Crazy for You Musical: The Complete Guide — The New Gershwin Musical Comedy | Cast, Songs & History
Shubert Theatre, Broadway • 19 February 1992
♪ The New Gershwin Musical Comedy ♪
Crazy for You
Directed by Mike Ockrent • Choreography by Susan Stroman
Produced by Roger Horchow & Elizabeth Williams
Based on Girl Crazy (1930) and other Gershwin productions
K-ra-zy for
Gershwin!
Crazy for You is a romantic comedy musical billed as “The New Gershwin Musical Comedy,” with a book by Ken Ludwig, music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Largely based on the Gershwins’ 1930 musical Girl Crazy but incorporating songs from across their entire catalogue — including two previously lost songs discovered in a New Jersey warehouse in 1982 — the show opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway on 19 February 1992 and ran for a spectacular 1,622 performances.
Directed by Mike Ockrent and choreographed by Susan Stroman, the show starred Jodi Benson as Polly Baker and Harry Groener as Bobby Child in a plot about a would-be Broadway dancer who falls in love in a small Nevada town and tries to save a failing theatre by mounting a spectacular show. It won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical, the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Musical (London), and the 1994 Dora Award for Best Musical (Toronto) — a triple crown of the English-speaking theatrical world’s three most prestigious awards.
Frank Rich of the New York Times hailed it as a watershed moment: “When future historians try to find the exact moment at which Broadway finally rose up to grab the musical back from the British, they just may conclude that the revolution began last night.” The show’s songs — “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” “But Not for Me” and many more — are among the most beloved in the entire American songbook.
Background &
Creation
From Girl Crazy to Crazy for You
Producers Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams had been wanting to produce a new version of the Gershwins’ 1930 musical Girl Crazy — which had originally starred Ethel Merman and introduced the song “I Got Rhythm” to the world. They engaged playwright Ken Ludwig to write the book, Mike Ockrent to direct, and Susan Stroman to choreograph, and obtained permission from the Gershwin family. The production soon evolved from a revival of Girl Crazy into something entirely new: a fresh show using various Gershwin songs from different shows and periods, woven together by Ludwig’s original book.
The Lost Songs — Found in New Jersey
Two songs in Crazy for You had been considered lost until 1982, when their music was discovered in a Warner Brothers warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey. “Tonight’s the Night” had been used in tryouts for Show Girl (1929) and “What Causes That?” came from Treasure Girl (1928). Their rediscovery allowed them to be included in the show. “K-ra-zy for You” also originated from Treasure Girl. “Naughty Baby” was making its actual Broadway debut — it had previously only appeared in Primrose, which only played London and Australia. “The Real American Folk Song (Is a Rag)” was the Gershwins’ very first song performed on Broadway.
The Gershwin Song Sources
Six songs were selected from Girl Crazy (1930): “Bidin’ My Time,” “Could You Use Me?,” “Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm,” “But Not for Me” and part of “Bronco Busters.” Two songs came from the 1937 films Shall We Dance (“Slap That Bass” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”) and A Damsel in Distress — both released in the year of George Gershwin’s death. Rodgers was reportedly concerned that the Pacific island setting would require ukuleles and guitars, which he disliked — but producer Horchow assured him the score would remain rooted in the Gershwin jazz idiom. The resulting score is a treasure-house of the American songbook spanning two decades of Gershwin genius.
Susan Stroman — The Choreographer Who Saved Broadway
Susan Stroman’s choreography was near-universally praised as the defining achievement of the production. Even the mixed review in the New York Times (by David Richards) acknowledged: “It is indicative that the best numbers in ‘Crazy for You,’ the real audience-rousers, are group numbers… What Ms. Stroman is synchronizing here is a lack of control, a queasiness that’s capable of a few sudden, antic lurches” — describing her choreography in “What Causes That?” Frank Rich put it more simply: Stroman and Ludwig had “scraped away decades of cabaret and jazz and variety-show interpretations to reclaim the Gershwins’ standards, in all their glorious youth, for the dynamism of the stage.” Crazy for You was the show that launched Stroman to the front rank of Broadway choreographers, where she would remain for the next three decades.
The Story —
Bobby, Polly
& Deadrock, Nevada
Act One — Boy Meets Girl
Backstage at the Zangler Theater in New York in the 1930s, the last performance of the Zangler Follies is wrapping up. Bobby Child — a rich banker’s son who desperately wants to be a dancer and performer — fails his audition for impresario Bela Zangler after landing on Zangler’s foot. Bobby is engaged to the wealthy Irene Roth and pressured by his mother to take over the family banking business. He is sent to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a rundown theater — the Gaiety.
