, with an interval (where at Ogunquit Playhouse we can take a break in the lovely outdoor air, talk to new and old friends, and read through our printed hard-copy programs), close the first act on a musical high note but also with a cliffhanger. The enthusiasm during intermission of Crazy for You was palpable, the buzz consistently positive – how could Act II possibly top this?
Ten more musical numbers – several ballads, one campy, one vampy, all artistically excellent, flesh out the storytelling in the second act. The laughs in this romantic musical comedy come from a solid book (by Ken Ludwig) but also from phenomenal physical acting. There are corks that are removed by one actor’s teeth, spit across the stage, and caught by another, bottles that glide across the bar, and actors leaping in the air to catch them. The top of Act II tour-de-force is a hysterical drinking scene between Bobby and Zangler reminiscent of the Marx Brothers’ classic mirror scene from Duck Soup.
Ogunquit Playhouse’s Crazy for You is a musical you will fall in love with. It is a show where the direction and choreography (by the amazing Angelique Ilo) are seamless, where the acting, singing and dancing collectively propel the story forward. It is an old-fashioned romantic musical comedy filled with the comedy, music, and romance that we all need more of in our lives, and terrific tap dancing that taps into your emotions. Who could ask for anything more? For tickets and information, go to: http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/2024-crazy-for-you
