Download enrichment guide - Citadel Theatre

ENRICHMENT GUIDE
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Book by Ken Ludwig
Direction and Choreography by Dayna Tekatch
Music Direction by Don Horsbourgh
Play Guides sponsored by
CRAZY FOR YOU®
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
3
WHO’S INVOLVED
4-5
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
6-7
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
8
SCRIPT REFERENCES
9-10
TAP DANCE
11
MUSICAL THEATRE
12
SYNOPOSIS
13-14
THEMES
15-17
DESIGN
18-19
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
20
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
21
FURTHER READING/REFERENCES
22
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
22-24
2
CRAZY FOR YOU®
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Going to the theatre is an engaging and interactive experience. We want you to be an active participant when you
see our shows; laugh when it’s funny, cry when it’s sad, gasp when it’s shocking, and enjoy the experience as much
as possible. But we want you to do this in the most respectful way possible, for both the performers and your fellow audience members.
To ensure the most positive experience, please review the following information prior to arriving at the theatre.
The following items are not allowed in the theatre:
•Food and drink (except that which is sold during intermission and/or permitted by the Citadel Theatre, such as
bottled water and ice cream).
•Cameras and other recording devices (please note that taking photographs or other recordings in the theatre is
strictly prohibited by law).
Basic courtesy:
•Turn OFF and put away all electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, video game systems, etc. prior to entering the theatre.
•Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you.
•The actors onstage can see and hear the audience during the performance – it is important that audience members
not talk, move around, or fidget during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors, as well as fellow
audience members.
•There is no dress code at the Citadel Theatre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats
in the theatre.
•For the safety of those with allergies, please refrain from using perfumes or scented products before coming to
the theatre.
•Please do not place backpacks or other bags in the aisle in front of your feet, as this may impair the ability of persons to exit the row in an emergency.
Inappropriate behaviour:
Citadel Theatre representatives watch carefully during performances for inappropriate behaviour, especially behaviour that could endanger an actor or audience member. Inappropriate behaviour includes, but is not limited to:
•Talking in the audience
•The use of laser pointers or other light or sound-emitting devices
•Interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.)
Audience members identified as engaging in this type of behaviour will be removed from the theatre during the
performance or at intermission.
3
CRAZY FOR YOU®
CAST, CREATIVE TEAM AND CHARACTERS
CAST
RACHEL BOWRON, NADYA CORSCADDEN, JONATHAN CULLEN, SHELDON ELTER,
JESSE GERVAIS, SUSAN GILMOUR, ELIZABETH GREER, LARRY HERBERT, ALEX KELLY,
KELSEY LACOMBE, WILL LAMOND, ANDREW MACDONALD-SMITH, AYRIN MACKIE,
MAKAYLA MOORE, GREGORY PEMBER, ALISON ROBERTS, ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI-TARHAN,
ANDREW TAYLOR, JOHN ULLYATT, SARAH VANCE, CHRISTOPHER WILSON, BLAIR YOUNG
CREATIVE TEAM
Season Sponsor:
Director/Choreographer
DAYNA TEKATCH
Assistant Director
FARREN TIMOTEO
Set and Costume Designer
CORY SINCENNES
Lighting Designer
GERALD KING
Associate Lighting Designer
APRIL VICSZKO
Sound Designer
PETER McBOYLE
Associate Sound Designer
MICHAEL LAIRD
Music Director
DON HORSBOURGH
Fight Director and Associate Choreographer
JONATHAN PURVIS
Assistant Stage Manager
EMMA BRAGER
Assistant Stage Manager
AL GADOWSKY
Production Sponsor:
Media Sponsors:
4
CRAZY FOR YOU®
CAST, CREATIVE TEAM AND CHARACTERS CONT...
In alphabetical order
RACHEL BOWRON
Irene Roth
NADYA CORSCADDEN
Evelyn
JONATHAN CULLEN
Sam
SHELDON ELTER
Moose
JESSE GERVAIS
Lank Hawkins
SUSAN GILMOUR
Lottie Child
ELIZABETH GREER
Rose
LARRY HERBERT
Everett Baker
ALEX KELLY
Billy
KELSEY LACOMBE
Patsy
WILL LAMOND
Mingo
ANDREW MACDONALD-SMITH
Bobby Child
AYRIN MACKIE
Polly Baker
MAKAYLA MOORE
Tess
GREGORY PEMBER
Junior
ALISON ROBERTS
Betsy
ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI-TARHAN
Patricia Fodor
ANDREW TAYLOR
Jimmy
JOHN ULLYATT
Bela Zangler
SARAH VANCE
Mitzi/Dance Captain
CHRISTOPHER WILSON
Perkins /Custus
BLAIR YOUNG
Eugene Fodor
5
CRAZY FOR YOU®
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN — MUSIC AND LYRICS
Words and Music That Transcend Time
George and Ira Gershwin will always be remembered as the songwriting team
whose voice was synonymous with the sounds and style of the Jazz Age. By the
time of their 1924 Broadway hit, Lady, Be Good!, George had worked with
lyricist Buddy DeSylva on a series of revues, George White’s Scandals, while Ira
enjoyed success with composer Vincent Youmans on Two Little Girls In Blue.
But from 1924 until George’s death in 1937, the brothers wrote almost
exclusively with each other, composing over two dozen scores for Broadway
and Hollywood. Though they had many individual song hits, their greatest
achievement may have been the elevation of musical comedy to an American
art form. With their trilogy of political satires – Strike Up the Band, the
George Gershwin
Pulitzer Prize-winning Of Thee I Sing, and its sequel, Let ‘Em Eat Cake (all
three written with playwrights George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind) – they
helped raise popular musical theatre to a new level of sophistication. Their now-classic folk opera, Porgy and Bess
(co-written with DuBose Heyward), is constantly revived in opera houses and theatres throughout the world.
Concurrently with the Gershwins’ musical theatre and film work, George attained great success in the concert
arena as a piano virtuoso, conductor, and composer of such celebrated works as
Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and the Concerto in F.
Ira Continues
After George’s death, Ira continued to work in film and theatre with
collaborators ranging from Kurt Weill and Jerome Kern to Harold Arlen, Burton
Lane, Vernon Duke, and Harry Warren, among others, writing such standards as
Long Ago (and Far Away) and The Man That Got Away, both nominated for
Academy Awards.
Ira’s book, Lyrics on Several Occasions, was published to critical acclaim in
1959; it was a unique selection of his lyrics, accompanied by his annotations,
observations, and anecdotes. In addition to his own career, Ira attended to the
details of his brother’s estate and the Gershwin legacy. He annotated their
manuscripts and consigned to the Library of Congress
all the materials that pertained to their careers. In
1983, at the age of 86, Ira died in his Beverly Hills
home.
Ira Gershwin
Today, the Gershwin catalog has been taken up by a younger generation who have
delighted in vintage and contemporary recordings, revivals, and the “new” Gershwin
musicals, My One and Only (1983) and the 1992 Tony Award winner for best musical,
