Review: I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE at Theatre Harrisburg

The musical comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, premiered in 1995 at New Jersey’s American Stage Company before opening Off-Broadway in 1996. This hilarious musical explores relationships at different stages including first date, marriage, children, divorce, and widowhood. While it was revised in 2018, with updated lyrics and added songs and scenes to stay true to the lived experience of modern audiences, the heart of the show remains the same. I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change reminds us that we are social creatures—that we long for connection and spend much of our lives seeking to make those connections. Theatre Harrisburg presents I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change as part of it’s 100th season under the direction of Annette Trossbach with assistant director Becky Mease, music director Nicholas Werner, and stage manager Julia Hunter through June 21st.

As this show quickly moves from scene to scene, it requires a well-organized, efficient village of production team members and volunteers to swiftly and smoothly change the set, props, costumes, and lights. This team includes production manager Dave Olmstead; technical director Curtis Mittong; lighting/scenic designer Matthew Mitra; costume coordinator Carol Manzer; assistant Costume Designer Sarah Murphy; costume shop volunteers Karen Switzer, Norine Bahnweg, and Cheryl Petroff; scenic painters Bruce Kolka and Susan Oscilowski; scenic builders Bruce Kolka, Curtis Mittong, Benjamin Rand, and Andrew Bauserman; master carpenter Benjamin Rand; stage crew Rima Cameron, Kai Loobey, Kaitlyn Perbetsky, Gaye Hicks, Jane Hess, Jessica Mooney; lighting assistant Tessa Arnold; props designer Becky Arney; and sound engineer Grant Komm. The team at Theatre Harrisburg makes this complex work look easy. Costumes create the visual transition from character to character, while the props, lighting, and set transport the audience to a variety of places from a restaurant to a movie theatre to the homes of various characters to a prison to the interior of a car, and more. The musicians, featuring Nicholas Werner (music director/keys), Jeremy Blouch (guitar/bass), and Sara Benson (drums/percussion), tie the scenes together, keeping the momentum of the show moving through each song and each scene change.

The cast stars Glenn Muir as Man #1, Tony Leukus as Man #2, Heather Stoll as Woman #1, and Emmalee Shirley as Woman #2. This wonderfully versatile group of actors take on a variety of characters with different personalities, different ages, and different accents. Additionally, each actor has to sing a variety of different styles, from country to 50s rock, even rap. From the very first note of the “Prologue” the cast captures the audience’s attention with their gorgeous vocals. Their voices are well-suited to the music as well as to one another.

There are so many relatable moments in this production, all of which are brilliantly performed. Here are just a few that stand out to this reviewer: Stoll and Leukus have perfect comedic timing in the scene with “Better Things to Do”. “A Stud and A Babe” keeps the audience laughing as Muir and Shirley create an adorably awkward date scene. The women bring the house down on “Single Man Drought” with their powerhouse vocals. “Hey There, Single Guy/Gal” and “Highway of Love” are simply hilarious, showing off each cast member’s ability to speak volumes in a single look (and audiences get a kick out of the use of chairs on wheels for the car in “Highway of Love”). Shirley’s performance of “I Will be Loved Tonight” is so sweet, and her monologue in Act 2 highlights her tremendous acting ability as she takes on the role of a middle-aged divorced woman. Muir’s heartfelt rendition of “Shouldn’t I Be Less In Love With You” hits all the right notes musically and emotionally, bringing the audience to tears. Stoll and Leukus find the perfect balance of sweet, sad, and funny in their final scene and song, “I Can Live With That”.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of relationships that is highly relatable, but not suitable for all ages. This production at Theatre Harrisburg is perfect for a date night or a girls’/guys’ night out. So, spread the word and get your tickets to see I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Theatre Harrisburg by visiting theatreharrisburg.com.

Marc Faubel @thsguy81

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