If they gave out grants for presenting Gershwin with gusto, Wood Dale’s Stage Right Dinner Theatre would be dancing in money.
In the real world, though, the 3-year-old suburban operation must live and die at the box office and the bar. That means the audiences for Stage Right’s revival of the 1992 Gershwin reconception “Crazy for You” must accept some limitations.
Many of the non-Equity performers are fresh out of college musical-theater programs. The older characters’ maturity sometimes comes from a makeup pencil.
The banquet-facility stage is wide but shallow, making blocking and transitions difficult. In the absence of a pit, the orchestra is situated to the side, causing some coordination problems for the singers.
And the cast of dancers is smaller than in previous local versions of this shameless Broadway excuse to string together classic George and Ira Gershwin tunes and splashy production numbers. The silly and unimportant book by Ken Ludwig involves the saving of an old Nevada theater as locals join with New York professionals to put on a show.
So, no one would confuse this “Crazy for You” with the touring Broadway production. But try finding parking, dinner and show for less than $40 anywhere near the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
The bigger suburban musical houses tend to cast similar faces, so there’s a real pleasure here in seeing some new and fresh talent.
In the case of Rene Yazel, a transplanted Oklahoman playing the lead role of Polly, imaginative director Carla Rea has found a genuine and likable young performer with a strong voice and impressive dancing skills.
David Barth is a touch flustered and scattered as Bobby, but he sings and dances well.
Some of the supporting players are overly broad, but the talented ensemble really throws itself into Barbara Yokom’s ambitious choreography. There’s no skimping here on tough dance breaks.
All in all, this is an energetic and thoroughly entertaining evening with young artists giving their all.
So what if the eclectic male ensemble doesn’t look much like traditional Broadway dancers. It’s a lot easier to believe these Stage Right guys live in Nevada than those svelte triple-threats from the touring productions whom you would swear had never left Manhattan.
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“Crazy for You”
When: Through May 18
Where: Stage Right Dinner
Theatre, 276 E. Irving Park Rd., Wood Dale
Phone: 630-595-2044