Crazy For You. The United States Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the
Gershwins in 1985 (only the third time that songwriters had been so honoured), and in
2007, the Library of Congress instituted the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
http://gershwin.com/the-gershwin-brothers/
6
CRAZY FOR YOU®
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
KEN LUDWIG was born in York, Pennsylvania. His father was a doctor
and his mother was a former Broadway chorus girl. Ludwig was
educated at the York Suburban Senior High School, York PA. He
received degrees from Haverford College, Harvard University, where
he studied music with Leonard Bernstein, and Trinity College at
Cambridge University. His older brother, Eugene Ludwig, served as
President Bill Clinton's Comptroller of the Currency.
He is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose many hits on
Broadway, in London’s West End and throughout the world have made
his name synonymous with modern comedy. He has won the Laurence
Olivier Award, England’s highest theatre honour, as well as three Tony
Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His work has been
performed in 30 countries in more than 20 languages. He has had six
shows on Broadway and seven in London’s West End.
His first play on Broadway, Lend Me A Tenor, which the Washington
Post called “one of the classic
comedies of the 20th century,” won
two Tony Awards and was nominated
for seven. He has also won two Laurence Olivier Awards, the Charles
MacArthur Award, two Helen Hayes Awards, the Edgar Award for Best
Mystery from The Mystery Writers of America, the SETC Distinguished
Career Award, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Services to the
American Theatre. His plays have been commissioned by the Royal
Shakespeare Company and the Bristol Old Vic.
He has written 22 plays and musicals, including Crazy For You (five
years on Broadway and the West End, Tony and Olivier Award Winner
for Best Musical), Moon Over Buffalo (Broadway and West End), The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Broadway), Treasure Island (West End),
Twentieth Century (Broadway), Leading Ladies, Shakespeare in
Hollywood, The Game’s Afoot, The Fox on the
Fairway, The Three Musketeers and The
Beaux’ Stratagem. His most recent plays
include Baskerville, A Comedy of Tenors, and
Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol (2015 Helen Hayes
Award nominee for Outstanding Play). His
newest book, How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare, (winner of the Falstaff
Award for Best Shakespeare Book of 2014) is published by Random House. His
plays have starred Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Lynn Redgrave, Mickey Rooney,
Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Tony Shalhoub, Anne Heche, Joan Collins, and
Kristin Bell. His work is published by the Yale Review, and he is a Sallie B.
Goodman Fellow of the McCarter Theatre, Princeton. For more information,
please visit www.kenludwig.com.
7
CRAZY FOR YOU®
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Sitting in the audience watching the original Toronto production of Crazy For You actually
altered the course of my life and career, if you can believe it. At the time, I was studying biology
and jazz music in Vancouver, not at all clear about which direction I was heading, and as I sat in
the dark it struck me quite viscerally that I already possessed the skill sets I was witnessing. I
remember thinking, “I can do all that!” I moved to Toronto the following year and embarked on
a career in theatre.
I have watched and felt so many audiences be transformed by the power of tap dancing. It's
rhythmic force can literally change the emotional temperature in a room. To feel a collective,
palpable excitement and happiness spill out of a group like that is wild every time it happens.
I've always thought that it might be connected to the rhythmic sounds we hear while we are still
in our mother's bellies … who knows? But it's very real and I believe it has enormous value. It's
difficult to be stressed out about your life, or the state of American politics, for that matter,
when there are 20 people tap dancing in front of you.
And George and Ira Gershwin? I mean, come on! They created melodies and lyrics that have
simply refused to fade over time. Their music will stay with you, not because they are annoying
earworms, but because they are beautifully written and incredibly satisfying to sing and to listen
to.
My desire and intention in directing and
choreographing this show is not to subvert it in
any way or to make fun of the style of comedy it
embraces. Rather, my intention is to pay homage
to the extraordinary musicals of the 1930s and to
bring what we have learned since into the mix.
Reading the news and keeping abreast of global
politics these days can be frightening and very
dark, and my great desire is that you be
surrounded and embraced by warmth, light, and
laughter for the next few hours.
The light is still there, we just need to make the
choice to be in it.
- Dayna Tekatch
8
CRAZY FOR YOU®
SCRIPT REFERENCES
The musical is set in the 1930s, in New York and the
fictional town of Deadrock, Nevada
 The Gershwin Musical, Girl Crazy, opened in 1930, and
eventually became a suggestion for Crazy for You (for
example, the songs I Got Rhythm and Could You Use Me?
appear in both productions)
 Girl Crazy was turned into a movie, released in 1943,
starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney as Polly and Bobby, respectively
 In the musical Crazy for You in Act 2, Scene 3, there is
a parody of a scene from another hit musical, Les
Misérables (1985) - a pile of furniture that resembles a
blockade, with a flag planted in it
 The Broadway production of Crazy for You opened on
February 19, 1992, at Shubert Theatre, and had a run of
1,622 performances
 The production won the Tony for Best Musical in 1992.
It also won the Olivier Award in London for Best Musical
in 1993
 The New York Times credited Crazy for You as the moment “at which Broadway finally rose
up to grab the musical back from the British”
 Jodi Benson (below), who played Polly in the original Broadway production, was the singing
and speaking voice of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid
 Harry Groener, who played Bobby in the original Broadway production, made his debut in as
Will Parker in Oklahoma! in 1979, and appeared on the hit TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
as Mayor Wilkins for three seasons
 Bruce Adler (above, right), who played Bela Zangler in the original Broadway production,
also provided the singing voice for the narrator of Disney’s Aladdin and the sequel, Aladdin
and the Prince of Thieves
 Eugene Fodor, a character in Crazy for You, was based on a real person
of the same name. He was the real life founder of Fodor’s Travel Guides.
However, his character in Crazy for You is a fictional interpretation. For
example, in real life, Fodor was Hungarian-American, not British
 George and Ira Gershwin also created the music and lyrics for other
notable productions, including An American in Paris. Their hit songs include
I’ve Got Rhythm, Embraceable You, and Somebody Loves Me

