ZION OPERA WORKSHOP PRESENTS:

 "Crazy for You"

 

ZION OPERA WORKSHOP PRESS RELEASE:

Smith Auditorium in Zion United Church of Christ, 2nd and Iron Sts. in Lehighton is a hub of activity right now but it’s not just during Sunday morning worship services. Zion Opera workshop, which has been a mainstay at Zion UCC for the last forty three years, is in full swing once again. Zion Opera Workshop will be presenting Crazy For You which is a romantic comedy musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Released in 1992 it was billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy”. It is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but incorporates songs from several other productions as well. Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical.

The show tells the story of Bobby Child, played by ZOW veteran, Brent Harris who is a well-to-do 1930′s banker, whose dream in life is to escape banking and dance on Broadway. His Mother, Lottie (Michelle Stoudt) and his fiancée, Irene (Tina Becker) don’t want to hear of his dancing dreams! Sent instead to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on the mortgage of the failing Gaiety Theatre, Bobby falls for the theater owner Everett Baker’s daughter, Polly (played by “real life” father and daughter, Tim and Becky Herd). He creates a tangled ruse in an attempt to impress her. Posing as New York theatre producer "Zangler," he puts on a show to save the theatre and invites the real "Zangler's Follies" showgirls to come out west and assist him with the matter. The follies girls include the Girls’ leader, Tess played by Jessica Schaffer, Patsy, her not so bright best friend (Elyse Kistler), Mitzi (Dance Captain, Laura Cressley), Elaine (Alexis Young), Louise (Alyssa Huntington), Susie (Evy Heckman), Betsy (Tara Crowe), Margie (Casi Reichard), Sheila (Kaitlyn Piekarski) and Vera (Mikayla Blakeslee). But turning the local cowboys into dancers is the least of his problems when the real Zangler (Doug Rau) shows up in Deadrock. Our singing and dancing cowboys include the Trio of Sam (Adam Reichard), Moose (Matt Poirer) and Mingo (Josiah Behrens) who are surrounded by their friends Custus (Nicolai Kabana), Billy (Dave Krum), Wyatt (Jim Blakeslee), Pete (Thomas Phelan), Harry (Nathan Kroboth), Jimmy (Darrin Wagner) and Junior (Kane Zerbe).

To add to the mayhem, Bobby’s Mother and fiancé also show up in Deadrock. A saloon which is located next door to the theater serves as the gathering place for the cowboys, Follies Girls and friends from New York. The owner of the saloon, Lank Hawkins (Noah Smith) wants to buy the theater and feels Polly (who by the way is the ONLY woman in Deadrock) is “his” woman. In the midst of the confusion, dancing and singing, British tourists Eugene (Brandon Cressley) and Patricia (April Boyett) show up to review Lank’s saloon.

Rounding out the cast is Mother’s Chauffeur (Martha Cox) and chorus members Schyler Cordova, Lexi Pfeifer, Bridget McFadden, April Walker, Aleigh Smith, Kristin Campbell