After saying goodbye to The Goodbye Girl, Philadelphia, PA's Walnut Street Theatre will now greet its next show, the musical Crazy For You, Nov. 11-Jan. 4, 1998. The show opens officially Nov. 19.
Boy meets girl out west and they put on a show -- with such tunes as "Embraceable You," "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Slap Dat Bass." Winner of the a Best Musical Tony, the show opened on Broadway Feb. 19, 1992 and will here be directed by Charles Abbott.
Starring at Walnut Street are James Brennan and Darcie Roberts. Brennan is a Walnut regular (1776, Camelot), and he appeared in Crazy on Broadway. Roberts, also a Broadway Crazy alum, appeared in last season's musical, Dream.
Other cast members include David Hess, Paula Leggett Chase, David Weynand, Kimberly Wells, Robert Abdoo, Angelo Adkins, Lori Alexander, Shannon Blust, Mark Dinoia, Amy Dolan, Jack Doyle, Burt Edwards, Melissa Giattino, Mary Beth Griffith, Joan Hess, John-Charles Kelly, Michael McKee, Mickey Nugent, Mary Rausch, Christopher Sapienza, Dan Schiff, Stephanie Sheppard, Val Smith, Jeff Stone and Celia Tackaberry (The Cocoanuts Off-Broadway).
Designing Crazy For You are Scott Smith (sound), Susan Picinich (costumes), Jeffrey Koger (lighting) and Daniel Ettinger (set). Mary Jane Houdina choreographs, with Sherman Frank serving as music & vocal director. Coming up in the Walnut Street season:
Moon Over Buffalo (Jan. 13-March 1, 1998)
Another Ken Ludwig show! Carol Burnett and Philip Bosco starred on Broadway in this farce about an on-the-outs theatre troupe. This staging will be a co-production with Fayetteville, PA's Totem Pole Playhouse, whose artistic director, Carl Schurr, directs. Wil Love (Walnut Street's Cabaret stars in the Bosco role.
To Kill A Mockingbird (March 10-April 26, 1998)
Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, as well as Robert Mulligan's 1962 film masterpiece, it's the story of Atticus Finch who defends black man Tom Robinson against the charge of rape in a small southern town. This staging is a co-production with both NJ's George Street Playhouse and Miami's Coconut Grove Playhouse. Gregory Hurst, artistic director of NJ's George Street Theatre, directs the drama, which stars local favorite Will Stutts as Finch.
Blood Brothers (May 5-June 21, 1998)
Willy Russell wrote the book, music and lyrics for this Broadway hit, which is still running on London's West End. Fraternal twins separated at birth come to a mutual tragic end, despite being raised in different places and classes. British director Bob Carlton, who previously brought Lust to Walnut Street, will stage the show.
The Studio 3 space will offer five productions:
A Kind Of Alaska & The Lover, both by Harold Pinter and directed by Malcolm Black. (Jan. 27-Feb. 9, 1998)
Shylock, by Mark Leiren-Young & directed by Deborah Block. (Feb. 24-March 8, 1998).
Greytop In Love by Alan Brody, directed by William Roudebush (March 24-April 5, 1998).
The Gift, a world-premiere, written & directed by Walnut veteran, Will Stutts.
By George, world-premiere of a solo by Frank Ferrante, best known for his Groucho Marx impersonations (The Cocoanuts Off-Broadway, An Evening With Groucho at the Walnut).
For subscription information on "A Season To Experience" at the Walnut Street, call (215) 925-6885.
-- By David Lefkowitz
