Bracknell’s Wilde Theatre hosted an eye-catching performance of a Gershwin classic last week
A taste of Broadway made its way to the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell this week as the Gershwin classic Crazy For You came a-callin’.
Set in 1930s New York, aspiring dancer and reluctant banker Bobby Child is stuck between staying home and marrying his intimidating girlfriend Irene, or pleasing his mother by travelling west to serve a foreclosure notice on a theatre in Deadrock, Nevada.
Having failed to make an impression on Broadway theatre magnate Bella Zangler with his performing skills, Bobby hops on the first train to sleepy Deadrock, ready to hang up his dancing shoes for good.
But once he arrives, Bobby is wowed by local lovely Polly Baker, who runs the local post office in the former theatre, the very property he has been sent to close down. In an attempt to win Polly and her father over, Bobby comes up with an idea to put on a show at the theatre, raising enough money to pay off the bank.
But things start to get messy when Bobby poses as the famous Bella Zangler in order to woo the glamorous girls of New York to perform in Deadrock, and Polly ends up falling for his disguise, and ultimately in love with ‘Zangler’! Will Bobby’s plan work? Will anyone turn up to see the performance? And what happens when the real Bella Zangler shows up in town?
Complicated plotlines aside, Crazy For You is a good old-fashioned feel-good musical, full of the glitz and glamour you would expect from such a high-octane production.
The costumes are on-point, eye-catching and exciting and typical of the old-school glamour of the 1930s.
Stand-out performances came from Emily Austin as Polly, her angelic vocals were every inch the innocent Western cowgirl, while Debbie Mann as Irene epitomised the feisty ‘new age’ 1930’s New York gal.
Special mention must go to George Riddell as gruff saloon owner Lank. His surly demeanour kept the audiences laughing throughout, but his ‘Naughty Baby’ performance with seductress Irene in the second half will have you clutching your sides in hysterics.
All of the dancers were incredibly talented, and it was clear that a lot of hard work had gone into the choreography, especially of the big show-tune numbers such as ‘I Got Rhythm’ and ‘The Real American Folk Song (Is a Rag)’. It’s not just the casts’ shoes that are tapping away when these big performances get going.
East Berkshire Operatic Society have really pulled out all the stops for this production, with every detail considered from the dresses to the stage design. If you really are looking for a sensational night out to ward off the winter blues, then this is the show for you.
Catchy numbers, amazing costumes and a feel-good romance story… Who could ask for anything more?
Crazy For You ran at the Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park until Saturday November 7.
