Chichester Festival Theatre’s big summer musical Crazy For You gets under way

Featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, book by Ken Ludwig and inspired by material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan, it will be directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman on the main-house stage from July 11-September 4.

The full company is: Charlie Stemp (Bobby Child), Carly Anderson (Polly Baker), Marc Akinfolarin (Moose), Lila Anderson (Vera), Merryl Ansah (Irene Roth), Simon Anthony (Sam), Craig Bartley (Mingo), Jason Battersby (Junior), Evonnee Bentley-Holder (Sheila), Imogen Bowtell (Elaine), Kyle Cox (Wyatt), Mathew Craig (Lank Hawkins), Bethan Downing (swing), Jacqui Dubois (Patricia Fodor), Nicholas Duncan (Jimmy), Tom Edden (Bela Zangler), Nathan Elwick (Custus), Don Gallagher (Everett Baker), Adrian Grove (Eugene Fodor), Laura Hills (Mitzi), Ryan Jupp (swing), Matthew Malthouse (Pete), Nell Martin (swing/dance captain), Joshua Nkemdilim (Billy), Kate Parr (Patsy), Sadie-Jean Shirley (Tess), Gay Soper (Lottie Child), Bradley Trevethan (swing), Ella Valentine (Margie) and Tara Yasmin (Louise).

Theatre-mad Bobby Child is torn between his show-business dreams and his rich, demanding New York fiancée and rich, demanding New York mother who want him to run the family bank. On his mother’s insistence, he reluctantly heads west for the bygone mining town of Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a mortgage. There he finds the mortgage in question is on a dilapidated Victorian theatre and the owner’s daughter Polly is the girl of his dreams. Desperate to prove his good faith and win her love, Bobby lights on the idea of putting on a show – complete with glamorous dancers from New York’s Follies – to save the theatre and renew the town…

This brand-new production, which celebrates the work’s 30th anniversary, is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, making her Chichester Festival Theatre debut. She is the winner of five Tony and two Olivier Awards. She directed and choreographed The Producers, winner of a record-making 12 Tony Awards in New York including Best Direction and Best Choreography. She co-created, directed and choreographed the Tony Award-winning musical Contact at Lincoln Center Theater; and directed and choreographed The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway and the West End, where it won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical. Her many other Broadway and West End credits include Oklahoma!, Show Boat, Bullets Over Broadway and Young Frankenstein; The Merry Widow for the Metropolitan Opera; and Double Feature and For The Love of Duke for New York City Ballet.

Charlie Stemp plays Bobby, returning to Chichester where he played Arthur Kipps in Half A Sixpence in 2016.