Last Wednesday night the cast and crew of Crazy For You had their opening performance in front of a full house. With an orchestra pit over flowing with top notch musicians and a stage danced upon by outstanding actors, the company kept the full attention of the audience from the first curtain rise to the final bow.
Crazy for Youis a romantic comedy musical, traditionally billed as “the New Gershwin Musical Comedy”. It won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical and the performance last weekend at the Aud showcased that very well.
I’ve been around a few arts communities in my day, as both an actor and musician, and though I’m only in my ninth week here in town…I truly am impressed with how vibrant the arts are in Virden. From the first downbeat of the overture my artistic pallet was engaged; the dynamic and comprehensive sound of the orchestra was on par with what I’ve heard from big city performances in both BC and the States. The acting was true and consistent from start to finish and being matched with brilliant voices, this production was well rounded and really showcased the talent from the region.
Looking through the program of Crazy for You I was astounded to see how well Chyzyk and Munchinsky took this many individuals, who have such a broad experience base, and brought out a level of performance that didn’t miss a beat.
Virden and area, do not think the music and theatre community of Virden is anything short of outstanding. We truly have something special.
A Message From Michelle
The last month has been a flurry of activity with Crazy 4 You and there is finally a minute to reflect on its success and the impact it has had on our tremendous cast and crew.
Each show we have done has brought us challenges of a huge variety. The complexity of this one brought out the very best in our cast and crew. I would compare it to an upset in sports - a victory that took teamwork and passion to the maximum to accomplish our goals. As my co-director Dean said in one interview, "We are punching way above our weight."
So many audience members were blown away by the sets, props, costumes, elaborate choreography, and the fine orchestra. We have many audience members travelling distances to see our work. People all agreed that the casting was perfect and they loved the mix of veterans and new faces to the AUD stage. The cast were largely unknown to each other and became very close throughout our months of rehearsals and many new friendships have been formed. We have made so many memories for so very many people.
In the end, Dean and I both agree that we are most proud of the collaborative creative process, NOT the product. We would also like to thank everyone who invested in this community event and in the creation of something so first class.
-Michelle Chyzyk
