I saw this production of Crazy For You on PBS, and found it to be very enjoyable. Checked on the PBS website and found that it is not available on DVD or even tape for that matter. Perhaps if more people request it, they will put it out on VHS or DVD. A real shame that musicals are no longer of the "feel good" type, but have to have a message or are real downers. The kids today don't know what they are missing. The music used is from Girl Crazy. At first I thought that I would not like the original Gershwin show tinkered with, however seeing this new production with a new story line is well worth viewing. Too bad if this show would be lost forever. The MGM movie of Girl Crazy with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney is the better of the two version MGM released.
7 Reviews
Refreshing as a cool shower on a sizzling Summers day!
gilturk23 August 2013
Despite a rural/country setting of 'Crazy For You', the story which also involves big city bankers, finds this revised Gershwin musical originally presented in the 1930's as 'Girl Crazy' to be an outstanding production that PBS aired in 1999. The production presented in a New Jersey theatre and performed by very talented group of singers and dancers known as the Paper Mill Playhouse, excel in all respects. The choreography by Susan Stroman will leave you in awe and the terrific orchestra backing them all is worthy of sustained applause. I was fortunate to have videotaped the telecast. Since it has not had a commercial release, I will entertain sharing it with other devotees of this sparkling show.
Gershwin's got rhythm, and the Paper Mill had his music.
mark.waltz18 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
More than just a composer of classical symphonies like "Rhapsody in Blue" and a gorgeous ballet about an American in Paris, George Gershwin really takes the title of the king of America's Jazz age. If Irving Berlin represented the ragtime era of Broadway style music, Gershwin showed us how you jazz, and with shows like "Lady Be Good", "Funny Face", "Oh, Kay!", "Girl Crazy", "Strike Up the Band!" and "Of Thee I Sing", dominated the 1920's and the first half of the 1930's with his feel good Broadway shows. Several of these have been modernized for the current generation, starting with "My One and Only" in the 1980's (a variation of "Funny Face") and continuing with "Crazy For You", a variation of "Girl Crazy", the show that introduced Ethel Merman to Broadway audiences, giving the audiences in the last row of the highest balcony in the theater a thrill when she sang about having rhythm.
"Crazy For You" is basically the same exact story with dated references and some of the corny jokes removed, but at the same time, it's still very silly if absolutely enjoyable in the sense of being a guilty pleasure. This is the type of show that you are embarrassed about loving it so much, flashing a silly grin the moment the overture starts that you pray doesn't freeze on your face. It's about a bad Broadway boy (Jim Walton) who rushes out west to get out of an unwanted engagement and ends up turning country kids into the next Broadway hopefuls by "putting on a show", just like Mickey and Judy did. In fact they did; "Girl Crazy" had two film versions, the second of which was the last of four similarly themed movies where Mickey and Judy, a bunch of young talented hopefuls and a taskmaster of a director named Busby Berkeley put on a huge show that could never fit onto any Broadway stage.
Some of the original Broadway cast of this spectacularly elegant musical made it into the filmed version of the Paper Mill production, something I wish had been done more with the many good shows that come from this famous regional theater. Bruce Adler and Jane Connell (the original "Gooch" from the musical "Mame") reprise their roles, and appropriately, Stacey Logan, a chorus girl and understudy in the original production, takes on the leading lady role here, a true Ruby Keeler/"42nd Street" story that has happened more on Broadway than you would think. Fantastic choreography and an enthusiastic chorus help turn this into a reminder of how nostalgia can sooth the modern savage beast, and this lead to other variations of other vintage musicals, including Gershwin's "Oh, Kay!" which became another surprise hit, as "Nice Work if You Can Get It".
"Crazy For You" is basically the same exact story with dated references and some of the corny jokes removed, but at the same time, it's still very silly if absolutely enjoyable in the sense of being a guilty pleasure. This is the type of show that you are embarrassed about loving it so much, flashing a silly grin the moment the overture starts that you pray doesn't freeze on your face. It's about a bad Broadway boy (Jim Walton) who rushes out west to get out of an unwanted engagement and ends up turning country kids into the next Broadway hopefuls by "putting on a show", just like Mickey and Judy did. In fact they did; "Girl Crazy" had two film versions, the second of which was the last of four similarly themed movies where Mickey and Judy, a bunch of young talented hopefuls and a taskmaster of a director named Busby Berkeley put on a huge show that could never fit onto any Broadway stage.
