Crazy for tap

"Crazy for You" is a smash hit, the No. 1 show in San Diego County now playing downtown at the Horton Grand Theatre. Plus, everybody in the show tap dances. Busby Berkley lives.

Produced by San Diego Musical Theatre "Crazy for You" opened Friday, Feb. 1. And just maybe, it's the best show in the last 12 months.

Director Kirsten Chandler calls this "an old-fashioned musical about a boy, a girl, and a theatre that needs saving. It is a lighthearted, toe tapping confection..." And she is right.

Starring – a term never used in this column before – Jeffery Scott Parsons as Bobby Childs, the boy. Parsons is a song and dance man like Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor – rolled into one super talented guy. And like any leading man, he is handsome, charismatic, oozes charm and is graced with impeccable comedic timing. How he remains in our town is anybody's guess.

Anyway, before Parsons is discovered and it costs hundreds of dollars for a bad seat in a cramped Broadway theater, why not scramble and secure tickets to this show before the tickets are gone? You will exit feeling joyful.

Next to this amazing actor is Taylor Mettra as Polly Baker, the girl. New to the San Diego stage, Mettra spends her time performing at Disneyland Resort. Now you know another reason this show is so fantastic. Mettra can melt your heart while simultaneously breaking it with a song.

They are the dynamic duo. Slick, polished and professional.

Yet, there is more to this show than just these two talented singers and dancers. Truth be told, there are 21 talented singers and dancers. Starting with the jaw-dropping lovelies in the chorus line tap, tap, tapping a rhythmic beat like Madeline Edwards as Louise, 16-year old Kiara Geolina as Sheila, Kylie Molnar as Tess, Emma Nossal as Patsy, Alison Teague as Betsy, Carly Walton as Elaine and Andrea Williams as Mitzi. They are cuter than the Rockettes.

Supporting roles are filled by some of area's finest performers including David McBean who plays multiple characters. Kelly Derouin is Irene Roth who eventually finds happiness with Edward Chamberlain as Lank Hawkins, the only role he has ever played in the theater.

Richard Van Slyke plays Polly's dad while Katie Gucik is Bobby's mother. They both add to the drama and hysterics while moving the story forward.

In this show, for every girl there seems to be a boy who can sing and dance too. For instance, Donny Gersonde plays Moose; Isaac Jackson is Sam; Luke H. Jacobs is Junior; Alex Nemiroski is Billy; Jonathan Sangster is Mingo; Austin Wright plays Wyatt and Matthew Ryan as Harry still finds room on this crowded stage to do gymnastic flips, twists and flops without falling into the front row.

Producers Erin and Gary Lewis have committed themselves to bringing only the finest talent to work in and around their musical productions.

As one of the youngest theatre companies in the county, SDMT was born in 2006. Still it has produced multiple award-winning shows while sharing the glory with their team of directors, choreographers like Jill Gorrie, actors and designers. Plus, the company partners with area charities through patron donations collected after every performance.

Behind, or it should be said "overhead," is the uber-talented house musical conductor Don Le Master and his merry band of musicians.

Oh, has it been mentioned the music and lyrics were written by those two brothers George and Ira Gershwin. While the songs and book for "Crazy for You" were pulled from other shows, even some written for Fred Astaire, which is why so many tunes are familiar to the grown-ups, a film version was rewritten for Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, and with even more digging, according to Wikipedia, on the opening night of "Girl Crazy" in 1930 – the pit included Benny Goodman, Gene Kruppa, Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey. Furthermore, in that same opening cast, a couple of girls made their Broadway debuts starting with the legendary Ethel Merman beside the renowned Ginger Rogers.

The SDMT team recruits only the finest musicians, directors, choreographers, designers for sound and lighting, costumers and set design wizards leading to some of the area's finest musical theater.

"Crazy for You" sets the bar high this season. It is a theatrical masterpiece.

The phenomenal cast at San Diego Musical Theatre performs "Crazy for You" until March 3 at The Horton Grand Theatre, 444 Fourth Street, in San Diego. Prepaid parking is available through their website. The handy lot is just across the street. For tickets call the box office, (858) 560-5740, or visit http://www.sdmt.org.

This show is rated a 10+ out of 10. Applause. Applause. Applause.

Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal can be reached at [email protected].