“Crazy for You” takes the audience on a journey back to the Wild West, visited by city slicker Bobby Child, who promptly falls madly in love with local Polly Baker. Polly’s a rootin’ tootin’ gal who spends most of her time telling the men of the town what to do while avoiding marriage proposals from resident bad guy Lank Baker.
And since it’s a Gershwin musical directed by Mary Dickson, there is, of course, a lot of tap dancing going on.
You probably already know many of the songs featured in this quirky musical. Tunes like “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Embraceable You” are confidently performed by a talented cast led by Josie Vote (Polly Baker) and Aaron Lawrence (Bobby Child). Both Vote and Lawrence have a commanding presence on stage–something that’s vital in an outdoor venue.
Silas Olson (Sam) stands out as a performer who manages to not only sing and dance well, but to also look like he’s amused to be having the best time of his life on stage throughout the entire show. The Follies Girls cast of seven are skilled dancers with effervescent energy. Abram Butler (Lank Hawkins) delivers an entertaining performance as the town’s villain who likes to stomp around and mispronounce French words. The Cowboy Trio, though typically appearing toward the back of the stage, manage to steal more than one scene.
Perhaps the most amusing scene of the show is when Drew Firkins (Bela Zangler) and Lawrence (Bobby Child pretending to be Bela Zangler) meet up to share hot dogs, confusion, and a song.
“Crazy for You” is a fun musical comedy with veiled adult humor and toe-tapping songs. There are some kisses, guns, and a cigarette in the show, but otherwise, it’s a family-friendly production.
The show runs July 12-14 and July 18-20 with all performances at 8:00 p.m. The run time is around three hours including an intermission. Concessions are sold and both general admission (in the grass–bring chairs and bug spray!) and reserved seating can be purchased online: pactheatre.org.
