Jeffry Denman and Amanda Watkins to Star in North Shore Crazy for You

By Andrew Gans26 Mar 2007Casting is now complete for the North Shore Music Theatre's upcoming production of Crazy for You, which will kick off the 2007 musical season at the Massachusetts venue.Directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, the Gershwin musical will play the North Shore April 24-May 13 with an official opening April 26. Playbill.com has learned that Jeffry Denman, who will soon be seen in the City Center Encores! production of Face the Music, and Amanda Watkins will head the cast as, respectively, Bobby Child and Polly Baker. They will be joined onstage by Dan Amboyer (Lank Hawkins), Maureen Brennan (Mother), Gordon Baird (Eugene Fodor), David Coffee (Bela Zangler), John O'Creagh (Everett Baker), Lyn Philistine (Irene Roth) and Tory Ross (Patricia Fodor).The ensemble comprises Bree Branker, Jayson Elliott, Karen Hyland, Megan Hart Jimenez, Amy Ling, Gavin Lodge, Patrick O'Neill, Amber Owens, Amanda Paulson, Shua Potter, Ami Price, Vincent Rodriguez III, Leejato Amara Robinson, Brian Spitulnik, Jonathan Stahl and Kristen Beth Williams.The creative team also includes Eddie Reichert (musical director), Jonathan Stahl (associate choreographer), Campbell Baird (scenic designer), Joanna E. Murphy (costume designer), John McKernon (lighting designer), John A. Stone (sound designer) Gerard Kelly (wig designer) and Rob Rucinski (assistant musical director).Crazy for You, according to press notes, concerns the "adventures of a stage-struck New York City playboy in a Nevada mining town where romance, mistaken identities, and show-stopping musical numbers all add up to irresistible fun."Crazy for You features a book by Ken Ludwig and songs by George and Ira Gershwin, including such classics as "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." The musical, directed by Mike Ockrent, played the Shubert Theatre January 1992-January 1996. Harry Groener and Jodi Benson headed the original Broadway cast. The musical won three 1992 Tony Awards including Best Musical.Jeffry Denman has appeared on Broadway in The Producers, Cats, Dream and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He is the author of "A Year with The Producers: One Actor's Exhausting But Worth It Journey from Cats to Mel Brooks' Mega Hit." He was also the author and star of Change Partners: A Fred Astaire Tale and recently appeared in White Christmas at the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul.Amanda Watkins was recently seen as Nickie in the national tour of Sweet Charity; she also played that role on Broadway. The actress' other theatrical credits include Urinetown, Cabaret, Grease!, Cats, Beauty and the Beast and South Pacific.