By RICK SNIZEK

Fall River Spirit Editor

The cast surely has the rhythm and it promises to be contagious as Little Theatre of Fall River Inc. kicks off its 74th season next week with the Broadway hit musical "Crazy For You."

All performances will be in the Margaret L. Jackson Arts Center at Bristol Community College on Elsbree Street in Fall River. "Crazy For You" opens October 16 at 7:30 p.m. and runs October 17-18 at 8 p.m., and October 19 at 2 p.m.

"It's kind of like 42nd Street meets Oklahoma," says Director David Tinkham.

Winner of three 1992 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Crazy For You is a zany comedy, filled with high-energy singing and dancing and hilarious plot twists. Audiences will delight in the adventures of a stage-struck New York City playboy in a Nevada mining town — where romance, mistaken identities, and show-stopping musical numbers all add up to irresistible fun. The classic score contains such memorable Gershwin songs as "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "But Not For Me," and "They Can't Take That Away From Me.

Shawn Bolduc is musical director. Jeff Belanger and Janice MacDonald are choreographers, and Rick Couitt is the stage manager.

Stars of "Crazy for You" are Eric Pereira, Erin Cote, Wes Sahlin, Jeff Belanger, Vanessa Raposa, Paul Silveira, Judy Raposa, Ann Flynn, Eugene Rheaume, Stacy Tinkham and Wendy Jean-Sullivan. Featured are Frank Noble, Roger Fournier, Roger S. Belanger, and Roger Duarte.

Erin Cote, 18, of Swansea, plays "Polly."

"She's a bit of a tomboy; she's not your typical ingenue," says Cote, 18, of Swansea, of her character.

For Eric Pereira, the key to success in his role as "Bobby Child" is bringing a wide range of talents to the stage.

"It's not a little of everything, it's a lot of everything," Pereira says of his starring role, in which he sings and taps his way through the high-paced show.

And that's just fine for the 21-year-old from Dartmouth, who relishes the opportunity to bring some of that classic 1930s-style theater to the modern stage.

"We're just bringing MGM back to life," Pereira says. "It's as popular as ever. It's real music."

"It's old Hollywood; your ultimate boy meets girls story."

Single tickets are $23, with discounts available for students, seniors and groups of 20 or more. For reservations and information, call the Little Theatre box office at (508) 675-1852 or visit the web at www.littletheatre.net.

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