Gotta Love Gershwin

Well, in case you wondered, the show at Beef & Boards was Gershwin's Crazy for You. A show I've always enjoyed, especially for the great music. Some of the best timeless classics are right there in the show. I've seen the Broadway version that was recorded for PBS, and of course the High School version (that Nick skipped because he didn't want to do all that dancing).

If I were playing critic, I would rate the performance at Beef & Boards about 3 stars. The cast were all good singers and actors, but I felt it could have been much better.

Among the leads, I thought the redhead playing Polly gave a strong performance overall. She had a strong voice and lots of attitude as the part requires. But I noticed a number of timing slips, not on song entrances and the like but with the acting. It seemed at times that her facial expressions and body language weren't quite right for what was going on, that somehow she was a little late on things. For example, when she transitioned from anger to amour with "Bobby", instead of a gradual thing it was more like turning a switch. That was almost confusing. That, and many lines that scream for a pregnant pause she delivered much too quickly, missing some chances for comedic impact.

Then again, that impression might be partly the fact that I never believed she (or about any woman, for that matter) would ever fall for a twinkle-toes like the Bobby character. OK, I know the character is supposed to be some sort of Broadway wannabe who loves to dance, and how many straight men realistically fit that mold? But seriously, can't the guy at least do a better job pretending to be hetero?

The Bobby character just didn't impress me, despite the fact he obviously had the part down cold. The classic drunk scene with Bobby and Zangler is hilarious no matter who's playing the roles, and I did enjoy that in this show. But I never believed in any sort of chemistry between Bobby and Polly.

But the rest of the cast were energetic and athletic, and overall the performance was enjoyable. We talked about getting a bigger gang to go to Grease, the next show coming up there. (Nick and Tim, start thinking about it now, and whether you want to bring a date.)

Anyway, back to work.