On October 14, 1930, a new show by George Gershwin and his brother, Ira, opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York City. Anticipated to be “just another musical comedy,” Girl Crazy’s cast was thought to be “nothing special.” Oh, there was a young actress by the name of Ginger Rogers in the cast who had appeared in just one other show, as well as a stenographer from Queens who had never appeared in a show before. However, after about an hour into its first performance, Ethel Merman stepped downstage and belted out a song called “Sam And Delilah” and she followed that with a song entitled “I Got Rhythm” (in which she held out her “money note” for sixteen bars) and the rest, as they say, “was history” — for the next fifty years. Ginger Rogers went on to become the dancing partner of Fred Astaire and Ethel Merman became a Broadway superstar.
In the early 1990s, the playwright Ken Ludwig attained the rights to do a rewrite of Girl Crazy and he transformed the show into something almost new and certainly different. Six of the original 14 songs were retained and other Gershwin hits such as “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “I Can’t Be Bothered Now,” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It” were interpolated into the show. Rather than having Girl Crazy’s leading male character be a playboy who transforms an Arizona town into a dude ranch, Crazy For you’s leading man goes to Deadrock, Nevada and tries to save a theatre in the old “Let’s put on a show!” tradition. Opening in 1992, Crazy For you ironically became the longest running Gershwin show ever with 1,622 performances and in the process received the Tony Award for Best Musical and, in London, two Olivier Awards for Best New Musical (1993) and Best Musical Revival (2011).
George Gershwin died in 1937, two years after the opening of Porgy and Bess, at the age of 38 from a brain tumor. The music that “might have been” also died on that tragic day. Gershwin was one of the only composers of the twentieth century who was a master at not only the music of Broadway, but also pop songs, jazz, and the symphonic concert stage. It is the music of George Gershwin that has always drawn me to Crazy For you, along with the amazing dance numbers.
I can’t think of any show that exemplifies the magic a musical can have more than Crazy For You. Ludwig’s fast paced, witty libretto fused with the stunning and timeless music and
lyric of George and Ira Gershwin makes for a laugh out loud and heart-warming musical comedy that exudes joy. The show is one of the most demanding I know requiring every member of the ensemble company to create a fully realized character whilst performing intense dances and blasting out bold harmonies. The company of Crazy for You has certainly risen to that challenge.
I hope you enjoy tonight’s larger than life performance of epic dance, timeless music, hilarious characters and a heart-warming, uplifting story. Who could ask for anything more?
-Dr. Penna
Director/Choreographer
