Crazy for You (Chichester)

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 7:58am

Mostly glowing reviews for the revival which opened yesterday at Chichester helmed by Stroman and starting Charlie Stemp. Suspect they’ll try to move it to the West End, but would love to see it here in the city on day. I remember the original fondly. Great escapist entertainment!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 8:09am

Charlie needs to come back to Broadway. We're Stemp Starved right now!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:31am

Really thought the Tony Yazbeck led production would have happened by now. I guess this is the next possibility, but it would still be years away.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 10:29am

I saw this a few days ago and fell in love with it. I’d never seen a production of this show live before and there’s just something about a big old fashioned musical that makes me sad we don’t see more productions like this anymore. 
and Stemp is a genuine star. 

[Tag]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 10:37am

I want to see Zachary Levi in this if it comes to the US.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 11:48am

Have they made any changes? New songs etc?

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 1:27pm

Anxious to hear a bit more from Jordan as well. The set looks a little lacking, but the casting couldn’t be better. I’m guessing the Yazbeck iteration of this is no more. Hoping we get a lavish revival of this, with Stemp in tow. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 2:18pm

About to see this evenings “101 Dalmatians”, so when I get back to my room in a bit, I’ll write more about it and post a song list.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 2:38pm

I'm stocking up on English breakfast beans for Charlie's "Welcome Back" gift...whenever that may be.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 3:19pm

I went to the second preview, and for those of you putting out other names - nobody can do this better than Charlie Stemp. He is electric in this role - finally able to see him in a starring role again and he delivers and then some. Really fabulous production.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 7:28pm

So as I said before, I don't know if anything had been cut/added as I'd only ever seen this show on video and that was a long time ago. The song list for anyone interested, is - 

Act One
Overture
K-ra-zy for You
I Can't Be Bothered Now
Bidin' My Time
Things Are Looking Up
Could You Use Me
Shall We Dance?
Entrance to Nevada
Someone to Watch Over Me
Slap That Bass
Embraceable You
Tonight's The Night
I Got Rhythm

ACT TWO
Entr'acte
The Real American Folk Song is a Rag
What Causes That?
Naughty Baby
Stiff Upper Lip
They Can't Take That Away From Me
But Not For Me
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Bidin' My Time (French reprise)
Things Are Looking up (reprise)
Finale

But again, as a whole I found this to be an almost perfect production. I never want to see anyone besides Stemp in this role and really, I just want him in everything. I love him so much and I think he's our next great Musical Theatre star. At least I hope he is. 
 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 7:48pm

That song list looks like nothing has been added or deleted from what I remember of the production I did (back in 2007 in St. Louis, so it's been a hot minute)

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 8:35pm

Yep sounds like that’s the licensed version.

[Nolan LuPone]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:31pm

I did the show in March, and nothing has been added or removed from the song list.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:58pm

How is Charlie's American accent?

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 6:21am

I’d like to see Charlie in the show because Tony was awfully good in that one 25th anniversary performance at Lincoln Center. I think he was more responsible than anyone for the really enthusiastic reception. Besides his singing and dancing talents he brought a certain goofiness to the role that just fit.

After that one night, Susan became determined to put on the revival and she workshopped the show with Tony and Laura in January, 2018. But no Broadway announcement was ever made. Although theater availability and problems in scheduling were brought up as reasons for the delay, I wonder if they just needed more investors. I thought that that’s what they were trying to do last August when they were to perform excerpts from it in front of a group of theater lovers in the Hamptons. 

I have never heard back the story of what took place last August, but there must’ve been quite a blow up. Laura recently broke silence about the event on Instagram just enough to tell everyone that she hadn’t felt like singing or performing live since what happened last August. But I’m sure this is the last place that she would find much sympathy.

 

 

[binau]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 6:57am

Will this transfer to the west end?

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 7:00am

I’m guessing were a transfer ever to happen they’d try to bring Stemp and perhaps recast the other primary roles (Polly and Zangler). Thinking Danny Burstein might make a good Zangler. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 8:26am

For a matinee performance where the average age was 150, the reception in the theatre was electric. I’m not a betting man but if I were, I’d have to imagine they’re gonna make sure Charlie and this production finds a nice big home on the West End. 

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 11:21am

You’re a hoot, Jordan!

I should think the Guardian review alone would boost the odds of a transfer: “Infectious melodies, superb choreography, irresistible comedy and astonishing performances!”

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/22/22 at 2:46pm

On the surface, this is just another Nice Work, a silly story based on the real musical of that time and stuffed with a half dozen extra songs by the composer. Kelli O'Hara sings "Someone to Watch Over Me" while holding a shotgun.

I wonder why this one works?

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 7/22/22 at 3:12pm

OlBlueEyes said: "On the surface, this is just another Nice Work, a silly story based on the real musical of that time and stuffed with a half dozen extra songs by the composer. Kelli O'Hara sings "Someone to Watch Over Me" while holding a shotgun.

I wonder why this one works?"

IMO, Crazy for You is far superior to Nice Work. Better script, better characters, better Gershwin song selection & better use of the songs in the story.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/22/22 at 3:36pm

Crazy For You came first anyway. Nice Work was another Crazy For You. Both were loosely based on earlier works.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/22/22 at 4:12pm

Crazy for You also has that Ken Ludwig book; there is no more successful master of modern farce. He’s constantly produced for a reason.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 7/22/22 at 4:32pm

Don't neglect My One and Only, one of the great out of town saves in theatre history. It had this very loose, anything goes quality that really resembled those anarchic 1920s Gershwin musical comedies. Great choreography, wild visuals, an oddball chemistry between Tommy Tune and Twiggy and sensational orchestrations. Probably my favorite of the three "new" Gershwin musicals.