Venice Theatre goes crazy for Gershwin

Bursting with all-American hits from George and Ira Gershwin, Crazy For You won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical and Best Choreography. Playwright Ken Ludwig’s mad-cap script pairs perfectly with the Gershwin brothers’ musical magic to create an old-fashioned Broadway romance reminiscent of the old 1930’s musicals. Audiences of all ages go crazy (just read the online comments about any version of the production) for this modern throwback to the days of Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Theatergoers can expect to hear iconic songs such as “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” and many more. Bursting also with big tap numbers and romantic ballroom dancing that advance the story and songs, Crazy For You is a triple-threat of a musical.

Crazy For You’s story is a simple and rather familiar one about a young man from a wealthy Manhattan banking family who wants nothing to do with his family’s business and everything to do with show business. When his domineering mother sends him out West to foreclose on an old theater in a depressed mining town, he decides instead to put on a show to help the theater keep its doors open. The usual 1930’s plot points abound in this boy-meets-girl-loses-girl-puts-on-show-with-girl romance, but the script feels remarkably fresh due to the writing talents of Ken Ludwig.

When the musical first hit Broadway in 1992, Frank Rich of The New York Times gave it a rave review saying, “… a riotously entertaining show called ‘Crazy For You’ uncorked the American musical’s classic blend of music, laughter, dancing, sentiment and showmanship with a freshness and confidence rarely seen during the ‘Cats’ decade.”

Tickets for Crazy For You and all Venice Theatre shows through June 2017 are available at the box office at 941-488-1115 or online at www.venicestage.com. The theatre just announced its 2017-2018 Season, so new subscription packages are on sale as well. Venice Theatre is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. on the island in Venice. Box office hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday; and one hour before show time.

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Venice Theatre is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making a dramatic impact on all stages of life. The second-largest of 10,000 community theatres in the United States, it is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice, FL. Its MainStage offers seating for 432 patrons and features musicals, plays, concerts and special events.  Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre seats 90 patrons and is home to the theatre’s “Generations,” Stage II and Cabaret Series. In addition to providing entertainment to the community, Venice Theatre offers a wide range of education and outreach programs for children and adults.