Character guide
Bela Zangler
from Crazy for You
Bela Zangler is a colorful supporting character in Crazy for You, a flamboyant Broadway producer whose mistaken identity comedy fuels much of the show's second act fun.
- Show
- Crazy for You
- Premiered
- 1992
- Role
- Supporting
- Composer
- George Gershwin
Who is Bela Zangler?
Zangler is a theatrical impresario, the kind of larger than life producer figure common to musical comedies of this style, complete with a thick accent and an outsized sense of self importance. He becomes tangled up in the show's comic plot when Bobby Child impersonates him, leading to a string of mistaken identity mix ups.
As a producer character, Zangler represents the glitzy world of professional show business that stands in contrast to the scrappy, homemade production Bobby and Polly are trying to put together in their small town, giving the musical a fun contrast between big city polish and small town heart.
Playing Zangler on stage
This is a supporting comic role, built for a performer with strong timing and a flair for broad, theatrical characterization. Zangler's scenes tend to be showcases for physical comedy and verbal humor rather than extended musical numbers, though the character is very much part of the show's overall song and dance fabric.
Audiences enjoy Zangler because he is a delightful send up of showbiz ego, and the mistaken identity antics built around him are some of the funniest stretches in Crazy for You.
Frequently asked
What show is Bela Zangler from?
Bela Zangler appears in Crazy for You, the 1992 musical set to George Gershwin's music.
Is Bela Zangler a lead or supporting role?
Bela Zangler is a supporting comic role in the show.
Who wrote the score for Crazy for You?
The score comes from George Gershwin's catalog of songs.
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