By Andrea Teague
The excitement and flair of old-time Broadway will roll back onstage with help from Gershwin and a working ''30s limousine as the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley City presents 'Crazy for You.'
'It''s Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly - that style, that type of dancing,' said Marilyn Montgomery, choreographer for the show. 'It''s like all of the old movies, the old Broadway musicals, kind of tied up into one.'
The cast members for 'Crazy for You' tap dance and sing to more than 20 hits by George and Ira Gershwin including 'I Got Rhythm,' 'Nice Work if You Can Get It' and 'Embraceable You.'
To be able to make the show fit in with the Gershwin music and make the show come alive, the crew for the show worked hard to find authentic props, including a working limousine.
'There''s a huge car that''s coming on this little stage, an old limousine that the lead guys dance on the top of,' Director Tamara Adams said. 'That''s not something you see every day.'
The story takes place in the 1930s and, in an effort to create the right effect, the crew stayed true to the time period with costumes and props, including the limousine.
Andrew Barrus, technical director for the show, bought the car on eBay and reworked it for the show. The dance numbers require certain specifications for the limousine because of the unique situations that take place. Eight cast members pile out of the limousine, and the stars of the show, Matt Armstrong and Cody Walker, dance on top of it. The car was changed to meet the needs of the show, including having it run electrically so cast members could come out from the hood and another hole in the car.
This process took a lot of work for Barrus, but he said that it was worth it.
'It''s a tough prop,' he said. 'I''ve seen it done with and without the car. That is something unique; it''s just a really good part of the play.'
Barrus said the writer of the show wrote it in different parts, and the limousine section is important to the show.
Playwright Ken Ludwig used the songs of Gershwin to accent the plot.
'It''s music that everyone loves,' Montgomery said. 'I think it''s amazing how they took all of his music and made a real nice story.'
A classic boy-meets-girl love story, 'Crazy for You,' is a high-energy musical comedy. The main character, played by Armstrong or Walker, is Bobby Child, the son of a New York banker who is sent to a small town in Nevada to foreclose the mortgage of a theater. Upon arriving, he falls in love with the town and one of its residents, Polly Baker, played by Amy Shreeve or Cecily Ellis, so he produces a show to try to save the theater.
'It''s a fun story,' said Montgomery. 'There''s a little of everything in it, the comedy in it is really good, there''s tap dancing, and there''s a great little love story that happens.'
Adams said the story is good, but people who like the music of Gershwin and watching lively theater will like the production the most.
'If they love musical comedy a delightful evening, escape, laughter, great songs, really good talent,' Adams said.
Edited by Megan and Rosalie and Jenny
-What: 'Crazy for You'
Where: Hale Centre Theatre - 3333 South Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City
When: June 10-July 29, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: Matinee - adults $20, children $14
Evenings - adults $23, children $15
For more information, call (801) 984-9000 or visit www.halecentretheatre.org