Charlie Stemp CRAZY FOR YOU West End - Reviews, News & Discussion Thread

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 5:07am

I'll be at the first preview tonight! Is anyone else going?

Updated On: 7/4/23 at 05:07 AM

[binau]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 5:10am

Yes! I'll be there.

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 5:12am

YAY! I'm really excited! I have never been to the first preview of any show before, so this is an exciting moment for me during my time in London!

[binau]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 6:21am

Enjoy! First previews always have a certain energy/excitement being the first audience ever to experience the show* and usually full of enthusiastic fans. This show is particularly exciting as well as it's the kind of thing that could make it to New York one day. 

* excluding the 'out of town' run of course. 

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 8:10am

I envy you both!

Desperately hoping that we eventually get a transfer here in NYC!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 9:24am

Fingers crossed this transfers to Broadway next year.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 9:52am

Seeing this next month!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 12:02pm

ACL2006 said: "Fingers crossed this transfers to Broadway next year."

 

 

 

I texted Charlie about this a few weeks ago and he got back to me saying he's "heard talk" it's happening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 12:18pm

 

[inception]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 12:33pm

Good choreo.

But the book of this show is a tired out P.O S   I made it through the first act of a good-ish local production stsrring a local TV celeb & his wife this Spring, but at intermission decided to just skip the rest. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 12:48pm

I’ll report details on the show later!

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 2:02pm

They have some special guests here! William Ivey Long just walked by me! 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 2:29pm

Is this an event ? Because Stemp isn’t much of a name in the US so they’d have to create some special buzz to get excitement going. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 3:10pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "They have some special guests here! William Ivey Long just walked by me!"

Not the point of this thread, but he's a grade A creep. And that's putting it nicely. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 4:01pm

It’s the Interval! HOLY HELL this is amazing! 

[Tag]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 5:00pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "They have some special guests here! William Ivey Long just walked by me!"

He's not a special guest. He's the costume designer of the show...

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 6:21pm

Tag said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "They have some special guests here! William Ivey Long just walked by me!"

He's not a special guest. He's the costume designer of the show..."

I knew that but it was just cool to see him. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 6:24pm

The show was incredible - Stemp is even better now than he was at Chichester last year. It's just such a light, fun throwback of a show that I can't imagine anyone wanting to have a good time, not enjoying it. 

Now, that said - they need to fix the AC in there. We were HOT. Poor Stemp was drenched through his clothes by the end of the first number. I want to ask him how many times he had to change his shirts because they were soaked through every five minutes and his face for most of the show, looked like he had just done the ice bucket challenge. And myself and others around me weren't far from that, ourselves. It was miserable in there. If they were going for an immersive experience to make us feel like we were in the desert, it worked. 

But aside from that, a perfect night. Spoke to Susan Stroman at intermission and she seemed on cloud 9 with how the show was going. Hope it's a huge hit for her. And Charlie. :)

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 7:09pm

What a night! So much fun and WOW what a cast! Here are my thoughts below! 

★★★★★

What do you get when you mix Gershwin and Susan Stroman? The answer in this case is Crazy for You! First off, I have never been to a first preview performance of any show. Broadway or West End. The energy tonight was just insane! First off, Charlie Stemp! That man is so talented and has made a huge name for himself here in London at such a young age! Boy can that man dance! Stroman’s tap choreography is absolutely superb! I cannot agree that enough! Also, Carly Anderson! Wow oh wow! That woman can belt a number! Probably the best number was the Act 1 finale, “I Got Rhythm”! A number that I always love to listen to! Throughout it, I could hear the voice of Ethel Merman in the back of my head! I mean, she owned that song! No one could sing that better than her, but this cast was spectacular at it! There was a standing ovation afterwards! Overall, this was a fun, energetic, and classic evening of West End Theatre! Hopefully we can see this go to NYC soon! I know I’ve been saying that multiple times, but a bunch of the shows I have seen here are absolutely WORTHY of life outside London! Congrats to this incredible cast, crew and creative team! Bravo!

[lapinitsa]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 10:26pm

Jordan Catalano said: "The show was incredible - Stemp is even better now than he was at Chichester last year. "

 

 

Isn't he? He is crazy good!

 

[George in DC]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 10:32pm

I know this won't be popular but if this transfers, I hope Tony Yazbeck will be the lead. I am tired of British actors getting roles that should go to Americans.

 

Updated On: 6/24/23 at 10:32 PM

[Skip23]

Posted: 6/24/23 at 10:44pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "What a night! So much fun and WOW what a cast! Here are my thoughts below!

★★★★★

What do you get when you mix Gershwin and Susan Stroman? The answer in this case is Crazy for You! "

 

Just to correct the history...mixing Gershwin, Stroman and Mike Okrent!

 

 

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 6/25/23 at 1:19am

George in DC said: "I know this won't be popular but if this transfers, I hope Tony Yazbeck will be the lead. I am tired of British actors getting roles that should go to Americans.

"

And why 'should it' go to American if Stemp originates it in this transfer?

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/25/23 at 3:12am

I hope they keep the choreography tight. The original Broadway production's tap was all over the place by the end of the run.

[binau]

Posted: 6/25/23 at 4:45am

Trust me, no one wants to replace Charlie Stemp even if they think they do! He is the magnet and glue that is holding this whole show together. It's so rare that someone who is not really a 'name' or celebrity can really command an entire stage/show and bring such star presence. He is a great dancer, but his boyish charm and humour just elevate the whole thing to the next level. You can't take your eyes off him the whole time and when he isn't on stage he is sorely missed. In one reality I would be screaming for the show to transfer so he can win a Tony. My only slight tentativeness is that after seeing Charlie Stemp 3 times on stage now (Hello, Dolly; Marry Poppins; Crazy For You) I DO think his style/shtick starts to feel a little familiar. But it's no less impactful or impressive. 

As for the the evening and show, the heat didn't help but I did feel it was a bit long and slow and there is opportunity to pick up the pace a little at times. The physical production is serviceable/good if a little cheap/tacky feeling at points (super niche observation but it is very hard for me to look at those cheap FOLLIES costumes after seeing Gregg Barnes' Tony-winning costumes in the 2011 FOLLIES revival).

I could imagine the show slotting nicely into a future roundabout season. I think the star is Charlie and not the show in this case. 

Updated On: 6/25/23 at 04:45 AM