Song: But Not For Me

Show: Crazy For You

Composer: George and Ira Gershwin

Show Premiere: Opened in 1992 with music from the 1930’s

Synopsis of show:
The show opened backstage at the Zangler Theater. Where the show is ending for the day.
Bobby comes in to audition with Zagler and flops. Bobby leaves the theater and runs into Irene.
(she is a wealthy woman that Bobby has been engaged to for 5 years) who asks about when
they will get married. Bobby replies never but she just keeps going. Then his mother shows up
and threatens to cut off his allowance if he doesn't give up on his dance dreams and start
working at the bank. (his family is also very wealthy and they got their money through owning
banks and such) his mother decided to give him one final chance and sent him to Nevada to
settle a claim there. Bobby decides he can't deal with these two women anymore and decides to
go to Nevada.
We then cut to Nevada where we met some of our other characters. Most importantly Polly
(that's me) and her dad (Everett Baker . We also learn that the settlement that Bobby is coming
to deal with is the foreclosure of a theatre owned by Everett.) Everett gets a letter warning about
the foreclosure just before Bobby shows up off the train. While he settles in we get to know Lank
Hawkins. He wants to buy the theater from Everett to expand his saloon that is right next door.
This is when Bobby gets his first look at Polly and is immediately taken by her. (Bobby starts
singing a song about how life is looking up now that he sees her and this is where we learn that
Lank Hawkins has proposed to Polly 5 times and she has refused him every time. (we also learn
that she is the only woman in 50 miles))
They decide to make a show to raise the money to save the theatre. (Bobby can get some of
the Zangler girls that are on vacation to come put on a show) soon after they make this
agreement Polly finds out who Bobby is and that he is part of the family that is trying to take the
theater. Polly decides she can’t trust him anymore, and says to never talk to her again.
Soon after, the Zangler girls arrive. With them is Bobby Dressed as Zangler. Lank Hawkins does
not like this and threatens to shoot Bobby (dressed as Zangler). They start the audition process
of the men in the town (the men only audition to work with the girls). Polly starts to fall for Bobby.
(She is lonely and wants to be in love)
The show starts to run into some problems. None of the men in the town can dance at all. Lark
Hawking is still bent on stopping the show. Things get better when they move some of the
cowboys from dancing to playing instruments. Irene shows up out of nowhere and discovers
Bobbie's little joke. Polly walks in on Irene kissing Bobby. And Polly and Irene get into a little
argument where they are just roasting each other. Lank comes in and makes another scene.
She takes Irean to the pub to get her a room there. Bobby (as Zangler) tries to tell Polly about
how great Bobby is. But she ends up confessing that she is in love with Zangler. They kiss.
Time to put on the show. Only two people show up. Two tourists Eugene and Patricia Fodor.
They are British tourists. And they are not even there to see the show, they are there to write a
guidebook about the American West. (Aka they are there to write about the saloon) They were
sad at first but they realized that the show gave them all community and purpose. Then the real
Zangler stumbles into town and collapses from dehydration. (It's an hour's walk from the train
station) This is where we end act one.
In act two Bobby tries to ask Polly to Marry him and tell her that he was Zangler the entire time
but she doesn't believe him. Then the real Zangler walks in. (He came to be with one of the
chorus girls her name is Tess) Tess asks if Zangler could make an audience come see the show
and he refuses. Then Bobby comes out dressed as Zangler and there are two Zanglers on
stage.
The next morning Polly sees the two Zanglers and realizes what happened and she gets mad.
She smacks Boby and leaves. Irene tries one last time to get Bobby to come back to New York
and he confesses that he is in love with Polly. Irene gets mad and goes and seduces Lank.
All the cow folk are gathering in the theatre for a meeting. Bobby wants to try the show one last
time with Reat Zangler's help but Polly doesn't want to. The two British tourists sing a song
about how you just have to keep going. This convenes Polly and her dad but the rest of the
town people and most of the showgirls (except Tess) still think that they just need to cut their
losses.
Bobby decided to go back to New York. Once he leaves this is when I sing “But Not for Me”.
Zanger decides to endorse the show because he loves Tess and Tess wants the show to work.
Zanger talks to Polly about Bobby (he wants to make him the start of the show) but he has left
already. (I finish the rest of the song now)
Back in New York Bobby’s Mom foreclosed on the Zangler theatre and gave it to Bobby as a
present. (Bobby finds out that Zangler could not meet the payments because he was pouring
money into the show back in Nevada. He realizes why he is doing this and for whom and has
regrets about leaving Nevada.) he decides to go back to Deadrock.
We go back to Nevada and Polly has decided to go to New York to find Bobby. Just as she
leaves Bobby gets to Nevada. (they just miss each other). Thankfully the car that Polly was
leaving runs out of gas and she has to come back where she finds Bobby. They dance and
finally happily reunite. (also Polly's dad and Bobby’s mom fall in love) the show closed with the
gran Folies visuals that we would expect of the show.

