We round up the reviews for the West End transfer of the Chichester Festival Theatre production.
Evening Standard: **** “It wouldn’t work without the complete conviction of the cast, who bring equal sincerity to corny lines and to exquisite dance routines that rope in pickaxes and prospecting pans. The sketchiness of Beowulf Borrit’s set becomes a virtue, the cast pulling off corrugated iron panels to tapdance on or forming themselves into Ziegfield-esque constructions. Edden delivers an outrageous comic turn as Zangler. Anderson has a bright, bold voice and plenty of sass.”
The Stage: ***** “Gershwin show is a dream of swooning romance, choreographic genius and megawatt performances.”
All That Dazzles: ***** “The West End version of Crazy For You is bigger and even better than ever before. With its slicker production value, completely maddening choreography and a lead performance from Charlie Stemp even more astonishing than last year, this really is musical theatre at its best.”
British Theatre.com: ***** “A great success back in the 1990s, this show still fizzes and sparkles with as much sheer power and glitzy finesse as ever it did; and given the dire state of the world around us, its ability to dispel gloom and substitute uninhibited joy is perhaps even more important and necessary.”
Time Out: **** “What marks his turn here is what a prodigious physical comedian he is. During the numerous scenes in which Bobby is drunk, flustered, or otherwise embroiled in Shenanigans, Stemp pings rubberishly around the stage like a human cartoon, often in apparent total defiance of the laws of both physics and human biology. He harks back to a more physical era of comedy – the silent screen, even – but at the same time he actually mostly reminded me of an in-his-prime Lee Evans: there’s a visceral thrill to seeing him contort himself that goes beyond simple slapstick.”
The Telegraph: ***** “A hit at Chichester last year, this West End transfer confirms Susan Stroman’s production of the Gershwin classic as a care-banishing elixir.”
Theatre Weekly: “Crazy For You is a rare treat, it’s a sumptuous, feel-good extravaganza, that could be enjoyed over and over again.”
West End Best Friend: ***** “Crazy for You dances its way into our hearts with a hilarious mix of love gone awry, comedic mishaps, and a playlist of iconic tunes that make you want to find your own rhythm (after all, we’ve all got it!).”
Lou Reviews: ***** “Susan Stroman’s assured direction and sparkling choreography lifts the spirits and fills the stage with fun, while Kai Harada’s sound and Ken Billington’s lighting bring all the fantasy and affectionate pastiche of the old-style shows to life.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ***** “Beowulf Boritt’s sets, William Ivey Long’s costumes and Ken Billington’s lighting are all swoon-worthy: it feels like tumbling into a Golden Age MGM musical. Even the curtain call is a triumph. Five stars just isn’t enough – I wish I could give it ten.”
London Theatre Reviews: ***** “Crazy for You is an irresistible blend of dancing, singing and music. The choreography is inventive and passionate, a real tour de force for the two lead actors. Beowulf Boritt’s sets, William Ivey Long’s costumes and Ken Billington’s lighting are just perfect, it feels like watching a Hollywood Golden Age musical.”
Pocket Size Theatre: **** “This is a first-class production led by the irrepressible Charlie Stemp, beautifully staged and choreographed and with some delightful musical compositions. It may be a fluffy and light plot but for a summer’s (or autumn) treat, a feelgood night out and a spirit-raising occasion, it is worth the trip, and you too can see that this is a cast who can say (and sing) “I got rhythm”.”
The Arts Desk: **** “As for Stemp, he’s taken a potentially generic role and mined gold in a show set largely in a mining town that time forgot. Let’s just say that any stiff upper lips from the audience are long disspelled as the show reaches a roaring finale that genuinely does leave you floating on air.”
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