Crazy for You

What a fabulous production this was. Fast paced and slick, with beautiful costumes, amazing scenery and great dance routines. Everything came together to produce a cracking show that had humour, stunning vocals and glorious chorus numbers.

The show was brilliantly cast demonstrating the depth of talent in the company.  Topping the bill, the stage-struck Bobby Childs impressed throughout with an easy, confident style that made him instantly likeable from the start.  His strong vocals and movement did justice to the great Gershwin hits although where he really shone was in his acting.  His comic timing was superb too, most supremely evident in the second half where he mirrors the drunken antics of Bela Zangler in the saloon. The scene was hilarious. Likewise, Polly Baker gave a stand-out performance with a relaxed, effortless style.  Her singing was first-rate, as was her acting, and her feisty character complimented Bobby’s youthful enthusiasm.  This was such a strong pairing of undoubted star quality and exceptional talent - they could easily have graced the West End stage.

Bela Zangler was yet another memorable character, whose accent and mannerisms were both ridiculous and believable.  It was a wonderfully entertaining performance not least in the already mentioned scene where he mirrors Bobby Childs. Irene Roth was a sultry socialite who really came to the fore in her sexy rendition of Naughty Baby. Lank Hawkins, as the downbeat saloon keeper, was powerless to resist her advances. Bobby’s mother, Lottie Child, made a terrific entrance in an amazing car and played the overbearing American Mother with great panache and a most convincing American accent. Tess and Patsy led the Follies brilliantly.  They were well rounded believable characters who both danced well and had all the enthusiasm and energy needed for the young dancing girls.

There were also several supporting roles that made their mark.  Polly’s father, Everett Baker was most convincing as the stubborn theatre manager stuck in the past.  Eugene and Patricia Fodor provided a lovely cameo as eccentric tourists visiting the town and had great fun with their scenes, notably the ‘Stiff upper lip’ number. Moose really stood out with his distinctive hillbilly look and hilarious reactions. His Double Bass playing was entirely believable and helped to make ‘Slap that Bass’ one of shows most impressive set-pieces.  Together with Mingo and Sam, the cowboy trio provided some very enjoyable moments and close harmonies. They even managed to tap dance!

The Follies were excellent in their stunning outfits, looking so glamorous in their lavish over the top dance routines. They were well rehearsed and worked extremely well as an ensemble. Likewise the Cowboys were a tight-knit group with some wonderfully drawn characterisations amongst them.  They made the most of the slapstick comedy and moved well in the various dance routines. 

Choreography was just right for the period with lots of variation and some beautiful ensemble work. There were some excellent tap numbers and lovely shapes, especially with the Follies.  Perhaps there wasn’t any spare teaching time, but I would like to have seen more varied tap steps in Bobby’s solos. A minor niggle though, as everything else about the choreography was outstanding.

The singing was well rehearsed, with some excellent harmonies and ensemble work.  The band was also fantastic with a lovely jazzy brass section that really punched out the beautiful Gershwin melodies.

Overall, this was a very slick, skilfully directed production that was hugely entertaining and funny.  It justifiably received a rapturous ovation from the audience when the curtain finally came down. This really was a singing and dancing sensation with beautiful costumes, stunning sets, great acting and plenty of laughs – a first class production to mark the company’s return to the Theatre Royal stage after its two year absence.  

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