Preview of 'Crazy for You' at WCSU

DANBURY, CT – The Western Connecticut State University Department of Theatre Arts will present “Crazy for You” from April 4-14 in the MainStage Theatre of the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.

Evening performances will be at 8 p.m. on April 4 (High School Night), 5, 6, 12 and 13. Matinee performances will be at 2 p.m. on April 6, 7, 13 and 14. Tickets may be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com/e/crazy-for-you-tickets-53195971583 or by calling (203) 837-8732. Student and senior tickets are available at the box office with a valid ID.

Featuring the music and lyrics of Ira and George Gershwin, the production is a tribute to the optimistic musicals that were popular in the 1930s. It opened at New York’s Shubert Theatre in February 1992 and received the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical and the Olivier Award (London) for Best Musical the following year.

WCSU’s production is directed and choreographed by Scott Wise and Elizabeth Parkinson. Wise and Parkinson are veterans of the Broadway community, with some highlights including Wise’s Tony Award for “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway” and his two nominations for “Fosse” and “State Fair” and Parkinson’s Tony nomination and Astaire Award win for “Movin’ Out.” Parkinson also has worked extensively with dance companies across the globe, particularly The Joffrey Ballet.

“When we did ‘Crazy for You’ in Russia at the Boris Tschukin Theatre Conservatory, we didn’t really have the dancers you might expect for this show, but that forced us to really get to the truth and heart of the story,” Parkinson said. “There’s so much slapstick and vaudevillian humor in this show, but beneath it is a sweet love story and a touching coming of age. Here at WCSU, we are fortunate enough to have dancers with the necessary experience, so we get to combine both the truth and honesty of this story with some fantastic dancing!”

The cast includes student actors Alex Colavecchio, of Cromwell, as Polly Baker; Alexis Reda, of Trumbull, as Tessie; Michael Katz, of Monroe, as Bobby Child; Colin Gallaher, of Wappinger Falls, New York, as Eugene Fodor; Alaina Mueller, of Windsor, as Irene Roth; Dominick Ventrella, or Ridgefield, as Lank Hawkins; Derek Alexander, of Swansea, Massachusetts, as Everett Baker; Tyler Gallaher, of Wappinger Falls, New York, as Bela Zangler; Abigail Swartout, of Horseheads, New York, as Patricia Fodor; and Aurora Schloat, of Avon, as Patsy.

WCSU theatre department faculty involved with the production are Producer Pam McDaniel, Co-Directors/Choreographers Scott Wise and Elizabeth Parkinson, Music Director David Baronowski, Production Manager Tom Swetz, Technical Director Frank Herbert, Scenic Designer Elizabeth Popiel, Lighting Designer Scott Cally and Costume Designer Sharon Sobel.

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