Review: Royal City Musical Theatre Brightens up the Massey Theatre with CRAZY FOR YOU!

Filled to the brim with flashy dance numbers, classic Broadway tunes, and capped off with a heart fluttering love story, Royal City Musical Theatre's production of CRAZY FOR YOU satisfies all of your musical cravings. After being put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic, CRAZY FOR YOU finally makes is debut with most of the original pre-pandemic cast in this show-stopping, high energy show.

CRAZY FOR YOU is an adaptation of the 1930's musical "Girl Crazy." First debuting on Broadway in 1992, the musical contains a collection of songs by songwriting duo George and Ira Gershwin. Winning several awards including the Tony Award for Best Musical, CRAZY FOR YOU has maintained its popularity with the theatre community today.

The musical centres around aspiring singer/dancer Bobby Child. With dreams of being on stage as a career, Bobby spends all of his spare time practicing dance routines. After his failed audition attempt with Bela Zangler, Bobby tends to his day job as a banker and is sent to foreclose a theatre in Deadrock, Nevada. It is there where he meets (and falls in love with) Polly Baker (the daughter of the theatre owner). In attempts to keep the theatre running, Bobby concots a scheme to save the theatre with the help of the NYC Follies girls and the local cowboys in the area. Together, they put on a show hoping to bring both life and money back to the stage. When things don't go as planned and their situation gets a bit complicated, everything starts to fall apart. Ultimately, love and the power of teamwork bring things together again for the better.

Photo: Todd Talbot as Bobby Child with the NYC Follies. Photo Credit: Mark Halliday.

Royal City Musical Theatre's production of CRAZY FOR YOU is directed and choreographed by Valerie Easton and musically directed by James Bryson. With Easton being a part of the Royal City Musical Theatre company since 2010 and Bryson since 1990, the show was headed by two very experienced people in the theatre industry. In addition, the show is led by husband and wife: Todd and Rabecca Talbot. Todd Talbot is best known as the host of HGTV's Love It Or List It Vancouver. Having attended theatre school in England and being a theatre professional for more than 20 years, he was a great choice for the lead role: Bobby Child. Alongside her husband, Rabecca Talbot's theatre career also includes a lengthy list of theatre roles including Maria in West Side Story with the Arts Club. She was an excellent choice as his love interest: Polly Baker. From their first song together ("Could You Use Me?") to the very end, it was evident that their chemistry was unmatched. Every song and dance they had together was truly magical. The beauty of the show was seen in the love they brought to both of their characters on stage.

To compliment the two leads was a cast of 20 talented local actors, singers, and dancers and a 18 piece orchestra. Although the show could have increased the amount of diverse members it had, the production gave opportunity to many rising artists and new theatre grads entering the industry. As a whole, the cast had great chemistry. Some of my favourite moments in the show were the group numbers including multiple members of the cast. Unique choreography elements such as the implementation of partner dances using props such as spoons, pans, and tin sheets brought the numbers to a new level. It was a joy to see every single person on the stage having the time of their lives. That's what theatre is all about!

Photo: Todd Talbot as Bobby Child. Photo Credit: Mark Halliday.

The humor of CRAZY FOR YOU can be taken two ways. Some may find it too cheesy while others may love every second of it. Regardless of your tolerance for slapstick comedy, the production had just enough of it to squeeze a smirk out of anyone without pushing the boundary of being "annoying." Leading man Todd Talbot and Kirk Smith (Bela Zangler) had their fair share of comedic moments during the show. A crowd favorite was their scene as 2 versions of Zangler in the saloon after having a drink together. Their perfectly executed scene together put a smile on my face and I'm sure it would do the same for anyone else.

Photo: Rabecca Talbot as Polly Baker. Photo Credit: Mark Halliday.

Although Todd Talbot took the stage in the leading role, his wife, Rabecca stole the show. The minute her sweetly southern voice filled the theatre, the crowd was hooked. From her strong, yet humorous banter with her cast members to her vulnerable and emotional moments, Rabecca Talbot played her role perfectly. Her solo song, "Someone To Watch," had me hooked from the minute she started singing. Something about her singing voice drew the audience in and left them wanting more. Not many can nail their role as good as she did.

Royal City Musical Theatre's production of CRAZY FOR YOU was a delight. No matter what your preferred taste in Broadway musicals is, CRAZY FOR YOU has a little bit of something for everyone. Guaranteed to make you laugh at least once, the show will bring that bit of light into your life that we all need. CRAZY FOR YOU has a whole lot of laughs and a whole lot of heart.

CRAZY FOR YOU is currently playing at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster, BC from April 27th to May 14th. Tickets start at $29 and are available at the link below or by calling 604-521-5050.

Top Photo: Rabecca Talbot as Polly Baker (Left) and Todd Talbot as Bobby Child (Right). Photo Credit: Mark Halliday.

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