Crazy For You: Review

Editorial

Crazy for You has all the ingredients for a rollicking musical – New York banker who wants to be in showbiz (didn’t everybody in the ‘30s?), domineering mother, desperate fiancée who wants to tie the knot and a lovely girl down on the ranch who wants to look after her pa... Throw in some farm boys, show girls and big Gershwin numbers, and you have a show-stopping musical comedy. Yep, the jokes are corny at times, but somehow it just adds to the charm.

Centre-stage are some of the best songs written for Broadway. I Got Rhythm, Naughty Baby, Embraceable You, Nice Work if You Can Get It, They Can’t Take That Away from Me and Someone to Watch Over Me are just some of the great tunes packed into the score, originally written for the 1930’s musical Girl Crazy.

WAPPA graduates Natalie O’Donnell (Polly) and Christopher Parker (Bobby) lead a multi-talented cast who dance and sings their way across the stages from New York down to Deadrock Nevada. Songbird O’Donnell brings a down-to-earth sweetness to her role as the cowgirl who steals Bobby’s heart and golden-voiced Parker is endearing as Bobby. Anna Burgess’ characterisation as the follies girl being pursued by the director is also a stand-out.

The dance routines are delightful – with some great leaping, tapping and lovely Fred-and-Ginger moves. Parker in particular steps into his dancing shoes with true Astaire-magic and Chloe Dallimore (Irene) pulls off a provocative showstopper in Naughty Baby.

There’s no fancy set in this production – the music carries the show – and it’s a dynamic, energetic re-invention of a 1930s musical with the joy of the song at its heart. As the lights dim and Orchestra Victoria leaps into the overture, you know that an exciting musical ride is about to begin, and that you’ll be smiling the whole way through.

Judith Hatton, Arts Editor, Citysearch
Reviewed at the State Theatre, The Arts Centre, Melbourne on 15 July, 2009