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Show: Crazy For You
Society: Guildhall School of Music and Drama (Student Productions)
Venue: Guildhall School of Music and Drama - Theatre
Credits: Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin; book by Ken Ludwig; coconception by Ludwig and Mike Ockrent and inspired by material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan.
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 04/07/2017
Crazy For You
Chris Abbott | 05 Jul 2017 19:08pm
Guildhall School – Crazy For You – Centre, Lucie Fletcher as Polly Baker. (c) Clive Barda
On a hot evening it was good to enter the air-conditioned Silk Street Theatre at Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a production of Crazy for You by graduating students. Not that this is the ideal setting for a traditional musical; the stage is very wide and even this cast of 30 sometimes fail to fill it, and the deep orchestra pit is protected by a wall which seems to separate stage from auditorium.
After a slightly hesitant beginning, however, talent won out and the cast surmounted these obstacles to present an authentic and entertaining account of this re-imagined Gershwin musical. Based on a musical from 1930, the show in its present form dates from the 1990s; it has to be said that the 1930s music has withstood the test of time rather more effectively than the tired and clunky book from the 1990s rewrite.
In the wholly reliable and inventive hands of experienced musical theatre director Martin Connor (still remembered by this reviewer as a versatile young character actor at the Castle Theatre Farnham) the cast rise to the occasion, and it is a delight to hear the score played by a large orchestra under Michael Haslem. Unlike some other drama school productions, this is a full-scale production with versatile set designs (Adam Wiltshire) making good use of the considerable technical facilities of the theatre.
Choreography from Ewan Jones is entirely in keeping with piece and production, with excellent tap skills displayed by some of the cast. The young cast give it their all, as would be expected, and in a large company the ensemble are as important as some of those in cameo roles. Among that ensemble, Caleb Roberts, Shubhum Sharaf and Fode Simbo catch the eye as a trio of unlikely and laid-back cowboys. Will de Renzy-Martin and Mary Galloway play the Fodors to the hilt and take no hostages, justifying the decision to play this Hungarian-American and Czech couple as stereotypically British.
Among the principals, Steffan Cennydd as Bela Zangler has little do in the first act but comes into his own with some well-timed physical comedy after the interval. Jacob Coleman plays Lank straight and the role is all the more effective as a result, and it is unfortunate that the score gives him only one number.
Ruth Ollman was a determined Irene and Lucie Fletcher a believable and sympathetic Polly, leading an exuberant Act 1 finale in I got rhythm. The performance of the night however was that of Luke Thallon as Bobby. Not only a good singer and an excellent dancer, he gave an account of the role that was not only exuberant, entertaining and exhilarating, but was also absolutely authentic for the period and the genre.
He also handled the physical comedy exceptionally well and it clear that these young actors have been well-trained for these routines and for the fights in the saloon; timing the weak gags in the script is harder to teach but the cast need not feel responsible for that. The exceptional routine with the two Zanglers was a joy to watch, detailed and delicate and with an innate understanding on the part of the director of how to build to a succession of physical gags.
It was good to note from the programme the thanks to those producing the forthcoming professional tour of Crazy for You with Tom Chambers in the lead, and who allowed this production to go ahead. These talented young performers will have learnt a great deal from grappling with this piece under such wise and experienced direction.
- : admin
- : 04/07/2017