Winner of the Tony, Olivier and Helen Hayes Awards for Best Musical of the Year – and seen nationwide on PBS Great Performances - Crazy For You ran for four years on Broadway and three in London and has become a fixture in the world of musical comedy since its debut.
Set in the 1930s, it is the story of Bobby Child, the sweet son of a wealthy New York banking family, whose dream in life is to dance on Broadway.
Memorable Gershwin tunes include “Shall We Dance,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” and over ten more Gershwin standards.
Complete with flashy showgirls and singing cowboys, Crazy for You is the musical of our dreams.
Recent News and Reviews
Reviews
"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. The miracle has been worked here most ingeniously, though not exclusively, by an extraordinary choreographer named Susan Stroman and the playwright Ken Ludwig."
- Frank Rich, The New York Times
Sean Palmer, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
Clare Foster, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
Sean Palmer & Clare Foster, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
Amanda Paulson and Kristen Beth Williams, North Shore Music Theatre. Photo by Paul Lyden.
"It is heaven on earth. Everything an American musical comedy should be."
- The New Yorker
"It's no easy task writing a new book for a half a dozen of the best songs ever written for Broadway, and keeping the style of the song-writers, especially when they happen to be named George and Ira Gerwhin, but that's just what Lend Me A Tenor's Ken Ludwig has done with his newest, Crazy For You, the absolutely smashing, razzle-dazzle musical which opened Wednesday night at the Shubert Theater."
- CBS-Radio
"The brass and the gold of Broadway are back! Ludwig excels in wonderful vaudeville put-down and shows off his neat timing for comedy. Crazy For You will doubtless have audiences crazy for it through a blissfully indefinite future."
- The New York Post
"An explosion of joy! Something scrumptious indeed. Things are looking up!"
- The New York Daily News
"A firecracker of a show! A fizzy new libretto by Ken Ludwig and the choreography of your dreams by Susan Stroman."
- USA Today
"This show has enough energy to light up Broadway for a decade, and that's how long it may run. Crazy For You is a knockout smash hit."
- WNYW-New York
"Ken Ludwig delivers surprise after surprise. He has written one of the funniest shows around."
- The Philadelphia Enquirer
"A Great Broadway Musical! A show to take your kids to. … A show friends come in from out-of-town just to see!"
- WABC-TV
"Pure Joy! The concept is brilliant."
- Newsweek
"A knockout smash hit! Great music, witty lyrics … and a nonstop sense of fun."
- WNYW-TV
"Wow! What at show! It is absolutely fabulous!"
- WWOR-TV
"Broadway's newest hit! It's terrific!"
- NBC-TV
"Frantically funny!"
- Malden Observer
"From screwball start to dreamy finish, "Crazy for You" practically floats over the Kirkwood stage. Under the direction of Michael Hamilton, it makes a delicious close to Stages' 2007 season."
- Judy Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
FULL REVIEWS
Broadway Production, Shubert Theatre
The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
The New Yorker
John W. Engeman Theatre at Northport Production
The New York Times
North Shore Music Theatre Production
Malden Observer
Broadway World.com
AWARDS
3 Tony Awards – for Best Musical, Choreographer and Costume Designer
9 Tony Nominations, including Best Book of a Musical
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical from the London Society of West End Theatres
The Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical of the Year
3 Outer Critics Circle Awards – for Best Musical, Choreographer and Design
2 Drama Desk Awards – for Best Musical and Choreographer.
Original Cast and Creative Team
Source: Internet Broadway Database.
Theatre Owned / Operated by The Shubert Organization (Gerald Schoenfeld: Chairman; Bernard B. Jacobs: President)
Produced by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams; Associate Producer: Richard Godwin and Valerie Gordon
Music by George Gershwin; Lyrics by Ira Gershwin; Book by Ken Ludwig; Conceived by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent; Inspired by material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan; Dance arrangements by Peter Howard; Incidental music arranged by Peter Howard; Music orchestrated by William D. Brohn; Musical Director: Paul Gemignani; Additional lyrics by Gus Kahn and Desmond Carter; Additional orchestrations by Sid Ramin
