A Crazy For You Tribute
Here's a photo from the official Crazy For You book, which I bought from a store on Times Square during my trip to New York. Cute!!
The following is a review from my good friend and web partner Maribel, who had the extreme good fortune to see Crazy For You four times. Thanks for the contribution, girl!
Crazy For Harry
A Review By Maribel Rios
Once in a lifetime comes a show that is so different, so brilliant, that it leaves a mark in your soul forever.
That is the case of Crazy For You, the Gershwin extravaganza.
Since it opened in 1992, it brought a new light to Broadway. It was a time when dark, dull shows dominated the Great White Way.
But Crazy For You brought back that happy time of the thirties, when stars like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers used to shine on the stage. With the songs of George and Ira Gershwin, and the fast paced, witty dialogue by Ken Ludwig, Crazy became an instant hit.
But there was a lot more to the show than catchy tunes and a great script. The real secret behind its success lay on the shoulders (or shall I say, feet?) of its star, Harry Groener.
A spectacular actor, dancer and singer, Mr. Groener blew the audiences away, day after day, for more than a thousand performances.
From the minute he stepped into the stage, he had everyone captive. It has been said the his first big number, "I Can't Be Bothered Now", was created just to display his amazing talent.
He made it look easy, like he was in his element. He would have made Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly proud.
His heart wrenching rendition of "They Can't Take That Away From Me", brought tears to many eyes.
All through the show, Harry's performance was immaculate, brilliant. At the end of the evening, the standing ovation always lasted for several minutes.
Crazy For You became such a beloved show that it did what very few had done: it brought people back. They came to see it again and again, and every time seemed like the first time. Harry Groener kept his performance fresh, until his last one.
Crazy won the Tony for Best Show, and it deserved it.
Although Harry himself didn't win a Tony, his star will shine in Broadway for a long time.
That is why so many of us, his fans, are, well..... Crazy for Harry.
Click here for more pictures from CFY
If you're interested in buying the Broadway cast recording, you can do so through amazon.com. If you buy it through a record store, bear in mind Harry is only on the Broadway version (a London version is also available.) The Broadway CD's cover features the couple sitting on a fence, the London CD has them sitting on the cresent moon.
