'I Love You Because' Musical Romance Via Male Eye

I Love You Because - A modern day musical love story.

Love is in the air at the Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, as the off-Broadway hit I Love You Because plays from January 19 – February 11, 2007.

Dubbed "a modern day musical love story," I Love You Because is a sweet, funny and bubbly gender reversed modern day musical about the adventures of two brothers, one a stiff greeting card writer, the other free-spirited pedi-cab driver, and the women they date, a flaky photographer and an actuary.

Austin Bennet's (EURIAMIS "E.L." LOSADA), life is turned upside down when he finds his long-term girlfriend in bed with another man. Forced back out into the treacherous New York dating scene, Austin meets Marcy Fitzwilliams (Jennifer Hughes), a flighty photographer whose spontaneity is matched only by her ability to drive him insane. They are constantly misguided by Austin's brother Jeff (CHRISTOPHER A. KENT) and Marcy's best friend Diana Bingley (IRENE ADJAN) and the New York City man (WAYNE LeGETTE) and woman (CECELIA ISIS TORRES), "the two who oversee it all."

Jeff advises Austin that the best strategy to win back his old girlfriend is to ignore her. On the female side, Diana concludes, through rigorous, absurdist math calculations, that the best way for Marcy to find Mr. Right is to hook up with Mr. Wrong.

Recognizing Diana's bizarre logic, Marcy sings, "So in order to find my perfect man, I need to find someone who's perfectly wrong. I'm in New York, that shouldn't take too long."

Marcy helps Austin write a poem to woo back his old flame. Then come sparks that neither expected but prompt Austin to embrace their differences.

Much like in "When Harry met Sally," the couple at first dislike each other, then become friends, and finally the couples in I Love You Because come together in spite of their dating philosophies.

Together, they explore the rules of dating in the big city as they learn how to love someone, not in spite of their differences, but because of them.

Leading lady Jennifer Hughes, a University of Miami graduate, has come a long way, having starting out in the ranks as an Actors Playhouse intern. She was recently featured on Broadway and was an understudy to the lead with performances in A Light in the Piazza.

Written by Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman and directed by David Arisco, I Love You Because will be presented Wed.-Sat. 8pm and Sundays at 2pm, with previews on January 17 & 18th at 8pm for $30.00. Tickets are $38.50 for weeknights and Sunday matinees, and $46 for Friday and Saturday evenings.  

The theater offers a 10 percent senior discount rate the day of performance and $15 student rush tickets 15 minutes prior to curtain, with identification. All discounts are based on availability and exclude Saturday performances.

Group discounted rates are offered for 15 or more, and theater/dining packages are available with Coral Gables' select restaurants through their group sales department. Tickets may be purchased through the box office at 305-444-9293 or online at www.actorsplayhouse.org.

The 2006-2007 season at the Miracle Theatre also includes Jerry Herman's Broadway musical La Cage Aux Folles (March 7-April 8, 2007), the world premiere play written by Miami playwright Susan J. Westfall, The Boy From Russia (May 9-June 3, 2007), and Tom Lehrer's satirical musical comedy revue Tom Foolery (July 11-September 2, 2007).

Subscribers receive premium seating, best savings, and benefits and discounts to the area's choice restaurants and establishments. Season subscriptions for a four-show package for the 2006-2007 season are on sale now, with prices ranging from $110 for preview performances, $146 for Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday matinees, $170 for Friday and Saturday evenings, and $174 for VIP Flexible/Anytime tickets for choice reserved seats in every performance. Opening night tickets, including a gala party and Bacardi bar, are $266. Miracle Maker donor subscriptions, including two tickets to opening nights, donor acknowledgement, and two tickets to the annual Reach for the Stars Gala Auction 2007 are $1250. Subscriptions for children 18 years and younger with a full paid adult subscription, and college students, are $70(restrictions apply.)

Actors Playhouse at The Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Florida, 33134. Phone: (305) 444-9293.

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