Review: SHE LOVES ME at Ankeny Community Theatre

In 2006, I was introduced to a charming musical when I had the opportunity to be in a production at the college I attended. When Ankeny Community theatre announced their 2022/2023 season, I was ecstatic to see it would be included as part of their season. That delightful musical is "She Loves Me." Over the last few years, this musical has gained popularity with a revival on Broadway, including a live-streamed performance later shown on PBS as part of the Great Performances series. I can't think of a more fitting show with the holidays coming up.

"She Loves Me," with Book by Joe Masteroff, Music by Jerry Bock, and Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, tells the story of the employees of Maraczek's Parfumerie. We meet soon meet Georg Nowack, an employee who is writing letters as part of a lonely hearts club. When a competing parfumerie closes, one of the employees, Amalia Balash, comes to look for a job. Immediately she and Georg do not see eye to eye. It is soon revealed that she is also writing letters to a lonely hearts club. We quickly find out that they are writing letters to each other unbeknownst to them. If you've seen "The Shop Around the Corner," "In the Good Old Summertime," or "You've Got Mail," then you know how this story goes.

One of the great things about the show is that the majority of the show takes place at the Parfumerie, but it does have a few scenes that take place at other locals. This can be difficult on a small stage, but Ankeny Community theatre has put together a production team that has come up with some clever ways to take on those challenges and make them work in a way that fits within their theatre. The directing team is led by Director Cheryl Clark, Music Director Amity Wagner, and Choreography Anna Sunstrom. I appreciated how they worked with the design team to devise creative ways with lights, sets, and a few props to take us from one place to the next.

Part of the fun of "She Loves Me" is the beautiful music throughout the show. Cheryl Clark has gathered together a fantastic cast that will thrill audiences with these beautiful tunes. Throughout the show, many moments stand out from each of the actors. Some of my favorite moments included seeing Michael Howland take on the smarmy Stephen Kodaly. If you've seen him onstage before, his character plays against what you're used to seeing him take on. This leads to a very humorous "Grand Knowing You" towards the end of the show. Another one of those performances that will stick with you after seeing the show is Nicholas Root as Ladislav Sipos. He brought humor to the role I hadn't seen before, and I found myself excitingly waiting for what quip his character would come up with next.

One of the night's biggest surprises came from Cortney Kayser's performance as Amalia Balash. While she is making her Ankeny Community Theatre debut, she is no stranger to the Des Moines theatre scene. In this performance, she gets to show what she is capable of as an artist in a leading role. Throughout the evening, there were multiple times when she opted up on a few notes, which was a delight to hear. Her voice and comedic chops are at their best when she sings "Vanilla Ice Cream."

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