9
CRAZY FOR YOU®
SCRIPT REFERENCES cont…
ZIEGFELD FOLLIES
 The Ziegfeld Follies are credited with transforming the Broadway musical
 The first follies show, produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, was performed in 1907
 The show was originally called the Follies of 1907 but the concept proved to be such a hit that
Ziegfeld added his own name to the title
 The follies became an annual main event of Broadway and
ran until 1931 (with renewals in ’34 and ’36)
 The showgirls, consisting of both dancers and chorus girls,
are what really made the show into an event
 Prohibition had a negative impact on the Ziegfeld Follies,
since the crowds that normally attended went to illegal
speakeasies instead. The Great Depression lowered
audience numbers even further, as many people could no
longer afford to attend
 W.C Fields appeared in several editions of the Follies, even
though he didn’t like Ziegfeld personally
 Ziegfeld has been called “Broadway’s greatest showman” and his cards allegedly read:
“Impresario Extraordinaire”
 He was married to one of his follies stars, Anna Held. They had a tumultuous marriage, as
Ziegfeld continued to have many affairs
 The preferred measurements of a Ziegfeld Girl (in inches) was 36-26-38
 In Crazy For You, the Zangler Follies are, of course, a nod to the real-life Ziegfeld Follies
FAMOUS ZIEGFELD FOLLIES ACTRESSES

