By Chelsea Mortensen
Sugar Factory Playhouse’s opening summer production of Crazy For You left it’s audience with their spirits lifted and their toes tapping at the Midvale Performing Arts Center in Midvale, Utah.
Crazy For You tells the story of a young banker named Bobby Child who dreams of performing as a tap dancer. When work sends him to repossess a post office in Deadrock, Nevada, he unexpectedly falls in love and vows to save the post office by restoring it to its former glory as a theatre. Mistaken identities, new friendships, romance, and chaos ensues, all set to a whimsical score and fun dance numbers.
Daniel Fifield’s Bobby is utterly lovable as the beating heart of the show. Fifield balances Bobby’s whimsical romantic with a delightful silliness that keeps the audience in on all of his jokes— all while tap-dancing his heart out. Nowhere is this more dynamic than when Bobby disguises himself as the flashy Zangler.
Kimberly Robbins is Polly Baker with the voice of an angel and the toughness of a small-town girl. Her warmth and feistiness play off of Fifield’s Bobby so well that the audience quickly finds themselves falling in love with her as well.
Bob Bedore as Bela Zangler has one of the most enjoyable character arcs in the show. Bedore portrays well both sides of his character as love transforms him from a cynical, patronizing producer to a generous man. He provides plenty of excellent physical comedy and hilarious line delivery along the way.
Serena Mackerell’s Irene is as assertive as she is beautiful and pretentious. Every man on stage soon sees her as a force to be reckoned with. Whether the audience is laughing with her or laughing at her, Mackerell makes her character’s presence known.
Austin Bucknall’s Lank is a delightful cocktail of machismo, cluelessness, and indignance. It might be tempting to dislike the way he disapproves of Polly’s romance with Bobby, but Bucknall is so fun to watch that it is impossible to hold a grudge.
Colette Condie plays Tess with constant believability. The audience quickly understands that she is the force of gravity holding all of the romantics, lazy-bums, and pessimists together. This makes her happy ending feel all the more deserved.
Bobby’s mother is played by Pat Oliver and Melanie Turner on rotating nights, both bringing an austere elegance that raises the stakes on Bobby’s dreams and the town’s desire to make the theatre work.
The ensemble of Showgirls (many of whom also double as the Cowgirls), featuring Patrice Densley, Camille Densley, Brooklyn Ashby,and Liv Offen, was one of my favorite parts of the show. Their hard work shows in all of their synchronized dance numbers, and their bubbly optimism helps the show keep its light-hearted nature even in the midst of the plot’s family drama, heartbreak, and secrets. Ashy and Offen also charm the audience as the polite and persnickety British tourists, Patsy and Mitzi.
The handsome troupe of cowboys, starring Dylan Burningham, Darrin Burnett, Chase Hender, Jacob Sherman, Eric Roberts, and Connor Abeyta, commit completely to their characters’ fight choreography, social awkwardness, and slapstick humor, their total immersion immediately making the audience fall in love with this backwater town.
Not to be forgotten are Rachel Ebeling, Megan Sanderson, Allison Poor, and Lauren Knowles, who bring distinct characters and their own comedic moments to the production, each helping flesh out the town and showcase its quirkiness to the best.
Director Liz Smith has managed to take a cast ranging from stage veterans to first time performers, together with a demanding script with a million different elements, and turn it into a wonderful night at the theatre. I haven’t laughed and smiled this way at a local musical for a long time.
In a show almost all about dance, there are few things more important than the choreography. Perhaps the reason it feels so tightly wound to each character’s journey is because it was done by the director-lead actor team Liz Smith and Daniel Fifield, with Assistant Emma Rains.
Costume Designers Deborah Wouden and Joey Calkins do a lovely job giving each character their own distinct color palette and differentiating between the worlds of Deadrock, Nevada and New York City.
The small army of set designers and builders – Josh Hawkins, Jeannine Hawkins, Jen Bedore, and Viveann Dalley,led by Technical Director Robbie Dalley – had a colossal task of creating believable sets for multiple different locations that can also be changed quickly. Given the time, space, and resources they had to work with, I was very impressed.
Production Assistant Viveann Dalley pulls triple duty on this show, working sound design and prop mastering in addition to her set work. Producer Jen Bedore also directly contributed to set and prop work. This, combined with Brayden Gardner’s lighting, creates a world that you are happy to lose yourself in for several hours.
Crazy for You has a bit of slightly mature humor, but nothing that would be offensive or noticeable to kids. So bring the whole family and prepare to have a good time!
Sugar Factory Playhouse Presents: Crazy for You by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Book by Ken Ludwig. Midvale Performing Arts Center 695 W. Center Street
July 18-20, 22, 2019 7:30 PM
Tickets: Adults $12, Students $8, Seniors $8
Contact: Tickets or 801-989-5908
Sugar Factory Playhouse FacebookPage: @sugarfactoryplayhouse
Crazy for You Event Page: Facebook
Sugar Factor Playhouse Instagram: @sugarfactoryplayhouse
Sugar Factory Play House
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