Chichester Festival Theatre's summer production of the Tony-winning musical Crazy for You will transfer to London's Gillian Lynne Theatre for a limited 30-week West End engagement beginning June 24, 2023, prior to an official opening July 3.
Susan Stroman (The Producers, Show Boat, Contact), who won the first of her five Tony Awards for choreographing the original Broadway production of Crazy for You, will again direct. Charlie Stemp (Mary Poppins; Hello, Dolly!) and Carly Anderson (Wicked, Sunny Afternoon), Deadline reports, will reprise their performances as, respectively, Polly Walker and Bobby Child. Matthew Craig will also continue with the production, playing Lank Hawkins. Drama Desk Award winner Tom Edden, according to a press release, will also star as Bela Zangler.
About star Stemp—who has first refusal should the musical transfer to Broadway—Stroman told Deadline,
“My goodness, I would really have to go back to film song-and-dance
men. He’s really like a cross between Fred Astaire and
Gene Kelly. He’s a combo platter, and he is able to do everything that
they could do — and to be quite honest, he’s probably the best
song-and-dance man I’ve ever worked with.”
Crazy for You, with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award nominee Ken Ludwig, is based on the 1930 musical Girl Crazy. The 1992 Broadway production was directed by Mike Ockrent, Stroman's late husband.
Crazy for You played Broadway's Shubert Theatre January 1992-January 1996. Harry Groener and Jodi Benson headed the original Broadway cast. The musical won three 1992 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Librettist Ludwig has revised his book, adding contemporary touches and trimming the musical comedy by 15 minutes.
Michael Harrison, Joey Parnes, and Sally Horchow produce the London revival, which will also feature set design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, musical direction by Alan Williams, and sound design by Kai Harada.
Stroman is also at work on the upcoming Broadway musical New York, New York, which begins previews in March 2023.
Tickets for Crazy for You are now available by visiting CrazyForYouMusical.com.
