Review: CRAZY FOR YOU at Signature Theatre

Signature Theatre - probably best known for staging new musicals and Sondheim's works - may not be the first area theater to come to mind when you think of a light and fluffy, dance-heavy show. This holiday season, in a bit of a departure, you experience such a show up-close and personal with a production of the Tony Award-winning Crazy for You. Featuring some of George and Ira Gershwin's most beloved songs, an original book by Ken Ludwig, and a whole lotta tap, it's the kind of show that - based on pure concept alone - is perfect for the whole family to enjoy.

After all, who could not be entranced by the Gershwin Brothers' infectious rhythms and melodies and the romantic story of starry-eyed, wannabe New York City dancer Bobby Child (Danny Gardner)? Bobby will stop at nothing to get the girl he wants in the small town of Deadrock, Nevada after his dreams are dashed by Bela Zangler (Bobby Smith), the powerful man behind Zangler's Follies. How does a big city-type, born into a life of privilege, end up in Deadrock, you ask?

After the failed audition and continuing turmoil in his romantic relationship with Irene (Natascia Diaz), Bobby decides he needs to get out of town. His mother (Sherri L. Edelen) has the perfect way out. She asks him to go to Nevada to foreclose on a small theater. He immediately falls for Polly (Ashley Spencer), the sassy daughter of theater proprietor Everett Baker (Harry A. Winter). While it may be love at first sight for him, it's not for her - especially when she finds out he's with the bank. Bobby puts his love of all things artistic, his connection to the Follies dancers, and impersonation skills to good use to try save the theater - in an attempt to win over Polly. Let's just say pulling it all off is easier said than done.

Overall, in addition to the great material, this production has a few things going for it. There's a solid orchestra (directed by Jon Kalbfleisch) and a uniformly talented cast of triple threats, including stellar leading man Danny Gardner and perennial local favorite Bobby Smith who brings the comedy in spades. (Want to see what happens when they perform together? Pay particular attention to "What Causes That" because it's one of the most memorable moments of the show.) The vocal and song interpretation skills of Ashley Spencer and Natascia Diaz, in particular, ensure both tried and true numbers like "Someone to Watch Over Me" and lesser known ones like "Naughty Baby" are equally memorable. Although the production does not feature Susan Stroman's original choreography, the audience gets up close and personal with Denis Jones' work thanks to the intimate performing space in the Max. The ensemble cast puts on the smiles and entertains with their tapping feet. Tristan Raines' detailed and gorgeous costumes, particularly for the Follies dancers, pop and make the dance even more fun to watch.

What's not to like? While there are some delightfully entertaining moments like the Act One closer "I Got Rhythm," as a whole, the show falls a little flat conceptually. While I usually appreciate Matthew Gardiner's ability to reimagine the splashiest of musicals in a unique way, I don't think he was as successful with his creative choices here as he has been in the past. The intimacy of the production sets it apart from others, but the intimate scaled down approach to this show - both in terms of the cast size and most of the technical elements - did not pay off for me. This may be partly due to the kind of show Crazy for You is fundamentally, but also because I didn't see any attempt to reimagine, or put a new spin on it.

This is not to say, of course, that a fun time can't be had at Signature Theatre. It's a good production, just not a great one. But you don't always need a great production to make a trip worthwhile, especially during the holidays.

Running Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes including one intermission

CRAZY FOR YOU runs at Signature Theatre - 4200 Campbell Avenue in Arlington, VA - through January 14, 2018. For tickets, call the box office at 703-820-9771 or purchase them online.

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