The follies dancers help bring the show’s Gershwin tunes to life. Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
A high-energy comedy filled with mistaken identity, plot twists and song-and-dance numbers “Crazy for You” is Liberty Middle School’s upcoming musical, Show times are Thursday-Saturday, April 21, 22 and 23, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door and during school lunches.
The triple Tony Award-winner garnered top honors in 1992 for Best Musical, Choreography and Costumes. It tells how love blossoms between a big-city playboy who longs to be a dancer and the small-town theater owner who captures his heart. Liberty’s young performers’ edition features a cast and crew of 66 who’ve been rehearsing since November.
“This is one of my favorite musicals, and we’re the first middle school in FCPS to do this show,” said Director Jody Scott. “We’re blessed to have so many students who are such great singers and dancers. All the music is by George and Ira Gershwin, and the students bring out the emotion and enjoyment of the songs.”
The story takes place in the 1930s in a Broadway theater in New York City and in the sleepy, mining town of Deadrock, Nev. Notable tunes include “I Got Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Embraceable You” and “Someone to Watch over Me.”
Scott said the actors are “doing an excellent job of immersing themselves in the time period. Their acting is nuanced, with the characters reacting to each other’s lines. And the costumes are wonderful; the girls wear long gloves, dresses with bangles and velvet capes, and the boys are dressed as cowboys in jeans and flannel plaid shirts.”
She also praised two teachers, Assistant Director Gary Verhagen and Laura Bellis, in charge of costumes and props. “They’ve both been tremendous helps,” said Scott. “There’s a lot of comedy in this show, and the audience will enjoy the interaction among the characters and seeing the Gershwin songs come to life through the singing and dancing.”
Eighth-grader Sarah Campbell plays Polly Baker. “When everyone else is unhappy, she’s cheerful and optimistic,” said Sarah. “She’s also strong and a leader. Her theater is being foreclosed, and then Bobby Child arrives and wants to save it with her. But he was really sent there to foreclose on it; so to win her heart, he pretends to be someone he’s not.”
Sarah’s having fun with her role because, she said, “Most of the time, I’m not that optimistic, so it’s nice to portray someone else. And some of the lines are really funny, so it’s hard to contain my laughter.” All in all, she said people will like the show’s humor, plot twists and music.
Playing Child is classmate Caleb Renaud. “Bobby tries to make other people happy,” said Caleb. “But when he’s around his fiancé, Irene, he’s nervous and self-conscious. He loves to dance and wants to do that, instead of working in his mom’s bank. He’s trying to connect with Polly, even though he’s pretending to be a different person.”
“Playing him is amazing because he’s like me,” continued Caleb. “I love singing, helping people and making them laugh. There’s a lot to memorize because I’m in every scene; but it’s worth it because of the musical numbers I’m in.”
His favorite number is “Can’t be Bothered Now,” which he sings. “It shows what Bobby wants to do and who he wants to dance with, and dancers portray my dream,” he said. As for the show, he said, “The audience will like all the jokes and the story’s theme — Chase your dream and never give up.”
Eighth-grader Kendall Claar portrays Child’s fiancé, Irene Roth. “She’s a New York socialite who’s very controlling and demanding,” said Kendall. “She always gets her way and expects people to respect her. She chases after Bobby when he goes to Deadrock; and when he breaks off their engagement, she abruptly asks someone else to marry her.”
Kendall likes playing someone who always gets her way because “That’s not always how life is. I also love her fashions, including a velvet cloak, long gloves and blinged-out jewelry; she’s very stylish.”
She said people enjoy this show because “The music is great — it makes you want to sing along — and the storyline is really funny and unique. It’ll also be something different than many theatergoers have experienced before.”
Playing Lank Hawkins, the man who marries Irene, is eighth-grader Hrishhik Rangaraju. “He owns the hotel in Deadrock and is very overworked. He’s assertive and clever, but his mind is on other things because his priority is his job. He’s also the man who actually gets things done in the town.”
“Lank has really funny lines and I like making the audience laugh,” continued Hrishhik. “And even though it doesn’t look like he’ll succeed, he manages to do so, as do the other characters.”
Overall, he said, “The audience will love how enthusiastic the actors are and all the effort Ms. Scott, Mr. Verhagen and Ms. Bellis put into this play. Their dedication and sacrifice will show in the final product, which will leave the audience happy and entertained.”