Some of the original Broadway cast of this spectacularly elegant musical made it into the filmed version of the Paper Mill production, something I wish had been done more with the many good shows that come from this famous regional theater. Bruce Adler and Jane Connell (the original "Gooch" from the musical "Mame") reprise their roles, and appropriately, Stacey Logan, a chorus girl and understudy in the original production, takes on the leading lady role here, a true Ruby Keeler/"42nd Street" story that has happened more on Broadway than you would think. Fantastic choreography and an enthusiastic chorus help turn this into a reminder of how nostalgia can sooth the modern savage beast, and this lead to other variations of other vintage musicals, including Gershwin's "Oh, Kay!" which became another surprise hit, as "Nice Work if You Can Get It".
Where is the DVD for this show?
third_thumb6 October 2002
Excellent production; superb talent pool -- this was great; I only wish I was present at the actual theater. This has all the greatest Gershwin tunes in it: "Nice work if you can get it", "I've got music, who can ask for anything more", etc... I checked here to see if there was a DVD available, but doesn't seem like it. Now I'll check the PBS site to see if they have it available. This was shown as part of the Great Performances series, and is a recording of the New Jersey State Theater production.
Bravo Bravo!!!!
goleafs842 November 2008
I found this one night when I was channel surfing and thought I'd give this a shot since I like Gershwin songs and I loved what I saw in this tribute musical to the Gershwin Brothers. The play is funny and the music was well sung. Lori Alexander's rendition of "Someone to Watch Over me", gave me a smile and when she sang "I've Got Rhythm"; It was so rousing it made me want to stand up and cheer when she and the cast finished. Not to mention,Bruce Adler singing "Nice Work if You Can Get it" was a beauty piece as well.
I was lucky to tape the rebroadcast, but lost the tape years ago. I wish this could be on DVD, since this was brilliantly done.
I was lucky to tape the rebroadcast, but lost the tape years ago. I wish this could be on DVD, since this was brilliantly done.
I'm K-Ra-Zy for "Crazy for You"!
Ali-9730 January 2001
I saw this production on PBS one rainy Sunday afternoon. It was the most lively and uplifting thing I've seen in a long time! "Crazy for You" is a musical for everybody. You'll love the characters, the music and the songs, the storyline... the whole thing!
Joyous Musical with a Gershwin Tune ... and then some
drednm3 November 2018
Jim Walton and Stacey Logan star in this production of the Broadway musical that opened in 1992. Very loosely based on the 1943 film GIRL CRAZY, the plot has a banker who longs to be on the stage going to Nevada to repossess a theater that's behind in its payments. He instantly falls for the local girl and they decide to "put on a show" to save the theater.
The slim plot is built around 18 songs by George and Ira Gershwin, most of which are famous and instantly recognizable from classic movies. This production was filmed in 1999 and shown on PBS' Great Performances series.
Jim Walton starred in productions in Australia and Canada. He sings and dances well and is a delight in the "double" act with Bruce Adler as Bela Zangler. Adler was in the original Broadway production as were Jane Connell (the mother) and Stacey Logan (though she was a chorine in the original).
Larry Linville plays the father, Sandy Edgerton plays Irene, and Jeb Brown is Lank the hotelier.
Big and bright and with lots of humor, the dance numbers are excellent and very imaginative. Susan Stroman's original choreography has been re-created to great effect.
The core of the show is the Gershwin music, and it still ranks among the best American music ever.
The slim plot is built around 18 songs by George and Ira Gershwin, most of which are famous and instantly recognizable from classic movies. This production was filmed in 1999 and shown on PBS' Great Performances series.
Jim Walton starred in productions in Australia and Canada. He sings and dances well and is a delight in the "double" act with Bruce Adler as Bela Zangler. Adler was in the original Broadway production as were Jane Connell (the mother) and Stacey Logan (though she was a chorine in the original).
Larry Linville plays the father, Sandy Edgerton plays Irene, and Jeb Brown is Lank the hotelier.
Big and bright and with lots of humor, the dance numbers are excellent and very imaginative. Susan Stroman's original choreography has been re-created to great effect.
The core of the show is the Gershwin music, and it still ranks among the best American music ever.
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