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REVIEWS
Countryside musical worth going 'Crazy' over
By Ruby Nancy,
"The Quad City Times"
Crazy
for You is one of those beloved 1940s stage musicals —
possibly the best one — and the list of familiar songs from the
show goes on and on: “Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm,”
“Someone to Watch Over Me,” and more.
It’s
got big dance numbers, flashy costumes, and the jokes are actually
funny, too. And the description of the musical is a pretty
accurate description of the current production of this popular
show now playing at Countryside Theatre.
Director/choreographer Shellee Frazee has plenty to be proud of in
this “all singing, all dancing, all Gershwin” show.
As
artistic director at Center Stage Performing Arts Academy in
Davenport
and as a dance instructor and choreographer all over the QC,
Frazee has worked with plenty of dance students. Some of them are
in this show, and she couldn’t ask for better advertisement than
the dancers you see in Crazy for You. They are fabulous —
almost 30 of them in all — and they are the show’s real stars,
too, earning many mid-dance-number bursts of applause.
Of
course, Ted Stephens III does star as Bobby Child, the Easterner
who finds himself face down in the heart of rural Nevada. A
wonderful singer, dancer and actor, Stephens’ high-energy
performance is at the center of all the action. He really can do
all three at once — a perfect “theater three-peat” with
talent and verve to spare. He even plays a character who disguises
himself as another, and does an excellent job with that as well.
A
fabulous romantic hero, Stephens plays Child as both sweet and
determined. He gives him drive and gentleness, and infuses his
work with a rich understanding of the character that comes through
loud and clear. And his footwork on the many, many dance numbers
is great stuff.
Jennifer
Weiman plays Polly, the rough and tumble Westerner that Child
falls in love with, and she is also an excellent dancer, but her
portrayal lacks the warmth and energy it needs. Great to look at
and usually posed well when not dancing, she recites her lines
woodenly. Though a fine singer, the emotional realism and
liveliness required to really deliver the songs isn’t quite
there.
Plenty
of ensemble performers work hard to make the show wonderful, from
the dancing to the verbal and physical humor that help to set this
show apart from more run-of-the-mill musicals. Connie Green turns
in strong work as Lottie, Bobby’s overbearing mother, and Jim
Seward is a complete riot as gruff and thickly-accented theater
director Bela Zangler. And there are more great performances from
the company, too, including the fun bits put together by a motley
band of out-of-work cowboys who moonlight as “actors” in a
local saloon.
Though
some are better than others, the bright flash and dazzle of
costumes for dancers and actors is everywhere. Strong lighting and
special effects are also major contributors here. The music sounds
good, too, with first-rate vocals and orchestra.
Not
too deep (OK, not deep at all), not too long, and loads of fun,
Crazy for You still has plenty to offer. Don’t miss it.
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