In Deadrock — a gold-rush town that has seen much better days — Bobby falls instantly in love with Polly Baker, the spunky daughter of the theater owner Everett Baker. He doesn’t realize she’s the very person whose theater he’s supposed to foreclose on. Inspired by love, Bobby devises a plan: put on a show at the Gaiety to pay off the mortgage. Polly agrees — until she discovers Bobby is the banker’s representative, and suspects a trick. Bobby — still determined — decides to put on the show anyway, disguising himself as Mr. Zangler. Polly falls in love with Bobby’s impersonation of Zangler. Ten Follies Girls arrive from New York to help stage the show, and the sleepy town comes alive. Opening night arrives — but the only audience members are Eugene and Patricia Fodor, British tourists writing a guidebook. Despite the disappointment, the show has galvanised the town and they celebrate with “I Got Rhythm.”
Act Two — Mistaken Identities and Happy Endings
The real Bela Zangler arrives in Deadrock looking for Tess (the Dance Director). Bobby and the real Zangler — both drunk and depressed about their lost loves — act as mirror images of each other in the comic duet “What Causes That.” Polly discovers Bobby’s deception, slaps him, and leaves. Meanwhile Irene — Bobby’s fiancée — arrives but Bobby rejects her, declaring his love for Polly. Irene then seduces the saloon owner Lank Hawkins in “Naughty Baby.” The townsfolk debate whether to continue with the show — in a number that includes a parody of the barricade scene from Les Misérables (“Stiff Upper Lip”).
Bobby and Polly are left alone in the theater. Bobby leaves for New York, singing “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” Polly, realising too late that she loves him, sings “But Not for Me.” Bobby’s mother, for his birthday, gives him the Zangler Theater. Bobby realises that Polly is worth more and heads back to Deadrock — only to find she has already left for New York to find him. His car has run out of gas on the way to the train, so Polly has missed her train. The townspeople conspire to reunite them — and Bobby and Polly are finally brought together in the “Finale.” Irene has married Lank, and Bobby’s mother and Polly’s father fall for each other in a reprise of “Things Are Looking Up.”
The Songs —
The Gershwin
Songbook
The score of Crazy for You is a carefully curated selection of Gershwin gems drawn from across two decades of the brothers’ work, woven into Ken Ludwig’s fresh book. Many of the songs are among the most recorded and beloved in the American popular canon.
★ = pop/jazz standard recorded by hundreds of artists
The Characters
A wealthy New York banker’s son who dreams of being a Broadway dancer. His impulsive decision to stay in Deadrock and save the Gaiety Theater — and win Polly’s love — drives the entire plot. His talent for impersonation and comic timing makes him the show’s great leading man. Played by Harry Groener (Broadway 1992), Kirby Ward (West End 1993), Jim Walton (Toronto/Paper Mill), Charlie Stemp (Chichester/West End 2022–23).
The spirited, independent daughter of the Gaiety Theater owner. Self-reliant and wary of Bobby’s seemingly duplicitous behaviour — but ultimately unable to resist him. Played by Jodi Benson (Broadway 1992, voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Ruthie Henshall (West End 1993), Carly Anderson (2022–23).
The pompous but loveable Broadway impresario whom Bobby impersonates in Deadrock. His arrival in Act Two — coinciding with Bobby already in his disguise — sets up the show’s great comic confrontation: two Zanglers, drunk and depressed, acting as mirror images of each other in “What Causes That?”
Bobby’s long-suffering (and very wealthy) fiancée of five years, who follows him to Deadrock determined to drag him back to New York. She ends up seducing and marrying the saloon owner Lank Hawkins in “Naughty Baby” — which turns out to suit everyone perfectly.
The Zangler Follies’ Dance Director, dodging her married boss’s advances at the show’s opening. Her ongoing romance (and conflict) with Zangler provides one of the show’s running sub-plots. Beth Leavel created the role and also understudied Benson as Polly.
Proprietor of Deadrock’s saloon and Bobby’s romantic rival for Polly. He schemes to buy the Gaiety Theater before the bank can foreclose, and resents Bobby’s arrival and the new show. His eventual marriage to Irene resolves his storyline in the happiest of ways for everyone else.
