Crazy for You – Senior Musical
From start to finish Crazy for You, this year’s senior musical was a total joy. It was evident that all the talented performers, drawn from Upper Fourths to Upper Sixth, were having a blast and their enjoyment was infectious.
Crazy for You is really a prototype juke box musical; the flimsiest of plots serves as a vehicle for some of George and Ira Gershwin’s most loved show tunes: “I’ve Got Rhythm”, “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Embraceable You.” It’s impossible not to come out humming the score. The set piece dance numbers were delivered with confidence, precision and huge smiles; no one would have guessed that this was largely a cast of non-dancers.
The central characters are big and broadly drawn. As Bobby, the banker who would rather be on Broadway, Alex N oozed an easy charm and had a lot of fun pretending to be Zangler. Martha B sang beautifully as Polly and combined a toughness with vulnerability and a powerful right hook. Keira RG made the most of her role as Irene, Bobby’s domineering finance from hell, and relished her big number “Naughty Baby”. Olly H had a lot of fun as a loose limbed Zangler; the mirrored movements between Zangler and Bobby in “What Causes That” were timed to perfection. Lank is the nearest thing to a baddie in Deadrock and Dan H was a strong presence on stage, just the right side of menacing. Josie G’s dragon of Mother contrasted nicely with her perky, and perhaps not too bright, showgirl Patsy. They were more than ably supported by Ayaan J (Tess), Ted HC (Everett), Aishane S (Patricia and Susie), Matthew J (Eugene & Sam), Lucas Y (Mingo) and Nishant G (Moose).
As ever, Director Ms Elie Middleton,had done a superb job with the ensemble. Every member of the cast was fully engaged at all times. The Deadrock cowboys, especially, gave us a range of neatly characterised performances. The girls are less well served, as characters, but they made up for this with their dancing. The split staging, which employed almost the whole length of the Great Hall’s floor for Deadrock, worked well; the intimacy made it easy for the audience to share in the fun.
Mrs Caroline Foinette, Musical Director, had worked hard with principles and ensemble alike to do justice to Gershwin’s iconic music. She was supported by a band made of our visiting music teachers and pupils.
A huge thank you to everyone involved – cast, crew, band – for giving us such an entertaining and memorable evening.
