The Abbey Players are currently presenting a thoroughly delightful production of the Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts musical revue, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. It's a series of skits, mostly comic, about relationships between men and women. The views expressed are nothing new but that does not mean that they are shallow or untrue. As in real life, some relationships are wonderful, some are OK and some are failures. There are some sharp comments and some racy dialogue so you may want to leave the younger kids at home. However, nothing in the show is offensive.
The score is the kind you will forget even while you are listening to it, but the clever lyrics more than compensate.
Staging is elegantly simple with a bare stage graced by a bandstand and a few tables and chairs plus a rolling platform which becomes a bed and a sofa. Changing the arrangement of furniture, adding a few hand props, evocative lighting and a few slide projections are more than enough to set each scene.
The accompaniment is two keyboards played by Jason Pennington and Rebecca LeBlanc. They support the singers admirably. Accompanying is a rare talent and a good accompanist is a godsend in live performance.
Act One concerns getting to the altar and ends with a wedding; Act Two concerns what happens afterwards. Each performer gets a chance to shine. J. Larry Blount is wonderful in "Shouldn't I Love You Less" which is a Valentine to successful, long-term relationships. When he and Jill Stewart, as his wife, connect for a moment at the end of the song it is as true and affecting a moment as you will ever see on stage.
Scott Meddows uses his impressive size and a complete personality makeover to portray a prisoner who literally frightens a mismatched couple into new lives. Jessica Quinn is funny, heartbreaking and admirable as a divorced woman trying to keep her dignity while rebuilding her life in "Rosie Ritz's First Dating Video". And Jill Stewart is hysterical in "Always a Bridesmaid".
But, to be honest, they are all wonderful as characters ranging from lounge lizards to nerds to sophisticates. Director Diane Moss has a dream cast and she has showcased them beautifully. This is a cast which glows with the joy of live performance on the stage. Their enthusiasm is infectious!
The choreography by Rebecca LeBlanc is simple and sparse but very clever. I particularly loved the opening number and "On The Highway Of Love" which is performed entirely in chairs!
It's hard to imagine a better production of this show. If you are looking for an entertaining evening with a little bite and a lot of heart, be sure to catch I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
---Walter Brown
No comments:
Post a Comment