Production History
After a Washington DC tryout and 10 previews, the show opens at the Shubert Theatre. Stars: Jodi Benson (Polly), Harry Groener (Bobby), Bruce Adler (Zangler), Michele Pawk (Irene), Jane Connell (Mother), Beth Leavel (Tess). Directed by Mike Ockrent; choreography by Susan Stroman. Cast album released by Angel Records. Wins the Tony Award for Best Musical 1992. Runs for 1,622 performances.
Directed by Ockrent, choreographed by Stroman. Stars Ruthie Henshall (Polly), Kirby Ward (Bobby), Chris Langham. Runs at the Prince Edward Theatre for nearly three years. Wins the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Musical.
Directed by Ockrent, choreographed by Stroman. Stars Jim Walton (Bobby) and Camilla Scott (Polly). Opens at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, closing 31 December 1995. Wins the 1994 Dora Award for Best Musical.
PBS series Great Performances broadcasts a professionally filmed production from the Paper Mill Playhouse, directed by Matthew Diamond (Emmy-nominated). Stars Jim Walton (Bobby) and Stacey Logan (Polly). Music directed by Tom Helm.
A revival at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre as part of the 2011 Summer Season transfers to the Novello Theatre in the West End, running from 8 October 2011 to 17 March 2012.
A revival at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury stars Tom Chambers (Bobby) and Caroline Sheen (Polly). A UK tour follows from August 2017 to June 2018, with Chambers reprising Bobby alongside Caroline Flack (Irene) and Charlotte Wakefield (Polly). Claire Sweeney later replaces Flack as Irene.
A new production at the Chichester Festival Theatre, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (returning to the show she made famous). Stars Charlie Stemp (Bobby) and Carly Anderson (Polly). Transfers to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End from 24 June 2023, opening officially 3 July 2023. Originally scheduled to close 20 January 2024, the run is brought forward to 31 December 2023.
Reception &
Critical Success
Frank Rich — The Rave of a Generation
Frank Rich’s New York Times review was one of the most celebrated notices in Broadway history — a full-throated declaration that Broadway had found its mojo again after what he called “the Cats decade.” Rich praised Stroman and Ludwig: “Crazy for You scrapes away decades of cabaret and jazz and variety-show interpretations to reclaim the Gershwins’ standards, in all their glorious youth, for the dynamism of the stage.” The review was quoted in advertising and is still cited as a defining moment of 1990s Broadway criticism.
The Mixed Voice — David Richards
Not every critic was as effusive. David Richards, also in the New York Times, gave a more measured assessment, finding Benson and Groener’s chemistry unpersuasive: “The flirtation between these two is lackluster and their clinches are passionless.” He was most impressed by Stroman: “It is indicative that the best numbers in ‘Crazy for You,’ the real audience-rousers, are group numbers.” He concluded, memorably, that the show “may be the first Broadway musical ever that left me eager to catch the replacement cast.” Audiences, however, disagreed — the show ran for over four years.
The Triple Crown — Tony, Olivier and Dora
Crazy for You‘s sweep of the three most prestigious Best Musical awards in the English-speaking world — Tony (Broadway 1992), Olivier (London 1993), Dora (Toronto 1994) — is a remarkably rare achievement. It reflects the show’s consistent quality across three very different theatrical markets and three separate productions — each directed by Ockrent and choreographed by Stroman, but each with its own distinct casting and local character.
Awards &
Recognition
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Tony Award ♪ | Best Musical | Crazy for You | Won ♪ |
| 1992 | Tony Award ♪ | Best Choreography | Susan Stroman | Won ♪ |
| 1992 | Tony Award ♪ | Best Costume Design | Crazy for You | Won ♪ |
| 1992 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Jodi Benson (Polly) | Nominated |
| 1992 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Harry Groener (Bobby) | Nominated |
| 1992 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Bruce Adler (Zangler) | Nominated |
| 1992 | Tony Award | Best Book of a Musical | Ken Ludwig | Nominated |
| 1992 | Tony Award | Best Lighting Design | Crazy for You | Nominated |
| 1993 | Olivier Award ♪ | Best Musical | Crazy for You | Won ♪ |
| 1993 | Olivier Award ♪ | Best Actress in a Musical | Ruthie Henshall | Won ♪ |
| 1994 | Dora Award ♪ | Best Musical | Crazy for You Toronto | Won ♪ |
| 1999 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Direction — Variety/Music | Matthew Diamond (PBS production) | Nominated |
| 2012 | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Musical Revival | Novello Theatre West End | Nominated |
