The Prowler's still singing and tap-dancing under the desk after seeing American Musical Theatre of San Jose's Crazy for You. A certain local daily rag panned the thin plot and corny jokes, but what do you expect from a musical based on the old "Let's put on a show!" idea?
Gorgeous costumes, clever sets, Gershwin music and a cast of super singers and dancers led by B.K. Kennelly and Cathy Wydner made it a grand night for the sparse audience, especially the two young girls next to the Prowler and mate. We couldn't figure out why they were tapping in their chairs until we learned they joined a tap extravaganza at the Great Mall a while back and won tickets to Crazy for You and backstage passes to meet the stars. They knew all the steps, said the girls, who were very dressed up for the occasion.
The tapping kittens gave a two-person standing ovation at the end, so thrilled they couldn't stay in their seats a second longer. Ah, youth.
The cast includes Geri Carlson Sauls, a veteran of Saratoga Drama Group's Irene and Stepping Out, as showgirl Tess, and Pat Christenson, Rose in West Valley Light Opera's Gypsy, as a traveler writing a guide to the West. The show goes on through May 26.
By the way, don't sit in Row One upstairs unless you want a railing in your face. Luckily, this cat and mate were in Row Two.
Speaking of ecstatic people, a local woman who had bought a lottery ticket at the Union Avenue Safeway checked the numbers and went out the parking lot to tell her boyfriend they had hit the jackpot. They cried tears of joy, then went back into the store and rechecked the numbers. Oops, they had five out of six. They still won about $900, which isn't bad, but it just wasn't the same.
Some days, show biz is a lot more fun than real life.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 22, 1996.
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