Stagebeat

A A A Comments Thursday, Jun 10 2004

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Crazy for You zings with one-liners, vintage glamour, and high-energy music and dance la Fred and Ginger. With only six weeks of rehearsal, Director/Choreographer Marc Carmen whipped more than 20 dance novices into a toe-tapping sensation. Whether tap dancing on house siding, swinging on a pick ax, or creating music with a plunger, the cast leaves the audience wanting more. The lighting and clever scene changes add to the fun. Originally produced in 1992 by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent, this play is loosely based on George and Ira Gershwin's 1930s Girl Crazy and is filled with classics like "I've Got Rhythm" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." Wannabe dancer Bobby Child (Denny Schaber) warms up in his character as a man trapped between his frustrated, over-the-top fiancé, Irene (Sharon Owens), and his materialistic mother (Shannon Jami Dolan). At his mother's insistence, he goes to the dead-end town of Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on the Gaiety Theater. Things change when he meets the owner's daughter, Polly (Katie Angell-Thomas), a cowgirl whose warm heart, strong voice, and even stronger will make him melt. She refuses him when she discovers his original intention but changes her tune when he disguises himself as the great Bela Zangler and wrangles bored locals and Zangler's Follies girls into putting on a show. A one-dimensional saloon/hotel owner, Lank Hawkins (Roger Clapp), tries to stop the production but gets distracted by a naughty Irene, who shows up unexpectedly. When Child realizes that Polly has fallen for Zangler, not him, he reveals himself; but it is not until the real Zangler (James Beecham) arrives searching for his beloved dancer, Tess (a poised Amanda Ries), that Polly believes him. Then the real comic relief begins, with winks at Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx, and other greats. (Through June 20 at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth, 561-586-3549.) -- Rachel Galvin