SAN FRANCISCO (29 June 1998) -- 42nd Street Moon continues its "DELICIOUS DAMES OF BROADWAY!" season with a truly delicious classic which made stars of Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman: GIRL CRAZY, George and Ira Gershwin's 1930 musical smash about a young playboy sent to Arizona to get his mind off girls, only to fall for a fiesty gal who isn't sure she likes him. The show, presented in concert version, features immortal hits such as "I Got Rhythm" and "Embraceable You" (the Gershwins' father's favorite), as well as the forgotten gems "When it's Cactus Time in Arizona" and "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!" GIRL CRAZY, the second in 42nd Street Moon's 1998 season celebrating "DELICIOUS DAMES OF BROADWAY!," will play August 5 through 23 (press opening: August 6) at New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco: tickets may be purchased by calling 415/861-8972.

In this coy musical, Danny Churchill Jr. is a wild young man with too much money to spend on his social life. His father decides that shipping his son off to a virtually all-male town in Arizona is just the thing to get his son's attention off the girls and onto more serious matters. On his arrival, however, Danny is smitten with Molly Gray, the local postmistress with a pretty face and an iron will. The resourceful Danny succeeds in both increasing the local female population and winning Molly's affections -- only to have his newfound happiness threatened by a New York rival. With book by Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan, this delightful romp originally starred Ginger Rogers as Molly Gray, and Ethel Merman as Frisco Kate.

GIRL CRAZY was also made into a hit film in 1943 starring Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and June Allyson (in fact, Mickey Rooney came to San Francisco in 1951 to reprise his role in this show at the War Memorial Opera House), and was revamped in 1992 to create the Tony Award-winning musical, CRAZY FOR YOU. The cast of 42nd Street Moon's production of GIRL CRAZY will feature Dyan McBride (SILK STOCKINGS, GOODTIME CHARLEY, FACE THE MUSIC, THE NIGHT BOAT) in the Ginger Rogers role and Lisa Peers (THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE) in the Ethel Merman role, with Joshua Brown as Danny. Gershwin's famous vocal arrangements of songs like "Bidin' My Time" will be sung by a delightful foursome of 42nd Street Moon favorites: Brandon Adams, Bill Fahrner, Anthony Martinez and Greg Grabow. Rounding out the cast are Paula Sonenberg, Alison Bloomfield, Richard Frederick, and Jesse Caldwell. GIRL CRAZY will be directed by Roy Casstevens, with music direction by Dave Dobrusky and choreography by Berle Davis.

GIRL CRAZY introduced musical theatre to one of its greatest all-time legends, Ethel Merman. This was Merman's first "legitimate" show, having previously appeared only in nightclubs and vaudeville. Her rendition of "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!," in Gershwin's opinion, "convinced the audience that it was witnessing the discovery of a new star" (from his book, Lyrics on Several Occasions). From GIRL CRAZY she went on to star in a host of legendary musicals, including Irving Berlin's CALL ME MADAM (for which she won a Tony Award, and later a Golden Globe for the film) and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, and Cole Porter's RED HOT AND BLUE, ANYTHING GOES, and SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS. Merman also starred in dozens of films and made television appearances on "That Girl," "The Love Boat," and even "Batman" (as the villainess, Lola Lasagne) up until her death in 1984. Her brassy, bold voice and indomitable spirit -- which kept her working through several failed marriages, including a one-month marriage to Ernest Borgnine, and the death of her daughter, Ethel Jr. -- made her a household name and an inspiration to a half-century of audiences.

No less a legend was Ginger Rogers, who appeared in GIRL CRAZY at the age of 19 -- although already experienced with three years in vaudeville, three films and an appearance in Broadway's TOP SPEED. Her career after GIRL CRAZY skyrocketed, and she starred in 36 films in just the next five years. Eventually, her career would include nearly 90 films ("42nd Street," "Gold Diggers of 1933," "The Gay Divorcee," "Roberta," "Shall We Dance?," and "Kitty Foyle," for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress) and 18 appearances on Broadway and on tour (ANNIE GET YOUR GUN; BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE; THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN; TOVARICH; HELLO DOLLY!; MAME; NO, NO, NANETTE; ANYTHING GOES; CHARLEY'S AUNT). Her long and unforgettable dancing partnership with Fred Astaire charmed a generation, their performances nearly defining grace and style. Rogers' image graced the cover of Life magazine no less than
four times, and she was known as the "U.S. White Collar Girl." Currently, plans for a musical based on Ginger's life are underway in Dallas, Texas.

"DELICIOUS DAMES OF BROADWAY!," celebrating composers and performers such as Dorothy Fields, Ethel Merman, Shirley Booth and Ginger Rogers, opened with Sondheim's DO I HEAR A WALTZ, and will continue with REDHEAD, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, NYMPH ERRANT and CALL ME MADAM.

Back to the 1998 Season