Crazy for You is a musical with a book by
Ken LudwigKen Ludwig is an American playwright and theatre director.Born in York, Pennsylvania, Ludwig was educated at York Suburban Senior High School, York PA Haverford College, Harvard Law School, and Trinity College at Cambridge University...
, lyrics by
Ira GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
, and music by
George GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
. Billed as “The New Gershwin Musical Comedy”, it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 production,
Girl CrazyGirl Crazy is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. It is remembered as the show that made stars of both Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman, in her Broadway debut Girl Crazy is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira...
, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well.
Crazy for You won the 1992
Tony Award for Best MusicalThis is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack -1950s:* 1950: South Pacific – Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by...
.
Production history
The
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
production was directed by
Mike OckrentMike Ockrent was a British stage director, well-known both for his Broadway musicals and smaller niche plays. He was educated at Highgate School. From directing Educating Rita and Follies, he became an established figure on the London scene...
and choreographed by
Susan StromanSusan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer.-Early years:Stroman was born in Wilmington, Delaware, to Frances and Charles Stroman. She was exposed to show tunes by her piano-playing salesman father. She began studying dance, concentrating on jazz,...
. After 10 previews, it opened at the
Shubert TheatreThe Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States.Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert, the second oldest of the three brothers of the theatrical producing family...
on February 19, 1992 and ran for 1,622 performances. The cast included
Jodi BensonJodi Benson is an American voice actress and soprano singer. She is best known for providing the speaking voice as well as the singing voice of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels...
as Polly,
Harry GroenerHarry Groener is an American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Personal life:...
as Bobby Child,
Bruce AdlerBruce Adler was an American Broadway actor. After debuting on the Broadway stage in the 1979 revival of Oklahoma!, he went on to a career that saw him nominated for Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Those Were the Days and Crazy for You...
as Bela Zangler, John Hillner as Lank Hawkins,
Michele PawkMichele Pawk is an American actress and singer.-Biography:Born in Butler, Pennsylvania, Pawk attended Allegheny College and the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, after which she spent a year working in a musical revue at Disney World...
as Irene Roth, Jane Connell as Mother,
Beth LeavelBeth Leavel is an American Tony Award winning, stage and screen actress.-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and grew up in Harrington Park, New Jersey. She attended Meredith College in her undergraduate years and completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North...
as Tess(Leavel also understudied Benson), Ronn Carroll as Everett Baker, and Stephen Temperley and Amelia White as Eugene and Patricia Fodor. The Manhattan Rhythm Kings played cowboys Mingo, Moose, and Sam, singing in their trademark close harmony.
In his review in
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
,
Frank RichFrank Rich is a center-left New York Times columnist who focuses on American politics and popular culture. His column ran on the front page of the Sunday Arts & Leisure section from 2003 to 2005; it now appears in the expanded Sunday Week in Review section.-Early career:Rich graduated from Harvard...
enthused, “When future historians try to find the exact moment at which Broadway finally rose up to grab the musical back from the British, they just may conclude that the revolution began last night. The shot was fired at the Shubert Theater, where a riotously entertaining show called
Crazy for You uncorked the American musical’s classic blend of music, laughter, dancing, sentiment and showmanship with a freshness and confidence rarely seen during the
Cats decade . . .
Crazy for You scrapes away decades of cabaret and jazz and variety-show interpretations to reclaim the Gershwins’ standards, in all their glorious youth, for the dynamism of the stage.”
A cast album was released by
Angel RecordsAngel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
.
The
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world...
production, directed by Ockrent, choreographed by Stroman, and starring
Ruthie HenshallValentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
, Kirby Ward, and
Chris LanghamChristopher Langham is a BAFTA award-winning British writer, actor and comedian. He is most famous for playing MP Hugh Abbot in BBC Four sitcom The Thick of It and as presenter Roy Mallard in People Like Us, first on BBC Radio 4 and later on its transfer to television on BBC Two, where Mallard is...
, opened at the
Prince Edward TheatreThe Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster.The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet...
on March 3, 1993 and ran for nearly three years .
