Arts and Culture Editor, Christian O’Brien, reviews DULOG’s production of the musical ‘Crazy For You’, in celebration of the group’s 75th anniversary.
The curtains draw – and what the stage presents is the backstage itself. Fortunately, the set design was not forgotten, rather this was the opening of DULOG’s production of Crazy For You, a musical underscored by the compositions of the great Gershwin brothers. Celebrating the group’s 75th anniversary, the performance staged is a fantastically exuberant commemoration of all that the group has to offer.
First performed on Broadway in the early 1990s, Crazy For You details the enduring endeavours of a young showman, Bobby Childs, in his desire to put his love for the stage in motion in early 20th-century America, with plenty of romance and almost absurd comedy packed into the two hours’ runtime. And indeed, this show-about-a-show lives up to its name with its exhilarating and spectacular energy.
One aspect of the musical that amazes is the set design, rivalling that of the West End. The stone-laden streets of 1930s New York, packed with neon signs and vintage adverts, transform into the centre of a dusty and forgotten frontier town – as though it had been plucked from the Westerns of Sergio Leone, complete with true-to-life moving cars. Similarly, the rest of the production team ensures a flawless show, and the pit musicians provide an authentically jazzy soundtrack throughout, capturing the essence from the likes of Duke Ellington and Bix Beiderbecke.
St. John’s own Michael Nevin excites as Childs, putting on a stellar performance in a trifecta of acting, singing and dancing which only leaves you wondering how much potential he has for future shows in Durham and beyond. The rest of the cast matches this exuberance to a perfect degree, such as with Ollie Cochran’s performance of the eccentric Bela Zangler, the character striking the fine line between humorous and absurd. Ben Cawood and Hannah Thomas shine as the co-directors, with the pair creating an amazingly congruent production within the Gala Theatre.
Overall, Crazy For You proves a brilliant and exemplary tour de force of Durham University’s theatrical and musical talents, holding the audience in for the full duration of the show. Yet, the top-notch quality leaves one question – how will DULOG’s 100th-anniversary production prove even better?
The production ‘Crazy For You’ at Durham’s Gala Theatre ends tonight on the 1st of February – but tickets are still available for showings at 2:30pm and 7:30pm.
Image Credits: Ollie Cochran/Durham University Light Opera Group.
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