Crazy For You – Who could ask for anything more? Me!
With the celebration of the United States’ semiquincentennial on July 4 marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, there has been a renewed sense of American history. In the lobby of the Goodspeed Opera House, a display marks “150 Years on the River.”
“William Goodspeed builds an ornate Victorian opera house for East Haddam,” reads the first entry from 1876, “envisioned as a grand civic hub where commerce, community life, and the performing arts could thrive together. Some local residents are skeptical and call it “Goodspeed’s Folly.”
And after a recent performance of Crazy For You, I’m definitely not in the “Goodspeed’s Folly” camp because it’s one of the best and most entertaining musicals I’ve seen on the river - or anywhere. It has romance, lots of laugh out loud moments, humor, slapstick comedy, wicked cool costumes, tap dancing (lots of it), familiar songs, great acting – I mean, who could ask for anything more? As soon as the curtain rises you know you are in for a great show and you will leave the theatre wanting more of the show.
The story begins on Broadway as Bobby Child, played brilliantly by leading man Will Burton, who is auditioning for a show and is under the watchful eye of his demanding wife and mother. He is sent to Deadrock Nevada to foreclose on a shuttered theater and winds up falling for Polly Baker, played by the lovely and talented Brittany Zeinstra.
Burton and Zeinstra play their roles so well and are one of those stage couples you immediately want to get behind and root for. Zeinstra shines with a tough exterior, but soft inside as she pretty much runs Deadrock. I’ve always loved the song “Someone To Watch Over Me” and Zeinstra’s version made me fall in love all over again.
Bela Zangler is well-played by Edward Juvier and his scene with Burton as Zangler (you will understand when you see the show) is performed to perfection with tons of laughs. Michele Ragusa does double-duty as Mother and Patricia Fodor with some great lines. And Ragusa and Colin Bradbury are scene stealers as the travel-writing duo.
The ensemble cast is great and memorable, so much so they deserve to be named in this review: Claire Avakian, Willie Clyde Beaton II, Colin Bradbury, Courtney Brady, Kailee Regan Brandt, Katie Scarlett Brunson, Samuel Colina, Bradley Gibbins-Klein, Kelly Gleason, Taylor Lane, Brian Shimasaki Liebson and Griffin Wilkins. Singing, dancing, stunts, gunfights – everything they performed was spot-on great. Special shoutout to Gibbins-Klein and his bass fiddle/double bass skills (sort of) as the audience watched a strategically tucked away musician perform.
The show was directed and well-paced by Michael Fling, Goodspeed’s associate artistic director. Kelli Barclay choreographed the production, and I could watch the tap-dancing numbers all night. Music direction was perfect by Goodspeed’s resident Music Director Adam Souza. Once again, the tight quarters of Goodspeed were used to perfection this time by scenic designer Ann Beyersdorfer. And all those costumes from pink and feathery dancers to cowboys were over-the-top (that’s a good thing!) designed by Joseph Shrope.
Who could ask for anything more? Me, me and me.
Crazy For You runs through Aug. 16. Curtain times are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2 p.m.), Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week at 11 a.m., or online at goodspeed.org.
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