Review: CRAZY FOR YOU, Gillian Lynne Theatre

With a plot packed with clichés that are older than the hills and gags of pure corn which may be even older, it’s just as well that Crazy For You is an utterly spectacular feast for the eyes and ears.

A hit at Chichester Festival this time almost a year ago, this musical with its delectable collection of Gershwin numbers like “I Got Rhythm” and “Someone to Watch Over Me” has made a much-anticipated transfer to the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Leading man Charlie Stemp provides a masterclass performance alongside a scintillating Carly Anderson and enchanting choreography and direction from Susan Stroman.

After failing to attract the attention of producer Bela Zangler (Tom Edden), dancer Bobby Child (Stemp) is sent by his fearsome banker mother to foreclose a theatre in Deadrock, Nevada. He arrives to find that the one woman in a town of 37 people (Anderson’s Polly Baker) is also rather partial to the theatre so, after falling for her, he contrives a plan to save her beloved edifice and win his gal’s heart: impersonate Zangler with a disguise that wouldn't fool Lois Lane, bring the impresario’s dance troupe to Deadrock, train up the local miners to be entertainers and then put on a fundraising show. What could go wrong?

In terms of song and dance, there is plenty to enjoy. Stemp is sensational throughout, moving with speed, precision and an Astaire-like grace across a wide stage. The man is a triple threat: he can sing, he can dance and he looks fabulous in a tux. His acting initially is a tad RADA but, once his dials it down a half-dozen notches to the naturalistic levels deployed by the rest of the cast, he pulls us into his emotional fray hook, line and sinker. Matching him all the way is Anderson. The better actor, she has a golden voice and is a magnetic presence whether partnering Stemp or leading an ensemble number.

Beowulf Borrit’s glamorous set – silver curtains, dry ice, endearing buildings– is lovingly drenched in Ken Billington’s pastel light design and, whether dressing the townsfolk or Zangler’s Follies, William Ivey Long’s costumes are straight from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Unfortunately, so seems the book from Ken Ludwig which, even though it was written for this musical’s 1992 debut, feels like it was around when the Gershwins were still in shorts. There is some unintentionally timely humour buried in there (“Somebody clean up this mess. It looks like the French Revolution.”) and, while it is tempting to label its call to arms around art funding prescient, when have the arts not been in dire need of more money? Ludwig has peppered his script with groanworthy wisecracks and hackneyed jokes with punchlines that couldn’t be more obvious if they were ten foot tall, dressed in dayglo pyjamas and walking through Leicester Square. Politely put, this dinosaur of a text is in need of an asteroid.

Thankfully, Stroman – who choreographed the original production - somehow makes us forget all that with some classic scenes. The mirror routine between the real Zangler and Child-as-Zangler is a real vaudeville treat as we watch them, both heartbroken, hungover and unaware that the other is in town, reflect each other’s actions in complete symmetry and with exquisite timing. Verily, Chaplin could not have done it better. Tin plates and corrugated sheets are cleverly used as percussion, rope segments become plucked double basses and dancers move aloft raised pickaxes. The highpoints are the ensemble numbers: sophisticated tsunamis of motion, the admirable skill of the cast is paired with bottomless charm.

With irresistible performances and inspired staging, this has the potential to send London a little crazy this summer.

Crazy For You is booking until 20 January 2024.

Photo credit: Johan Persson

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