Crazy for You at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre

When the summer shows at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre were announced, I was most excited for Crazy for You because it is so fun with lots of fantastic singing and dancing. I had a wonderful time watching this delightful production under the stars last night. Bobby Child (Cam Bronson) wants to be a dancer in the Zangler Follies but his fiance Irene Roth (Lauren Billings) is eager to get married after waiting five years and his mother Lottie (Tina Fontana) wants him to work at the family bank. He is sent by the bank to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a theatre owned by Everett Baker (Quin Swallow) but he falls in love with Everett's daughter Polly (Aubrey Jackson) and decides to save the theatre instead. Polly doesn't want anything to do with him so he impersonates Bela Zangler and brings his friends from the Zangler Follies to Deadrock for a show to raise the money to pay the mortgage. Chaos ensues when both Irene and the real Bela Zangler (Evan Meigs) come to town! The plot is a bit thin but it matters not because the best part of this show is all of the classic songs by George and Ira Gershwin, including "Shall We Dance," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and "But Not For Me." The choreography is spectacular and I especially enjoyed watching the dancing from the talented and enthusiastic ensemble in "I Can't Be Bothered Now," "Slap That Bass" (the use of rope as lassos and strings on a bass is so fun), "Stiff Upper Lip," and "Nice Work If You Can Get It." I also loved all of the physical comedy in "What Causes That" (the kids sitting around me laughed out loud through the whole number). Jackson has a lovely voice and her versions of "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," and "But Not For Me" are incredibly poignant and show a vulnerable side to the indomitable Polly. Bronson is very charismatic and has some impressive tap dancing skills (I love to see tap dancing in a show which is why I was so excited to see this). Another standout from the cast is Billings. She only has one big number, "Naughty Baby," but she makes it count by vamping it up in a thrilling performance. This set might be my favorite that I've seen at the SCERA Shell! Very detailed set pieces rotate to become the Zangler Follies Theatre, the buildings on Main Street in Deadrock, and backstage at the Gaiety Theatre in Deadrock and the backdrops, featuring the New York skyline and the red rocks of the desert, are visually stunning. All of the period costumes are great but I really liked the glitzy showgirl costumes and the colorful cowboy shirts. I highly recommend getting a ticket to this entertaining song and dance extravaganza during its run at the SCERA Shell (go here) because it is the perfect way to spend a summer evening (especially if you are an old-school musical theatre fan). Who could ask for anything more?