Delores Costello (below) was known as goddess of the silent screen and was actress Drew
Barrymore’s grandmother
 Helen Hayes (Brown) was an EGOT (meaning she won Emmy, Grammy,
Oscar and Tony awards — quite the achievement!)
 Marilyn Miller’s career took off when she came under the Ziegfeld’s
management and performed in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918. She went on to
become one of the greatest musical comedy actresses of the 1920s
(including starring in Rosalie, for which the Gershwin brothers wrote the
music and lyrics)
 Louise Brooks popularized the bob haircut and was the ultimate flapper
girl
 Barbara Stanwyck, a famous Hollywood actress, got her start in the
follies
 Doris Eaton Travis, the last living Ziegfeld Girl, died in 2010
10
CRAZY FOR YOU®
TAP DANCE
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of
percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap
focuses on dance; it is widely performed in musical theatre. Rhythm tap focuses on musicality, and practitioners consider themselves to be a part of the jazz tradition.
The sound is made by shoes that have a metal “tap” on the heel and toe. There are different brands of
shoes, which sometimes differ in the way they sound.
“Soft-Shoe” is a rhythm form of tap dancing that does not require special shoes, and though rhythm is generated by tapping of the feet, it also uses sliding of the feet (even sometimes using scattered sand on the
stage to enhance the sound of sliding feet) more often than modern rhythm tap. It preceded what is currently considered to be modern tap, but has since declined in popularity.
CHARACTERISTICS OF TAP DANCE
Tap dancers make frequent use of syncopation. Choreography typically starts on the eighth or first beat-count. Another aspect of tap dancing is improvisation. Tap dancing can either be done with music following the beats provided, or without musical accompaniment; the
latter is known as “a cappella” tap dancing.
Hoofers are tap dancers who dance primarily “closer to the floor,” using mostly footwork and not showing very much arm or body movement. Tap later evolved into (what most people know as tap now) “show tap” because it uses more arm movement. This form evolved
because show tap was thought to be more exciting to watch and became famous when show tap was put on Broadway.
Early tappers like Fred Astaire provided a more ballroom look
to tap dancing, while Gene Kelly introduced ballet elements
and style into tap. This style of tap led to what is today known
as Broadway style, which is popular in American culture. It
often involves high heeled tap shoes and show music, and is
usually the type of tap first taught to beginners. Examples of
this style are found in Broadway musicals such as Anything
Goes and 42nd Street.
Common tap steps include the shuffle, shuffle ball change, double shuffle, leap shuffle, hop shuffle, flap, flap ball change, running flaps, flap heel, cramproll, buffalo, Maxi Ford, Maxi Ford
with a pullback, pullbacks, wings, Cincinnati, the shim sham
shimmy (also called the Lindy), Irish, Waltz Clog, the paddle
roll, the paradiddle, stomp, brushes, scuffs, spanks, riffs, and
single and double toe punches, hot steps, heel clicks, time
steps, over-the-tops, military time step, New Yorkers, Shiggy Bops, drawbacks, and chugs. In advanced tap dancing, basic steps are often
combined together to create new steps. Many steps also have single, double, and triple versions, including pullbacks, timesteps, and drawbacks. In tap, various types of turns can be done, including step heel turns, Maxi Ford turns, cramproll turns, and drag turns. Timesteps are
widely used in tap and can vary in different areas. These consist of a rhythm that is changed to make new timesteps by adding or removing
steps.
Tap dancing can also be done using an a cappella method, in which no musical accompaniment is provided and dancers creating their own
“music” through the sounds of their taps.
In group tap dances, the steps are typically kept simple and easy to control. The group of dancers must work together to create the sound
keeping their steps at the correct speed to match each other.
11
CRAZY FOR YOU®
MUSICAL THEATRE
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The
story and emotional content of a musical – humour, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through the words,
music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre
overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given
to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical
theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals.
Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient times, modern Western musical theatre
emerged during the 19th century, with many structural elements established by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan
in Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by the numerous Edwardian musical
comedies and the musical theatre works of American creators like George M. Cohan. The Princess Theatre
musicals and other smart shows like Of Thee I Sing (1931) were artistic steps forward beyond revues and other
frothy entertainments of the early 20th century and led to such groundbreaking works as Show Boat (1927) and
Oklahoma! (1943). Some of the most famous and iconic musicals through the decades that followed include West
Side Story (1957), The Fantasticks (1960), Hair (1967), A Chorus Line (1975), Les Misérables (1985), The Phantom
of the Opera (1986), Rent (1996), The Producers (2001), Wicked (2003) and Hamilton (2015).
Crazy for You ® is a romantic comedy musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by
George Gershwin. Billed as “The New Gershwin Musical Comedy,” it is somewhat based on the songwriting team’s
1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but incorporates songs from several other
productions, as well. Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best
Musical.
Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira
Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made
her stage debut in this musical production and it also turned Ginger Rogers
into an overnight star. It has been adapted three times for film, most
notably in 1943, with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. In that version,
the roles played by Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman were combined into
one, played by Garland. The 1930 stage version follows the story of Danny
Churchill, who has been sent to
Custerville, Arizona, to manage his
family's ranch. His father has sent
him there to focus on more serious
matters than alcohol and women,
but Danny turns his family's place
into a dude ranch, importing
showgirls from Broadway and hiring
Kate Forthergill (played by
Merman) as an entertainer.
Eventually, visitors come from both coasts to the ranch and Danny falls in
love with the local postmistress, Molly Gray (originally played by Ginger
Rogers). The subsequent films followed different plots.
12
CRAZY FOR YOU®
SYNOPSIS
Act 1
Backstage at the Zangler Theater in New York in the 1930s, the last performance of the Zangler Follies is wrapping
