Crazy for You at The Novello Theatre-Evening Standard's 4-Star Review

Critics and audience members alike went crazy for Crazy for You when it played at the Open Air Theatre this summer. This deliciously frothy Gershwin musical, refashioned from the remains of Girl Crazy (1930) by Ken Ludwig in 1992, is a love letter to the theatre itself and in Timothy Sheader it has landed the sassiest director of musicals around. Got rhythm? Put on your tap shoes and prepare to show it off.The plot, involving a New York banker who dreams of dancing at the legendary Zangler Follies and instead is sent to foreclose on a disused theatre in Dead Rock, Nevada, is more than usually daffy. No matter. What counts is that said banker Bobby (Sean Palmer) has charisma and his leading lady, tomboy Polly (Clare Foster) is smart and sexy in equal measure. They sing and dance up a treat, as the Gershwin hits keep coming.Even better, though, is the delightful chorus line, who tap away as if their knees were made of titanium. They're perky and switched-on, not dead behind the eyes like so many in big musicals, and they clearly revel in Stephen Mear's clever choreography. There are a number of extended song and dance numbers to cherish, which are unrivalled by anything else in the West End. Enjoy.