WILLIAMSBURG — The curtain will rise this weekend for the annual Lafayette High School spring musical: “Crazy For You.”
“Crazy For You” shares the story of a rich boy, Bobby Child, who meets a hometown girl, Polly Baker, all while trying to foreclose on a theater in the West. Child and Baker fall in love, but when Baker finds out that Child was sent to foreclose on the theater, she gets angry with him. Child begins to impersonate big wig Broadway producer Bela Zangler in an attempt to save the theater and encourage Baker to love him again. The team in Deadrock, Nevada work together alongside Zangler to save the theater by putting on a show. When the show fails, the rich boy heads back east where he realizes he’s lost the one thing holding it all together: love.
The soundtrack includes George and Ira Gershwin classics like “I Got Rhythm” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
Director Suzann McCorry said she always tries to challenge her theater students with shows that they may have not heard of.
“I really like trying to switch every year, so it’s not the same type of genre and give a nice variety for not only the students but also for the community. “Crazy for You” is not the most familiar show title and they often wonder what it’s about. When they come, then they realize the music and the soundtrack and enjoy it,” McCorry said.
Madi Walk, who plays Polly Baker, and Jack Zeis, who plays Bela Zangler (and the understudy for Bobby Child), hope that the audience enjoys the production, but also that they will walk away with a feeling that dreams are important to chase, no matter what anyone may have to say.
“I want them to enjoy the show, I want them to understand the message, I really just want them to resonate with Bobby. The whole show, Bobby’s mother wants him to work at the bank, and all he wants to do is dance. I really want them to resonate with his message of doing what you want despite what other people say to you,” Zeis said.
Walk also noted the overall important message of the fact that love can conquer all.
“The power of love is so important in this show. I genuinely don’t know what else it would be. Child has this dream of wanting to run this theater, directing shows, being in shows, selling tickets, and he finally gets there and realizes that the most important part of him is Polly. He gives it all up for the girl,” Walk said.
McCorry is excited to add a live pit band back for the first time in four years, and it is a key piece of the production. The band is composed of Lafayette High School students and is directed by William Hederer, the school’s orchestra director.
“Live music is so special for the cast and the audience. There is no tangible product afterwards like there is with a recording, you really have to be there to experience this and be present for this. Having a pit orchestra allows so much flexibility to the show,” Hederer says.
“Crazy For You” will open at Lafayette High School on April 25 at 7 p.m. The show will continue with a Friday, April 26 performance at 7 p.m.. Saturday, April 27 will feature a 2 p.m. matinee and a show-closing 7 p.m. performance.
Tickets for the show are available online.
