Crazy For You

Crazy for You (1992 Original Broadway Cast) Cast Recording, Ira Gershwin, Jodi Benson, Paul Gemignani, Bruce Adler, Harry Groener, George Gershwin. If you're looking for one do-it-all Gershwin cast recording, Crazy for You fits the bill. Touted as the new Gershwin musical comedy when it hit Broadway in 1992, it's actually a substantial reworking of the Gershwins' Girl Crazy, the story of a New York song-and-dance man who conquers the West (and a fair maid there) by putting on a show. (The original 1934 cast featured Ginger Rogers and a Broadway novice named Ethel Merman.) Crazy for You preserves the best of the songs from the original (including Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm, and But Not for Me) and adds a number of later songs from Fred Astaire films as well as some undiscovered gems, resulting in an embarrassment of riches. Harry Groener and Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid) are in strong voice (and they danced too!). The only shortcoming of this recording is that it couldn't capture Susan Stroman's dazzling choreography. The booklet includes a synopsis, full lyrics, and a historical perspective. Not an innovative show, but a rollicking good time. -David Horiuchi