CRAZY FOR YOU
Katie Marshall
Crazy For You won hearts in 1992 when it was first staged. Twenty-six years later, the show is about to enjoy a Broadway revival. The reason? The story is more relevant than ever. Crazy For You is about the power of art and its ability to bring a town to life. All across America we see little towns that have faded away because their centers are gone--their theaters, their museums, their libraries. When these cultural institutions die, part of the community dies with them. This show reminds us that art and culture keep communities alive, and keep people alive.
Crazy For You is set in the fictional, despondent town of Deadrock, Nevada, but when our creative team got together last summer, we decided to place it right here in our very own Colorado. So all of the pieces of our set pay tribute to small towns across Colorado:
- the General Store is based on the Redstone General Store in Redstone, Colorado
- the Gaeity Theatre is a mashup of the top of the Central City Opera House and the entrance to the Tabor Grand Opera House in Leadville
- the Saloon is based on the Silver Dollar Saloon in Leadville
- the Zangler Theatre is based off of the exterior of the 1920's Rialto Theatre in Loveland and the Rialto’s marquee sign in 1950.
While Loveland is no longer a small town, art is what brought this town to life and art is still thriving here!
As our nation has a conversation about what is going on in our schools and with our youth, we can feel great about what is going on here. Our high schoolers have come together, cared for each other, and worked hard to create something wonderful. Just think about all of the human connections that have been made and strengthened in the process! Polly calls it “magical” at the end of Act 1: “Just look around! Before you came along, we were nothing; but a bunch of lazy drifters. We didn’t do anything! Then you showed up and … somethin’ magical happened. We’ve been workin’ together, and carin’ about things and feelin’ alive.” It isn’t magic. It’s the arts. And if I had my wish, every high schooler in America would get to experience it. It’s exciting, it’s powerful, and it makes life better.