Character: Polly

Age: 20-30

What is the general musical style of the show (Traditional musical theater, pop, operetta,
etc.)?
● It is very pre-rock and roll musical theatre. It is the sound I think of when I think of the
golden age.
How is the show typical or atypical of the work of the composers/ creators of the show?
● It is very classic for Gershwin. That lovely 30’s sound. With tall round vowels.
How is this show typical or atypical for the time period of the show’s premiere?
 ● It premiered in 1992 and it sounds like it is straight out of the golden age. I think most of
the sound comes from Gershwin’s music. But for the time it is very old school. (it is very
topical for when the music was written though)
What historical events do you think may have influenced the show?
● The great depression
● The reason they are losing the theater is the great depression. Times are hard
and mortgage payments are high. They are about 2 years into the depression so
they are struggling.
● It also shows why Zagner is reluctant to pour money into this project. There is not
much money to pour around.
● The Great Migration West
● In 1910 there was a great migration west in search of gold, oil, and coal, and
when people found it they formed a little town. And when these things rain out
people would leave.
● When people left they would leave towns like Deadrock behind. Towns with all
the infrastructure but no people there to keep the economy moving,
● If you put these two things together you can really tell what kind of environment it was to
live in Deadrock it was hard and people struggled
Complete character analysis of the character who sings the song:
● Polly is a young woman
● Her father wants her to marry but she feels like she has yet to find the right man.
● He mother died
● Her mother was a performer at the theatre that she now owns
● She was known to be very good
● She wants to find a way to save the theatre
● She does not want to marry Lank
● She is a headstrong woman who loves and loves hard
● She loves her father
● She is the mail delivery woman in her town
● The theatre's lobby has been converted into a mail-room
Character’s objective:
● She wants the theatre to stay open.
● She wants to pay the mortgage payments
● She wants Bobby/Zangler to love her
Context of song; at what point in the show does this song take place in the show?
● This happens later in the show during the second act. Right after Bobby decides to go
back to New York.
● She felt like her love was in sight and his going back to New York just ruined that
plan
To whom is the character speaking and why?
● She is talking to the audience
Where does the scene take place? (Detailed description)
● This scene takes place in the theatre right after the town meeting.
● It is a grand theatre that has been brought back to life recently.
 ● During the town meeting, they moved all the tables and chairs into a formation
that resembles that barricade scene, Les Mis. so there is a pile of tables and
chairs behind her. She is in a big empty theater and she is sitting and a lone chair
singing this song.
How does the song contribute to the character’s objective?
● This is the song where she sings about everything that we as the audience can see has
been troubling her this entire show.
● She sings about how she had a love but he is not interested anymore.
● She sings about how she wishes he was still there
● This is the start of the road that leads her to go to New York to find Bobby. She discovers
threw this song that she does not want to be what she is anymore she wants love and
she wants to be looked after and cared for.
What purpose does this song serve in the dramatic structure of the show as a whole?
● It sets up the final scene when she leaves right as Bobby gets back and makes their final
reunion even more romantic.
How are you going to rehearse the song and why? (Answer the 4 questions)
● She is a woman slightly older than me (one vote ohs)
● This music was written before rock and roll (two votes ohs)
● The show was written in the 1990s but the music was written in the 30s so I am
going with that
● This song is a ballade (three votes ohs)
● The show takes place in the 30’s (four votes ohs)
● Ohs win by a landslide
List any other information that you think may be important to your character or you as
the artist.
● I think It's important to note that the old town my dad and I live in is an old mining town.
● It was most likely a coal mining town based on the area and time period.
● The town is described as run down and seeing it right next to the New York
setting it is very clear that we are behind the times and struggling.
● The great depression happened (1929–1939) so this story takes place solidly in the
depression.
● Bobby is the son of wealthy bank owners so he is like mortal enemy number one.
● The town they are all in was big about 50 years ago. Then the mines ran out and
everyone left
● When the Zagler girls show up to the town they are showing up to a town that only has
one woman in it.
● After the theatre lost all of its money it was turned into a post office.
● It is still a fully functioning theatre but part of the lobby is now also a post office.
● My mother was a performer and a good one at that
● She died
● The theater reminds my father of my mother
● The town they are in is called Deadrock
● Zagler is based on Zigfeild