THEATRE REVIEW: "Crazy For You" is a sublime night of comedy, Tap and Gershwin
Crazy for You is WAAPA’s Music Theatre Department’s premiere show at His Majesty’s Theatre - and what a fantastic show it is. Filled with magical moments of gorgeous Gershwin, heart-melting vocals and divine jazz and tap choreography, this production will win you over in a heartbeat.
Leads James MacAlpine (Bobby Child) and Chloe Malek (Polly Baker) absolutely shined on stage. These multi-talented up-and-coming stars made their performance look effortless - gliding up and down as perfect dance partners, delivering comedic moments in convincing character and carrying songs with impressive vocal control. It was hard to believe that they were still students, due to their absolute mastery displayed on stage.
A few more principal cast members must be commended for their on-point comedic delivery that kept audiences giggling throughout the show. Amber Scates as Irene Roth, the crazy fiancee, Kyle Hall as Bela Zangler, the successful but snooty owner of Zangler Theatre and Emily Svarnias as the controlling mother. Another trio that stood out were Samuel Moloney, Kyle Colburn and Sammy Allsop as Moose, Mingo and Sam. Bravo, just bravo!
The rest of the cast were just fantastic. Every single person demonstrated complete dedication to the complex dance sequences and chorus lines. The result? That wonderful feeling you get when witnessing a large group of individuals working together to bring something to life. We were all truly transported to Dreadrock, Nevada, sometime in the 1930s, with all the old fashioned romance and humour you would expect from a musical during that time.
WAAPA’s Music Department and Production and Design Department’s outstanding contributions truly brought it all together. The costumes, lighting, set design and stage management was seamless. It’s plain to see that there is endless talent and drive to be found in this academy, regardless of department and role.
You can expect to hear all-time greatest musical hits including ‘Someone to Watch over Me’, ‘Embraceable You’, ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’, ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’ and the show-stopping ‘I Got Rhythm’. If you’re someone who loves Gershwin, tap or theatre in general, this timeless show isn’t one to miss.
