I’m Crazy For You, Music Circus
A Review By Victoria Beninga
Staff Writer
A great way to spend a summer evening is to sit back and enjoy a good old-fashioned toe-tapping, belly-laughing, feel-good musical. I did just that at the Music Circus in Sacramento during the Tony-Award winning musical, “Crazy For You.” This musical is playing through September 2 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion in Sacramento, CA.
“Crazy for You” is a ‘30s love story. Bobby Child has to choose 
between staying in New York and marrying Irene, the girl he doesn’t love, or going to a desolate Nevada town to foreclose on a theatre per orders from his overbearing mother. He chooses Nevada. While there, he meets the feisty Polly Baker, who owns the theatre with her gentle father, and it’s love at first sight for Bobby. When Polly finds out Bobby is the one who came to foreclose, she refuses to speak to him. Bobby decides to try to save the theatre by putting on a show. He sends for his New York showgirl friends to help with the show and to train the lethargic cowboys of the town so they can be in the show too. Bobby imitates Bela Zangler of the famed New York Zangler’s Follies so Polly will speak to him. Things get hilariously complicated when Polly falls for the imitation Zangler, Irene comes to Nevada to find Bobby, and the real Zangler show up. Courtesy Photo
A good deal of the cast has Broadway experience, so they are incredibly professional. Bobby is portrayed by award-winning Broadway song-and-dance man Noah Racey. Racey’s rendition of Bobby is Dick Van Dyke, Gene Kelley, Fred Astair, and Don Knotts, all blended into one person. Anne Horak is the sweet yet feisty Polly. Elisa Van Duyne portrays naughty Irene. The entire cast is amazing, including Aaron Serotsky as the rival business owner Lank, Eric Gunhus as the long-haired, long-bearded cowboy Moose, Alix Korey as Mother, David Ruprecht and Lucinda Hitchcock Cone as the demanding hotel guests the Fodors (yes, they are doing research for a travel guide), and Bradley Benjamin as the not-so-bright Patsy. Courtesy Photo
The costumes are incredible. They run the gamut from simple country clothes to immense sparkly showgirl attire. Props are cleverly-integrated into the dance numbers, and include gold pans, rope, pickaxes, and watering cans. Being performed on a round stage adds levels of surprise. During the production, people are pulling things out, pushing things in, and lowering things down. The performers have to rotate on the stage in order to be visible to the entire audience surrounding the round stage, and they do a marvelous job of that.
The music of Gershwin is enchanting. The more familiar numbers are “Bidin’ My Time,” “Slap That Bass,” “Embraceable You,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” and my favorite, “I Got Rhythm.” My guest, Anna Poganski of Auburn, summed up Music Circus’ performance of “Crazy For You” beautifully. She said, “It was magical. The costumes they wore seemed very period-esque, but they also had a lot of flair with them. The choreography was intricate and complicated, but pulled off professionally and amazingly. The singing was so rich and full and vibrant, really lovely music. The whole production was charming, sweet, carefree, and mesmerizing. It was really a marvelous treat.”
Crazy For You is performed at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street, in Sacramento. There is a parking garage across the street. Tickets range from $30 to $70, and are available by calling (916) 557-1999, by going online to http://tickets.com or by going to the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office. For more event information, visit online at www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com or phone (916) 557-1999.
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