On October 20, 1999, the PBS series
Great PerformancesGreat Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on PBS since 1972. The show is produced by WNET in New York City....
broadcast a production directed by Matthew Diamond, who was nominated for the
Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
for Outstanding Direction of a Variety or Music Program.
On October 18th 2009, a showtime challenge, charity gala performance of Crazy For You directed by
Katherine HareKatherine Elizabeth Hare is an English theatre director.-Early years:Hare was born in Cambridge, England to John Hare, a farmer, and Celia Hare...
and choreographed by Racky Plews was given by Eyebrow Productions at the London Palladium. Eyebrow are well known for their unique Showtime Challenges, where all aspects of the show are rehearsed and performed in 48 hours. All proceeds went to Cecily's Fund. .
Musical numbers
Act I
- Overture
- K-ra-zy for You (from Treasure Girl)
- I Can't Be Bothered Now
"I Can't Be Bothered Now" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1937 film A Damsel In Distress, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire.-Notable recordings:...
(from A Damsel in DistressA Damsel in Distress is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. With a screenplay by P. G...
)
- Bidin' My Time
"Bidin' My Time" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by The Foursome in the 1930 musical Girl Crazy.-Notable recordings:...
(from Girl Crazy)
- Things Are Looking Up
"Things Are Looking Up" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress.-Notable recordings:...
(from A Damsel in Distress)
- Could You Use Me (from Girl Crazy)
- Shall We Dance? (from Shall We Dance
Shall We Dance is the seventh of the ten Astaire-Rogers musical comedy films, released in 1937. The idea for this film originated in the studio's desire to exploit the successful formula created by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart with their 1936 Broadway hit On Your Toes, which featured an American...
)
- Entrance to Nevada (Bronco Busters)
- Someone to Watch Over Me
"Someone to Watch Over Me" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin from the musical Oh, Kay! , where it was introduced by Gertrude Lawrence...
(from Oh, Kay)
- Slap That Bass
"Slap That Bass" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, introduced by Fred Astaire and Dudley Dickerson in the 1937 film Shall We Dance.The song refers to the slap style of double bass playing that was popular at the time....
(from Shall We Dance)
- Embraceable You
"Embraceable You" is a popular song, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was originally written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named East is West. It was eventually published in 1930 and included in the Broadway musical Girl Crazy. where it was performed by...
(from Girl Crazy)
- Tonight's the Night (Lyrics By Gus Kahn
Gustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family immigrated to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
and Ira Gershwin)
- I Got Rhythm
"I Got Rhythm" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, published in 1930, which became a widely-known jazz standard...
(from Girl Crazy)
Act 2
- The Real American Folk Song Is a Rag
"The Real American Folk Song " is a 1918 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was the first Gershwin song to be performed on Broadway, where it was introduced by Nora Bayes in the 1918 musical Look Who's Here....
(from Ladies First)
- What Causes That? (from Treasure Girl)
- Naughty Baby (Music by Desmond Carter)
- Stiff Upper Lip
"Stiff Upper Lip" is a 1937 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It references the British expression 'Stiff upper lip'.It was introduced by Gracie Allen in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress.-Notable recordings:...
(from A Damsel in Distress)
- They Can't Take That Away from Me
"They Can't Take That Away From Me" is a 1937 song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film Shall We Dance....
(from Shall We Dance)
- But Not For Me
"But Not for Me" is a popular song, composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was written for their musical Girl Crazy and introduced in the original production by Ginger Rogers...
(from Girl Crazy)
- But Not for Me (Reprise)
- New York Interlude (Concerto in F)
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
"Nice Work If You Can Get It" is a popular song.The music was written by George Gershwin, the lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was one of nine songs George Gershwin wrote for the movie A Damsel in Distress, in which it was performed by Fred Astaire with backing vocals provided by The Stafford Sisters...