up for the season and Tess, the dance director, is dodging the advances of the married Bela Zangler. Bobby Child,
the rich son of a banking family, is backstage hoping for an audition with Mr. Zangler. Bobby performs K-ra-zy for
You, but fails to impress Zangler after landing on Zangler's foot during the final flourish of his dance routine.
Dejected, Bobby heads outside.
Bobby is met by Irene, the wealthy woman to whom he has been engaged for five years, and then by his mother,
who demands that Bobby carry out her piece of banking business for her. Bobby is told to go to Deadrock, Nevada,
to foreclose on a rundown theatre. As the women argue over him, Bobby imagines himself dancing with the Follies
Girls and joins them in a rousing rendition of I Can't Be Bothered Now. Brought back to reality, Bobby decides to
escape to Nevada.
When Bobby arrives in Deadrock, it's clear that the gold-mining town has seen better days. The men, who are
cowboys, sing Bidin' My Time in a long, slow drawl. Everett Baker receives a letter from New York warning of the
bank foreclosing on the Gaiety Theater. The only woman left in this forlorn town is Everett's daughter, the spunky
Polly Baker, who vows to get even with Bobby Child if she ever meets him.
Lank Hawkins, proprietor of the town's saloon, argues with Everett, trying to convince Everett to let him buy the
theatre before the bank takes it. The stubborn old man refuses to give up the theatre because of his memories of
Polly's mother being the star of all the theatre's old shows.
Bobby enters the town almost dying of thirst, and falls in love with Polly at first sight, not realizing who she is,
and expresses his excitement in Things Are Looking Up. Lank isn't pleased to see a rival for Polly's affections.
Bobby finds himself in quite a bind. If he forecloses on the theatre, he will lose the girl of his dreams. Inspired, he
comes up with the idea of putting on a show to pay off the mortgage. Polly agrees to this plan until she finds out
who he is and suspects a trick. Bobby and Polly are both heartbroken, but Bobby decides to put on the show
anyway ... disguised as Mr. Zangler. Polly, deeply hurt, expressed her loneliness in Someone to Watch Over Me.
A few days later, 10 Follies Girls, on vacation from The Zangler Follies, appear like a mirage in the desert. Bobby
has asked them to help stage a spectacular show in Deadrock. When the men of Deadrock see the girls, the sleepy
town becomes very lively. Lank Hawkins continues to express extreme dislike for the show, threatening to shoot
Bobby. Rehearsals for the show aren't going well and the cowboys, in particular, are terrible dancers. Bobby
changes all that in the course of one rehearsal with the song Slap That Bass. Spirits are now at a high point.
Meanwhile, to Bobby's dismay, Irene arrives, threatening to expose Bobby's charade, and Polly has fallen in love
with Bobby's impersonation of Zangler. She expresses her love for Zangler with the song Embraceable You.
Opening night arrives, with everyone in high hopes (Tonight's the Night!). Sadly, everyone is disappointed to find
that the only people to arrive are Eugene and Patricia Fodor, British tourists writing a guidebook on the American
West. What starts out as a disappointment changes into the realization that the show has galvanized the oncesleepy town, making it lively and spirited. They celebrate with a spirited rendition of I Got Rhythm, while the real
Zangler, severely dehydrated, stumbles unnoticed into the town and collapses, just as the scene ends.
13
CRAZY FOR YOU®
SYNOPSIS
Act 2
In Lank's saloon, Bobby is professing his love to Polly. Unfortunately, she is still in love with the man who she
thinks is Zangler. Bobby is about to convince Polly that he has been impersonating “Zangler” when the real
Zangler stumbles into the saloon looking for Tess.
Zangler finds Tess, but refuses her request to produce the show. Tess storms off, Zangler, now drunk after being
disgusted by the town, bemoans his fate. Bobby, dressed like Zangler, reels in to drown his sorrow over losing
Polly. Drunk and depressed, the two men act as mirror images of each other, and lament their lost loves in What
Causes That.
The next morning, Polly sees the two Zanglers together and realizes what has happened. She slaps Bobby and
leaves in a huff, while the townsfolk prepare for a meeting at the theatre to discuss what to do with the show.
Irene comes to Bobby in one final attempt to make him go back to New York with her, but Bobby rejects her, and
states his love for Polly. Immensely frustrated with Bobby, Irene seduces Lank in Naughty Baby.
The townsfolk are all now gathered at the theatre. Bobby is all for trying the show again, while Polly thinks they
should abandon the venture. The Fodors counsel the dejected townspeople to keep a Stiff Upper Lip, which
includes a parody of the barricade scene from Les Misérables but, by the end of the song, only Polly, Everett,
Bobby, and Tess still think the show should continue.
Everyone but Bobby and Polly leave the theatre; Bobby prepares to leave for New York, professing that his
memories of Polly will never fade in They Can't Take That Away from Me. Polly realizes, too late, that she does
love Bobby, and after he leaves, laments her loss in But Not For Me.
Meanwhile, Bela Zangler decides to put on the show as a favour to Tess; the two seem to be in love once more.
Although he had been planning to cast Bobby as the lead, he makes Polly the star of the show after learning that
Bobby has left for New York.
Six weeks later, Bobby is still thinking of Deadrock as he works for his mother's bank. For his birthday, Mrs. Child
gives him the Zangler theatre (Zangler has used all his money on the show in Deadrock). While initially ecstatic,
Bobby realizes that his love for Polly is worth more in Nice Work if You Can Get It, and leaves for Deadrock with
Mrs. Child to pursue her.
Meanwhile, Polly has decided to leave for New York to look for Bobby, who enters Deadrock just after she leaves.
After learning that Polly has left to find him, he leaves the stage to “wash up” before driving back to New York to
catch her. Bobby's mother and Irene (who is now married to Lank) notice each other, and start an argument.
Everett notices Mrs. Child, and falls head-over-heels in love with her, as shown in a reprise of Things Are Looking
Up. His affections are reciprocated, and immediately afterwards, Polly reenters with Custus, one of the cowboys.
Custus is trying to give Polly a ride to the station, but his car has run out of gas, and she has missed the train to
New York. Together, the townspeople concoct a plan, and Polly and Bobby are finally reunited in the Finale.
14
CRAZY FOR YOU®
THEMES
George Gershwin’s Girl Crazy, the show Crazy For You is based upon, opened on Broadway in October of 1930. The period during which
the Gershwins were writing the show was a crucial time in the development of the American musical. The Broadway musical as we
know it today came about as an amalgamation of many different earlier forms of entertainment. These are some of the main forms of
entertainment in the 19th century and early 20th century that exerted a major influence on the development of the American musical.

