“Crazy For You,” which made its debut on Broadway 30 years ago, is coming a little closer to home, with upcoming productions at Wantagh High School from April 8-10. A cast of 35 student-actors will perform the feel-good musical comedy. 

It tells the story of a young New York banker, Bobby Child, who is sent to a small town in Nevada to foreclose on a rundown theater. Bobby vows to win the heart of the owner’s daughter, Polly Baker, and to save the theater. Memorable Gershwin tunes from the show include “I Got Rhythm,” “Naughty Baby,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not for Me,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

Senior Aidan Schroh plays Bobby Child with junior Sabrina Galinski starring as Polly Baker. Additional lead actors include Anthony Lerro as Bela Zangler, Annalisa Madonia as Irene Roth, Madelyn Hartmann as Bobby’s mother, Logan Schroh as Everett Baker, Sierra Kenny as Perkins and Joey Labo as Lank Hawkins.

Sabrina said that “Crazy For You” features a phenomenal cast, supported by a very talented crew, and she believes the audience will love the big dance numbers. Aidan added that the show offers opportunities for Wantagh’s thespians to shine in different ways.

“It’s a great show for everyone, dancers, singers, the crew and the pit,” he said. “The audience will be able to tell that we really enjoy doing the show.”

Anthony said that following the drama’s club performance of the introspective “Outsiders” in the fall,” the fun and lively “Crazy For You” will be a nice change of pace. He said that preparing for the show has been a team effort, and he and his fellow cast members are excited for opening night.

“It’s fun watching what everyone does with their characters,” he said. “Every part is essential.”

The show is directed by Dr. Kimberly Davis with support from vocal director. Sameerah Cassidy. The pit features 22 musicians under the direction of Dan Aviles, and the set was designed and built by John Vaiano and his crew students.

“The pandemic has made us so much more appreciative of our opportunity to present live theater, and we chose this show because it demonstrates the power of the performing arts to bring people together,” Dr. Davis said. “It is a challenging show, and we added to the difficulty by restaging the iconic original Broadway choreography by Susan Stroman. Through the process of putting on this musical, the students in the cast, crew and pit orchestra worked together with the common goal of creating this extraordinary event for their community.” 

Show times are Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 10 at 1 p.m. in the Wantagh High School auditorium. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children and senior citizens. Tickets can be purchased online at seatyourself.biz/wantaghms. For more information, contact the Dr. Davis at davisk@wantaghschools.org.