(from A Damsel in Distress)
- Bidin' My Time (French Reprise)
- Things Are Looking Up (Reprise)
- Finale
Synopsis
The curtain opens backstage at the Zangler Theater in
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
in the 1930s. The last performance of the Zangler Follies is wrapping up for the season and Tess, the Dance Director, is dodging the advances of the married Mr. Zangler. Bobby Child, the rich son of a banking family, is backstage hoping for an audition with Zangler. Bobby performs "Crazy for You," but fails to impress Zangler after landing on Zangler's toe during the final flourish of his dance routine. Dejected, Bobby heads outside.
Bobby is met by Irene, the wealthy woman to whom he has been engaged for five years, and then by his mother who demands that Bobby carry out her piece of banking business for her. Bobby is told to go to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a rundown theatre. As the women argue over him, Bobby imagines dancing with the Follies Girls and joins them in a rousing rendition of "I Can't Be Bothered Now." Brought back to reality, Bobby decides to escape to Nevada.
When Bobby arrives in Deadrock, it is clear that the coal-mining town has seen better days. The men, who are cowboys, sing "Bidin' My Time" in a long, slow drawl. Everett Baker receives a letter from New York warning of the bank foreclosing on the Gaiety Theater. The only woman left in this forlorn town is Everett's daughter, the spunky Polly Baker, who vows to get even with Bobby Child if she ever meets him.
Bobby enters the town, almost dying of thirst, and falls in love with Polly at first sight, not realizing who she is, and expresses his excitement in "Things Are Looking Up." Lank Hawkins, the owner of Deadrocks Saloon, and ardent suitor of Polly, is not pleased to see a rival for Polly's affections.
Bobby finds himself in quite a bind. If he forecloses on the theater he will lose the girl of his dreams. Inspired, he comes up with the idea of putting on a show to pay off the mortgage. Polly agrees to this plan until she finds out who he is-- that banker from New York! Bobby is heartbroken, but he decides to put on the show anyway, disguised as Zangler. Polly, deeply hurt, expressed her loneliness in "Someone to Watch Over Me."
A few days later, ten Follies Girls on vacation from The Zangler Follies appear like a mirage in the desert. Bobby has asked them to help stage a spectacular show in Deadrock. When the men of Deadrock see the girls, the sleepy town becomes very lively. Lank Hawkins continues to express extreme dislike for the show, threatening to shoot Bobby. Rehearsals for the show are not going well and the Cowboys in particular are terrible dancers. Bobby changes all that in the course of one rehearsal with the song "Slap That Bass". Spirits are now at a high point. Meanwhile, to Bobby's dismay, Irene arrives, threatening to expose Bobby's charade, and Polly has fallen in love with Bobby's impersonation of Zangler. She expresses her love for Zangler with the song "Embraceable You."
Opening night arrives, but everyone is disappointed to find that the only people to arrive into the town are Eugene and Patricia Fodor, British tourists writing a guidebook on the American West. What starts out as a disappointment changes into the realization that the show has galvanized the once-sleepy town. They celebrate with a spirited rendition of "I Got Rhythm" while the real Zangler stumbles un-noticed into the town.
Act Two opens in Lank's saloon where Bobby is professing his love to Polly. Unfortunately, she is still in love with the man who she thinks is Zangler. Bobby is about to convince Polly that he has been impersonating "Zangler" when the real Zangler stumbles into the saloon looking for Tess.
Zangler finds Tess, but refuses her request to produce the show. Tess storms off, Zangler, now drunk after being disgusted by the town, bemoans his fate. Bobby, dressed like Zangler, reels in to drown his sorrow over losing Polly. The two men act as mirror images of each other, and lament their lost loves in "What Causes That."
The next morning, Polly sees the two Zanglers and realizes what has happened. She slaps Bobby and leaves in a huff, while the townsfolk prepare for a meeting at the theater to discuss what to do with the show. Irene, immensely frustrated with Bobby, seduces Lank in "Naughty Baby".
The townsfolk are all now gathered at the theatre. Bobby is all for trying the show again, while Polly thinks they should abandon the venture. The Fodors counsel the dejected townspeople to keep a "Stiff Upper Lip," which includes a parody of the barricade scene from
Les MisérablesLes Misérables is a novel by French author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century...
but by the end of the song, only Polly, Everett, Bobby, and Tess still think the show should continue.