Minstrelsy became dominant starting in the 1830s. This now disreputable form of entertainment began with a group of Irish men
who applied burnt cork to their faces to appear African American. The genre expanded from there to become more popular, eventually including African Americans putting on blackface make-up to portray themselves. A minstrel show consisted of a series of
songs, dances, and skits, which unfortunately perpetuated many different stereotypes of African Americans. White performers
pretended to be black slaves on a plantation, or blacks assimilating into life in the city, using stereotypical speech patterns actual
African-Americans didn’t even use. As awful as it was, minstrelsy is recognized by historians as the first uniquely American theatrical form.

Burlesque became popular in the 1850s. A “Burlesque” was a parody of a more serious piece, a historical topic, or a current issue.
This too was a type of variety show, combining comedy, strip tease, music, dancing, cross-dressing, mime, and a host of other elements. The parodistic aspects of burlesque contributed to what we now categorize as political satire.

Extravaganza came about as a prominent form of entertainment in the 1860s. This art form was all about spectacle — in much the
same way that modern Broadway musicals have become about spectacle. In addition to the singing and dancing typical of other
concurrent forms of entertainment, extravaganza emphasized acrobatics and circus-like attractions.

Vaudeville became prevalent in the 1880s. A vaudeville piece was a variety show, made up of unrelated acts featuring different
performers, with emphasis on song and dance. Other elements present in vaudeville shows included comedians, jugglers, magicians, and acrobats. Oftentimes, vaudeville shows had patriotic themes. Vaudeville performers would travel the country on different circuits, always competing for popularity. George M. Cohan was a huge success in vaudeville. He popularized now-familiar
songs such as You’re a Grand Old Flag, I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Give My Regards to Broadway.

