`Crazy for You’ starts season at MCA in style> Gershwin music showcased with energy, sparkle

It was opening night in more ways than one Thursday when the 1992 Tony Award-winning musical “Crazy for You” began its 40-week tour and kicked off the new season at the Maine Center for the Arts. It was just the type of season opener that people love: It was sold-out, high-spirited and a little crazy.

The sold-out part of the show surely had to do with the music. An amalgamation of nearly 20 songs written by George and Ira Gershwin, “Crazy for You” takes a terrific stroll down the memory lane of some great American tunes such as “Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” From the first note, the music, which was provided by a live orchestra under the direction of Kelsey Halbert, was snappy and crisp. It started energetically, and stayed that way for the nearly three-hour show.

Written more recently by Ken Ludwig, the story part of “Crazy for You” follows the pursuits of Bobby Child, a New York banker who lives to dance. When he is sent to Deadrock, Nev., to foreclose on an old theater, he finds a spot to make his dreams come true. He also falls in love with Polly, the only woman in town. She falls in love with him, too, but not without a struggle, which is the centerpiece of the plot. It’s safe to say that the music is the strong point of this event. If you’re going to go backward in time to look for entertainment, the music is almost always going to be more interesting than the silly plots that “Crazy for You” imitates.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any real knock ’em dead singers in this cast. Noah Racey, who played Bobby, was, indeed, a knock ’em dead dancer. His limber moves — whether tapping on a tin pan or falling down a flight of stairs — were smooth, witty and almost always entertaining. A scene in which he and David Sheppard mirrored each other’s actions was greatly amusing. But Racey’s voice didn’t have quite the polish of his physical performance.

Gina Lamparella, as Polly, had a somewhat thin voice considering her lead role, and she certainly didn’t have the grace to equal that of her leading man.

Still, there was much to enjoy in this show. It’s easy to forgive the glitches when the vigor and sparkle of a show are so unrelenting. The slapstick was filled with punch, and the one-liners won hearty laughs — even though almost everyone has heard them somewhere before. A strong and athletic troupe of dancers brought some sharp high-stepping to the stage. In particular, Shari Jordan, as the dancers’ leader, Tess, was a bubbly and skillful dancer, and equally talented performer. It wasn’t just because of her flaming red hair that she stood out. She brought old Broadway with her whenever she stepped onto the stage.