Review: SHE LOVES ME at Dansmakers Amsterdam: Smart and Witty - Musical Theatre At Its Best!

On Monday 9th of July, the musical She Loves Me celebrated their opening night at Dansmaker Theatre in Amsterdam.

It's the second production by De Kernploeg, whose mission it is to bring American musicals to the Dutch audience, choosing productions which aren't as well-known and therefore might be commercially risky.

After last year's production of A New Brain, this summer season will be brighted up by this smart and witty production of She Loves Me (book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.)

The show opens in the current time, where the whole cast is on stage, playing with their smartphone. The ending also has a little time-lapse back to the future, which feels a bit unnecessary. The general themes of the story such as love, lust, jealousy, ambition and hiding behind a (nowadays online) persona make this story current and relatable enough.

We set the scene in a city in Europe, 1937. Amalia (Christanne de Bruijn) and Georg (Joey Schalker) work together in a perfumery. They detest each other greatly. Little do they know they actually have been writing each other anonymously as pen pals. They secretly are in love with each other, but will they have the courage to recognize that, while still fighting in real life?

Christanne as Amalia is delightful to watch. Her vocals are flawless, but especially her acting is on point. She gives her character such heart. Her pen pal George, played by Schalker shows a great multi-layered development in his character's endeavors.
The scene where they both are in the restaurant during their 'blind date' is hilarious.

Supporting roles are played by Jip Bartels (who's the master of physical comedy) and Danny Houtkooper (who transforms probably every other scene in a different, hysterically funny character with multiple accents).
The synergy of the whole ensemble makes it a joy to watch the show.

The cast is exquisite. Musical comedy is a tricky genre, where timing is all.
They've nailed it. Highlight of the show is Twelve Days to Christmas, where the sheer fun of performing it is beaming of the faces of the cast.

Also the flirty song "Ilona" performed by Freek Bartels as Stephan, the ambitious, charming ladies man is like watching a musical theatre masterclass. The chemistry between him and Desi van Doeveren (who portrays a incredibly funny, yet adorable Ilona) is delightful to experience.

Choreography by Nick Fleuren is to be summed up in two words: smart & fun! The live orchestra is impeccable and is smaller than you'd think. It goes to show that all you need is a great script, talented cast and musicians, and there you have the perfect musical. No need for over-the-top decor, flashy light shows or special effects.

The only drawback of this production is that not more theatre-goers can go and enjoy it, due to the very short run. It feels like such a waste of all this passionate work, both on stage and off.

More info: www.de-kernploeg.nl
She Loves Me is performed at Dansmakers Amsterdam for a short run: until 15th of July.

Photo credit by Neeltje Knaap

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