Directed by Mike Ockrent; Choreographed by Susan Stroman; Associate Director: Steven Zweigbaum; Assistant Choreographer: Chris Peterson
Scenic Design by Robin Wagner; Costume Design by William Ivey Long; Lighting Design by Paul Gallo; Sound Design by Otts Munderloh; Hair Design by Angela Gari; Make-Up Consultant: Randy Mercer; Additional Hair Styles and Principal Wigs by Paul Huntley; Assistant Scenic Design: Dave Peterson, Atkin Pace and Maureen Going; Associate Costume Design: Scott Traugott; Assistant Costume Design: Nancy Palmatier; Associate Lighting Design: Michael Lincoln; Assistant Lighting Design: Robert Jared and Vivien Leone; Assistant to Mr. Gallo: David Weiner; Assistant Sound Design: Scott Sanders
General Manager: Gatchell & Neufeld, Ltd.; Company Manager: Abbie M. Strassler
Production Manager: Peter Fulbright; Stage Manager: John Bonanni and Mindy Farbrother; Production Stage Manager: Steven Zweigbaum
Musical Consultant: Tommy Krasker; Assistant Conductor: Pam Drews Phillips; Orchestra Contractor: Ronald Sell; Concert Master: Suzanne Ornstein; Violin: Suzanne Ornstein, Martin Agee, Ann Leathers, Aloysia Friedmann, Laura Corcos and John Connelly; Cello: Scott Ballantyne and Deborah Assael; Bass: Charles Bageron; Woodwinds: Les Scott, John Moses, Andrew Drelles, Charles Millard and John Campo; Horns: Ronald Sell and Michael Ishii; Trumpets: Wilmer Wise and David Brown; Trombones: Bruce Eidem and Dean Plank; Keyboards: Pam Drews Phillips; Drums: Paul Pizutti; Percussion: Thad Wheeler; Guitar/Banjo: Andrew Schwartz
Casting: Hughes / Moss Casting; Fight direction by B. H. Barry; General Press Representative: Bill Evans & Associates; Fight Captain: Ray Roderick; Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.; Illustration by Kim Whitesides; Production Associate: Diana L. Fairbanks; Photographer: Joan Marcus; Press Representative: Susan L. Schulman
The production opened on Feb 19, 1992 with the following cast:
POLLY BAKER—Jodi Benson; BOBBY CHILD—Harry Groener; BELA ZANGLER—Bruce Adler; LANK HAWKINS—John Hillner; IRENE ROTH—Michele Pawk; PETE, ENSEMBLE—Fred Anderson; WYATT, ENSEMBLE—Jeffrey Lee Broadhurst; PERKINS, CUSTUS, ENSEMBLE—Gerry Burkhardt; EVERETT BAKER—Ronn Carroll; MOTHER—Jane Connell; ELAINE, ENSEMBLE—Pamel Everett; HARRY, ENSEMBLE—Joel Goodness; MINGO THE MANHATTAN RYTHM KINGS, ENSEMBLE—Tripp Hanson; SUSIE, ENSEMBLE—Ida Henry; JIMMY, ENSEMBLE—Michael Kubla; TESS—Beth Leavel; MITZI, ENSEMBLE—Paula Leggett; PATSY, ENSEMBLE—Stacey Logan; BETSY, ENSEMBLE—Penny Ayn Maas; LOUISE, ENSEMBLE—Jean Marie; MARGIE, ENSEMBLE—Salomé Mazard; MOOSE, ENSEMBLE—Brian M. Nalepka; JUNIOR, ENSEMBLE—Casey Nicholaw; SHEILA, ENSEMBLE—Judine Hawkins Richárd; BILLY, ENSEMBLE—Ray Roderick; VERA, ENSEMBLE—Louise Ruck; SAM, ENSEMBLE—Hal Shane; EUGENE—Stephen Temperley; PATRICIA—Amelia White
Swings: Ken Lundie , Chris Peterson and Maryellen Scilla
Understudies: Gerry Burkhardt (Everett Baker), Michael Kubala (Bobby Child, Lank Hawkins, Bela Zangler), Beth Leavel (Polly Baker), Paula Leggett (Tess), Penny Ayn Maas (Patsy), Jessica Molaskey (Irene Roth, Patricia), Casey Nicholaw (Eugene) and Amelia White (Mother)
Crazy For You opened in a revival in London’s West End following a run at Regent’s Park Theatre with the following cast and creative team:
Previewed 28 July 2011, Opened 8 August 2011, Closed 10 September 2011 at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre; Previewed 8 October 2011, Opened 17 October 2011, Closed 17 March 2012 at the Novello Theatre
Directed by Timothy Sheader, with designs by Peter McKintosh, choreography by Stephen Mear, lighting by Tim Mitchell, and sound by Mike Walker.
The cast at London's Open Air Theatre and the West End's Novello Theatre featured Sean Palmer as 'Bobby Child', Clare Foster as 'Polly Baker', David Burt as 'Bela Zangler', Harriet Thorpe as 'Lottie Child'/'Patricia Fodor', Sidney Livingstone as 'Everett Baker', Kim Medcalf as 'Irene Roth', and Michael McKell as 'Lank Hawkins', with Lucy Anderson as 'Louise', Jessica Buckby as 'Betsy', Cara Elston as 'Mitzi', Charlene Ford as 'Elaine', Joanna Goodwin as 'Margie', Amy Griffiths as 'Susie', Samuel Holmes as 'Perkins'/'Jimmy'/'Eugene Fodor', Richard Jones as 'Junior', Joshua Lacey as 'Wyatt', Jo Morris as 'Vera', Harry Morrison as 'Sam', James O'Connell as 'Billy', Alexis Owen Hobbs as 'Patsy', Carl Sanderson as 'Moose', Phil Snowden as 'Pete', Rachel Stanley as 'Tess', and Stephen Whitson as 'Mingo'.
The West End cast at the Novello was expanded with four swings: Michelle Andrews, Stuart Dawes, Joshua Lay, Holly Dale Spencer.