Operetta, very popular early on in America, had dissipated by the end of the 19th century in favour of vaudeville and minstrelsy
but experienced a resurgence through the next few decades. An operetta is located stylistically between opera and musical theatre. Operettas were less serious and dramatic than traditional European operas, and contained more spoken dialogue, the way
most musicals do today.
Common to all of these forms of entertainment was an emphasis on song and dance, and it is the feature above all else that led to the
next stage of development of the American musical.
Musical Theatre in the ‘20s and ‘30s
In the 1920s, earlier forms of musical theatre were combining into what we would now consider musical comedy. For the first time,
shows other than opera and operetta had a throughline. A vaudeville or minstrel show was essentially a variety show, made up of unrelated acts, but the 1920s introduced plot and storyline to musical theatre. Granted, 1920s musicals were not quite what we would
now consider to be “traditional” musical comedy. They focused on entertainment value, featuring extensive song and dance numbers
with long-legged chorus girls in lieu of plot and character development. Those scenes that were included were farcical and slapstick in
nature, serving only to get a laugh.
Furthermore, early musicals were often written specifically for their leading performers. A writing team would start with a concept and
shape the show around whatever big star they could get to be in their show. You can see an example of this in Gershwin’s Girl Crazy —
Ethel Merman, an unknown at the time, was brought in to play a minor role with a couple of short songs. The creative team and the
audiences liked her so much that they kept expanding her role — and, when all was said and done, she was the second female lead.
Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Show Boat, which premiered on Broadway in 1927, forever changed the face of American
musical theatre. It was revolutionary not only in the many racial themes it covered but, more importantly, in its use of dialogue to further the dramatic story. Show Boat was a musical play, the first of its kind.
15
CRAZY FOR YOU®
THEMES
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the worst economic crisis in United States history, lasting more than a decade, from October 29, 1929, until
the early 1940s. It began with the stock market crash on Wall Street, and snowballed into businesses closing and people losing their jobs
and homes. The failure of more than 5,000 banks within the next three-and-a-half years caused many Americans to lose their life savings.
At its worst point, in 1933, one-quarter of workers were unemployed. Countless families were without the basic necessities of food and
clothing.
The devastation wrought by the Depression didn’t start to reverse itself until the late 1930s, with the advent of President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt’s “New Deal.” The New Deal created jobs for Americans and helped to bring the unemployment rate back down. However, it
could not possibly remedy all of the country’s economic problems , and the U.S. was not completely out of the Depression until they entered World War II.
The Depression took a significant toll on American musical theatre. People were out of work and out of money, so they could not keep
up the spending habits they were used to. Broadway shows were expensive both to produce and to attend, so much of musical theatre
went on hold.
The advent of the Depression also coincided with the introduction of “talkies,” or “talking pictures” — the first movies to use synchronized dialogue sequences (as opposed to the silent films that had previously reigned in Hollywood). High salaries for actors seduced
Broadway’s best out to Hollywood, and low ticket prices made movies a far more appealing form of entertainment and an inexpensive
diversion from tough times. Talent and customers were drawn away from live theatre and into this revolutionary new art form.
Against this trend, Girl Crazy opened on Broadway in October of 1930, less than a year after the stock market crash. In the face of immense challenges, the Gershwins and others were able to pull through and continue writing musicals. There is something so immediate
about live theatre that cannot be captured in the movies, and though the outlet was dwindling, it could not be extinguished. Attendance
had decreased, but some audience members still looked to the theatre as their means of escape. As one writer so aptly put it: “Theatre
thrives on hard times.” Those who could afford to went to shows to find enjoyment and relief from the toil of everyday life.
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the place where American popular music was born. The phrase “Tin Pan Alley” itself actually refers to a couple of specific
places in New York City, a time period, and a musical style; and it came to be used as a nickname for the U.S. music industry.
Tin Pan Alley was originally located at Union Square, in downtown Manhattan near 14th Street. Beginning in 1885, music publishers
starting carving their niche into this part of the city, setting up shop in the same cluster of buildings. At the turn of the century, most of
the publishers moved up to West 28th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Finally, in the late 1920s, Tin Pan Alley moved once again,
this time to the West 40s. The second of these locations is the one most often associated with the name, as it is from which came Tin Pan
Alley’s most significant contributions.
You can imagine how Tin Pan Alley got its name. Monroe Rosenfeld, a journalist visiting New York City, coined the term to refer to the
cacophonous clanging of pianos heard from the city streets in the Tin Pan Alley area, saying it sounded like people banging on tin pans.
Up until the creation of Tin Pan Alley publishing houses, there was no centralized area for the writing and distribution of music. Publishing houses were located in countless cities throughout the country. You must remember that at the time, there were no CDs, cassette
tapes, or even records, so the primary medium for distributing music was sheet music — printed paper copies of the notes and words for
a song. Even middle-class families owned a piano, and people would sit around at social gatherings and play popular songs to entertain
each other.
(Continued on next page)
16
CRAZY FOR YOU®
THEMES
Tin Pan Alley cont...
Tin Pan Alley established New York City as the central location for the U.S. music industry, where all the newest songs would be
written and manufactured, and from which the sheet music would be distributed. It also established NYC as the cultural centre of the
nation for generations to come.
Tin Pan Alley was the place to go for the hottest new songs of the time. Vaudeville artists would return to New York from touring the
country, pick up a few new songs from the city’s budding young composers, and head back out on the road with a handful of new
routines. Tin Pan Alley was the one-stop-shop for new material.
The work of the composers associated with Tin Pan Alley had a major influence on popular music as we know it today. Before the
work of Tin Pan Alley composers, songs tended to be lengthy and narrative, with many verses and little consistency in form. With the
centralization of the music industry, songs tended to conform to one particular format: the AABA 32-bar song form. This process refers to the standardization of popular music, and this is why we call these songs “standards.”
The people who worked at Tin Pan Alley are also the ones responsible for the formation of ASCAP — the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Until this time there had been no clear cut system of copyrighting music; many of the best composers of the 1800s died broke because whoever could obtain possession of their songs would print their own versions. ASCAP guaranteed that writers would receive royalties (payments) every time their song was printed or used.
Tin Pan Alley is where George Gershwin and many of the best known composers of early musical theatre got their start. Gershwin
began as a song plugger working for Jerome H. Remick and Company, arranging music and promoting the company’s new tunes. Song
pluggers would play a company’s new songs at various locations in the Tin Pan Alley area in the hopes that people would buy them,
perform them, and immortalize them. Take Me Out to the Ballgame and God Bless America are a couple of Tin Pan Alley songs thus
immortalized.
https://www.montclair.edu/media/montclairedu/collegeofthearts/cartpages/oeco/educationalresources/CrazyforYou_studyguide.pdf
17
CRAZY FOR YOU®
Costume and Set Design
Costume and set
design sketches and
renderings by Cory
Sincennes.
18
CRAZY FOR YOU®
COSTUME AND SET DESIGN CONT...
Costume and set design sketches and renderings by Cory Sincennes.
19
CRAZY FOR YOU®
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
PROSCENIUM STAGE
A proscenium theatre is a specific style of theatre. Several features define a proscenium theatre, and this particular
theatre layout is extremely common; if you have ever been to see a live performance, especially in a high school auditorium, chances are high that you have seen a proscenium theatre. In addition to proscenium style theatres, it is also possible to find black box theatres, theatres with thrust stages, theatres in the round, and numerous other configurations
of stage and audience.
The classically defining feature of a proscenium theatre is the proscenium arch, which frames the stage for the audience. In addition, the audience faces the stage directly, with no audience on the sides of the stage, and the stage in a
proscenium theatre is typically raised, allowing the audience to see more clearly. Modern proscenium theatres sometimes lack the proscenium arch, but they are still called “proscenium theatres” because they retain the other characteristics of this style of theatre.
Proscenium theatres originated in the 1600s, and became immensely popular by the 1700s. There are certain advantages
of a proscenium theatre, such as the fact that the stage doesn't have to be as open, allowing people to conceal props,
sets, and orchestras in the wings or near the stage without having these things visible to the audience. A proscenium
theatre also creates a sense of staged grandeur, with the proscenium arch acting almost like a picture frame, giving the
audience the sense that they are looking into a scene.
20
CRAZY FOR YOU®
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What are some of your favourite movies and television shows? What elements of these early forms of
entertainment can you see in today’s entertainment?

