Theater Review: “Crazy for You” from Hurricane Valley Theatrical Company
Written by Rachel Maycock
The Hurricane Valley Theatrical Company presents “Crazy for You,” an adaptation of the lighthearted romantic musical “Girl Crazy” written by George and Ira Gershwin. The musical is running at the Hurricane Fine Arts Center at 92 West 100 South in Hurricane on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.
“Crazy for You” is your “classic boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl” story set to the backdrop of a little town called Deadrock, Nev. Bobby Child is the son of a banking family who has been sent to Deadrock to foreclose on a rundown theater. Even though Bobby has been engaged to the same woman for five years, upon arrival in Deadrock, he falls in love with Polly Baker, the only woman in town who is—unbeknownst to Bobby—the daughter of the owner of the rundown theater. Even though she has sworn to get even with the man who is shutting down her family theater, Polly falls in love with Bobby, also not knowing his identity.
To win the heart of his beloved, Bobby concocts a witty plan to save Polly’s family theater from foreclosure: he impersonates the well-known theatrical producer, Bela Zangler, and sets about creating a production in hopes of saving Polly’s family theater, a task indeed given the cast of characters he will have to work with in the busted gold-mining town of Deadrock.
Watching The Hurricane Valley Theatrical Company’s production “Crazy for You” was a highly enjoyable experience. The costumes were genuine in design. The Zangler’s Follies that Bobby recruits as part of his plan sported dance costumes that brought the big-town style and glamour from New York to the small desert town of Deadrock. The hair and makeup were right on trend, capturing the styles from the 1930s. The locals were comfortable with some in bib overalls, and other wearing vests and boots.
Bobby and Polly (played by Brayden Morgan and Megan Amundsen) were complemented by a talented cast of characters who enhanced the evening. There were many hoots and hollers as Bobby’s fiance, Irene (played by Hayley Hinckley) performed “Naughty Baby,” mesmerizing not only Lank Hawkins, the local saloon owner (played by Jared Davis) who also has his eye on Polly, but all the cowboys in the saloon as well. And a drunken scene between Bobby—dressed as Zangler—and the actual Bela Zangler (played by Stockton Myers) as they drowned their “women” sorrows in a hilarious mirrored dialog generated a consistent flow of laughter and giggles from the audience.
And of course, as with many Gershwin productions, the finale isn’t too be missed.
Tickets to the Hurricane Valley Theatrical Company’s production of “Crazy for You” are $8 each and can be purchased by visiting HurricaneTheatrical.org or by calling (435) 635-2609.