Everyone but Bobby and Polly leave the theater; Bobby prepares to leave for New York, professing that his memories of Polly will never fade in "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Polly realizes, too late, that she does love Bobby, and after he leaves, laments her loss in "But Not For Me."
Meanwhile, Bela Zangler decides to put on the show as a favor to Tess; the two seem to be in love once more. Although he had been planning to cast Bobby as the lead, he makes Polly the star of the show after learning that Bobby has left.
Six weeks later, Bobby is still thinking of Deadrock as he works for his mother's bank. For his birthday, Mrs. Child gives him the Zangler theater (Zangler has used all his money on the show in Deadrock). While initially ecstatic, Bobby realizes that his love for Polly is worth more in "Nice Work if You Can Get It," and leaves for Deadrock with Mrs. Child to pursue her.
Polly, meanwhile, has decided to leave for New York to look for Bobby, who enters Deadrock just after she leaves. As he leaves the stage to "wash up" before driving back to New York to catch her, Bobby's mother and Irene (who is now married to Lank) notice each other, and start an argument. Everett notices Mrs. Child, and falls head-over-heels in love with her, as shown in a reprise of "Things Are Looking Up." His affections are reciprocated, and immediately afterwards, Polly reenters with Custus, one of the cowboys. Custus is trying to give Polly a ride to the station, but his car has run out of gas, and she has missed the train to New York. The townspeople concoct a plan, and Polly and Bobby are reunited in the "Finale."
Note: While
Eugene FodorEugene Fodor was an American writer of travel literature of Hungarian origin.-Biography:Fodor was born in Léva, Hungary Eugene Fodor was an American writer of travel literature of Hungarian origin.-Biography:Fodor was born in Léva, Hungary Eugene Fodor ' onMouseout='HidePop("1375")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Europe">Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
.
Awards and nominations
- Tony Award for Best Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack -1950s:* 1950: South Pacific – Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by...
(winner)
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible...
(nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly announced since...
(Harry Groener, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Jodi Benson, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947.- 1940s :* 1947: David Wayne – Finian's Rainbow* 1948: no award* 1949: no award...
(Bruce Adler, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design
These are the winners and nominees for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The award was first presented in 1947 and included both plays and musicals...
(William Ivey LongWilliam Ivey Long is an American Tony Award-winning costume designer for stage and film. His most notable work includes The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens and Young Frankenstein....
, winner)
- Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
This is a list of the winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a play or musical, first presented in 1970. In 2005 the category was divided with each genre represented separately.-1970s:* 1970: Jo Mielziner – Child's Play* 1971: R.H...
(Paul Gallo, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Choreography
-1940s:* 1947: Agnes de Mille – Brigadoon / Michael Kidd – Finian's Rainbow* 1948: Jerome Robbins – High Button Shoes* 1949: Gower Champion – Lend An Ear-1950s:* 1950: Helen Tamiris – Touch and Go* 1951: Michael Kidd – Guys and Dolls...
(winner)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions...
(nominee)
- Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award, presented since 1955, is the only award that recognizes excellence in shows produced in all sectors of New York theatre, including Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and legitimate not-for-profit theaters. It is widely considered one of the top American theater awards...
for Outstanding Musical (winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Bruce Adler, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Michele Pawk, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography (winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestration/Musical Adaptation (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costumes (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award Outstanding Set Design (Robin Wagner
Robin Wagner is an award-winning American scenic designer.Born Robin Samuel Anton Wagner in San Francisco, he attended art school and started his career in theatres in that city with designs for Don Pasquale, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Tea and Sympathy, and Waiting for Godot, among others...
, nominee)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical (winner)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director of a Musical (nominee)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer (winner)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Entertainment (Kirby Ward, nominee)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment (Ruthie Henshall, nominee)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical (Chris Langham, nominee)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Set Designer (Robin Wagner, winner)
External links