What elements of Vaudeville, Extravaganza, Burlesque, Minstrelsy, and Operetta can you see in Crazy
for You?

Have you ever been to a live concert? If so, what elements of these early forms of entertainment were
used in the concert?

When you are going through a rough time, what kinds of entertainment do you turn to in order to release stress (i.e. television, movies, music, books)?

What is it about that particular form of entertainment that helps you get through a difficult time?

Bobby and many other of the characters are determined to pursue their dreams, no matter how unrealistic. Have you ever had a dream that someone else told you was unrealistic? If so, how did you respond?

What advice would you give to Bobby and others pursuing a hard-to-reach dream or goal?

There is a case of mistaken identity in the play, when Bobby pretends to be Bela. What misunderstandings did this ruse lead to?

Do you think it was right for Bobby to pretend to be someone he wasn’t in order to trick Polly? Why or
why not?

What forms of expression do the main characters use to communicate with each other?

Are these forms of expression used effective at communicating?

Musicals tend to include a wide range of emotions — humour, tragedy, love, anger . Which of these emotions do you see in Crazy For You? Give specific examples of each.

The play is set in the 1930s, when the Great Depression affected many people. What signs of the Great
Depression can you see in the play? What effect does it have on the characters? Does the Great Depression appear to have had a different effect on Deadrock, Nevada versus New York?

Bobby and Polly fall in love with each other rather quickly. Do you think this portrayal of love is realistic?
Why or why not?

We know Bobby and Polly are reunited at the end but we don’t find out much more beyond that. What
do you think happens to them? Do you think Bobby become will a star? Why or why not? Do you think
they stay in Deadrock, Nevada or move to New York? Give reasons for which location you chose.

What is your favourite scene or character in Crazy For You? What makes it/them likeable?
21
CRAZY FOR YOU®
REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/ziegfeld-follies/
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/20/theater/review-theater-crazy-for-you-a-fresh-chorus-ofgershwin-on-broadway.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.biography.com/people/george-gershwin-9309643#untimely-death
http://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/18/obituaries/ira-gershwin-lyricist-dies-songs-embodiedbroadway.html?pagewanted=all
https://www.montclair.edu/media/montclairedu/collegeofthearts/cartpages/oeco/
educationalresources/CrazyforYou_studyguide.pdf
Original cast recording of I Got Rhythm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m94SxmkohvQ
Original cast recording of Could You Use Me?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7abDWrEWLMs&list=PLHmdE2kdsS8CyekN54o2TgCZMNyuIsor9&index=4
Embraceable You lead-in dialogue and song clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=R8yWSq5xgfY&index=9&list=PLHmdE2kdsS8CyekN54o2TgCZMNyuIsor9
22
CRAZY FOR YOU®
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Curriculum Connections:
Participation as an audience member at the Citadel Theatre aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum. We outline below some (but not limited to) objectives which are developed through the viewing of live theatre:
Drama (Elementary)
Third Goal
To foster an appreciation for drama as an art form
Objectives
The child should:
1. develop an awareness of an respect for potential excellence in self and others
2. Develop a capacity to analyze, evaluate and synthesize ideas and experiences
3. Develop an awareness and appreciation of the variety of dramatic forms of expression.
Specific Learner Expectations:
Intellectual—develop and exercise imagination; develop concentration
Emotional—explore emotion; control emotion; express emotion
Social—understand others; discipline self; develop appreciation of the work of self and others; cope with emotional responses
Integrative—learn to respond to stimuli; e.g., music, pictures, objects, literature; test and reflect on the consequences of
dramatic decisions
Drama (Junior High)
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The student will:
• strengthen powers of concentration
• extend the ability to think imaginatively and creatively
• extend the ability to explore, control and express emotions

extend the ability to explore meaning through abstract concepts

develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism
develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:

develop awareness of various conventions of theatre

develop awareness of drama and theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible

develop the ability to analyze and assess the process and the art

develop recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
23
CRAZY FOR YOU®
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Drama 10-20-30
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The Student will:

extend the ability to concentrate

extend understanding of, acceptance of and empathy for others

demonstrate respect for others — their rights, ideas, abilities and differences (S)

demonstrate the ability to offer, accept, and reflect upon, constructive criticism.
GOAL II
To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines.
Objectives
The Student will:

demonstrate understanding of integration of disciplines to enrich a theatrical presentation.
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:
• explore various conventions and traditions of theatre
• broaden knowledge of theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible (
• demonstrate the ability to assess critically the process and the art
• demonstrate recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
• develop an awareness of aesthetics in visual and performing arts.
24