Actors Co-op Theatre Company presents the three-time Tony Award-Winning Musical She Loves Me, with book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, directed and choreographed by Cate Caplin, produced by Crystal Jackson. Based on the 1937 play Perfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo that has inspired such films as Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail, tells the beloved story of two feuding shop clerks who are unaware that they are the recipients of each other’s love letters.
SHE LOVES ME
Reviews
Characters and music twist and intertwine beautifully, particularly in the larger ensemble pieces. "Sounds While Selling" and "Twelve Days of Christmas" are the best examples of this, with the added benefit of being very amusing and in the latter's case placing the musical firmly within holiday offerings.
This must-see, beguiling, gem of a chamber musical will leave you giddy with love, almost as if you gorged on sweet confections but magically had neither stomach ills nor toothache (it has been referred to as the “Ice Cream Musical” after a musical number made famous by original star Barbara Cook).
This production is the best of the best thanks to director Cate Caplin's cleverly entertaining choreography and quick-pace direction which has cut 45 minutes from the long run time, along with the multi-talented cast of triple-threat actors. You see, Stephen Gifford's one-set scenic design easily morphs into locations other than Maraczek's Perfumerie where the characters are employed with just small set pieces rolled in or lowered out of cabinets. Several doors are used as either the front door to the shop, ways into and out of its office and break room, apartments, a hospital room, and the wonderfully entertaining Café International where the Head Waiter assures us his greatest desire is to create “A Romantic Atmosphere” for lovers who interchange couples during this sexy rumba ensemble number which Caplin has made a real highlight of the show.
Major props to director Cate Caplin who captured the love and sincerity of this wonderful show and evoking the joyous spirit of its predecessors. Well done!
Under the direction and choreography of Cate Caplin (FB), the actors were clearly having fun with the piece, and that fun was projected to the audience. The overall company was quite fun to watch, and there was lots of joy in the production.
Director-choreographer Cate Caplin and a pitch-perfect cast do everything right in Actors Co-op's intimate revival of the 1963 Broadway charmer She Loves Me, perhaps better known today as the pre-Internet You've Got Mail.
Cate Caplin has outdone herself as director of the show. Her cast is overall delightful. With a pretty score, book, despite its corny jokes, and cast, She Loves Me is great entertainment.
The familiar storyline makes the ending a foregone conclusion, but the journey is a lark. Fabulous period costumes by Michael Mullin add to the joy. The clever scenic design by Stephen Gifford works like a box with secret compartments, transforming beautifully for multiple locations. Ending on a note of Christmas shopping, She Loves Me is an ideal holiday show.
The musical's saccharine exterior belies its more serious subject matter. It's strangely bright considering it involves attempted suicide, infidelity and workplace politics. Everything is treated in sitcom style. The characters are unwaveringly optimistic about love, despite their heartbreak and loss. Still, it's a classic, old-school musical, and its current incarnation at Actor's Co-op offers plenty of charm, though comes up short on authenticity.
Characters and music twist and intertwine beautifully, particularly in the larger ensemble pieces. "Sounds While Selling" and "Twelve Days of Christmas" are the best examples of this, with the added benefit of being very amusing and in the latter's case placing the musical firmly within holiday offerings.
This must-see, beguiling, gem of a chamber musical will leave you giddy with love, almost as if you gorged on sweet confections but magically had neither stomach ills nor toothache (it has been referred to as the “Ice Cream Musical” after a musical number made famous by original star Barbara Cook).
This production is the best of the best thanks to director Cate Caplin's cleverly entertaining choreography and quick-pace direction which has cut 45 minutes from the long run time, along with the multi-talented cast of triple-threat actors. You see, Stephen Gifford's one-set scenic design easily morphs into locations other than Maraczek's Perfumerie where the characters are employed with just small set pieces rolled in or lowered out of cabinets. Several doors are used as either the front door to the shop, ways into and out of its office and break room, apartments, a hospital room, and the wonderfully entertaining Café International where the Head Waiter assures us his greatest desire is to create “A Romantic Atmosphere” for lovers who interchange couples during this sexy rumba ensemble number which Caplin has made a real highlight of the show.
Major props to director Cate Caplin who captured the love and sincerity of this wonderful show and evoking the joyous spirit of its predecessors. Well done!
Under the direction and choreography of Cate Caplin (FB), the actors were clearly having fun with the piece, and that fun was projected to the audience. The overall company was quite fun to watch, and there was lots of joy in the production.
Director-choreographer Cate Caplin and a pitch-perfect cast do everything right in Actors Co-op's intimate revival of the 1963 Broadway charmer She Loves Me, perhaps better known today as the pre-Internet You've Got Mail.
Cate Caplin has outdone herself as director of the show. Her cast is overall delightful. With a pretty score, book, despite its corny jokes, and cast, She Loves Me is great entertainment.
The familiar storyline makes the ending a foregone conclusion, but the journey is a lark. Fabulous period costumes by Michael Mullin add to the joy. The clever scenic design by Stephen Gifford works like a box with secret compartments, transforming beautifully for multiple locations. Ending on a note of Christmas shopping, She Loves Me is an ideal holiday show.
The musical's saccharine exterior belies its more serious subject matter. It's strangely bright considering it involves attempted suicide, infidelity and workplace politics. Everything is treated in sitcom style. The characters are unwaveringly optimistic about love, despite their heartbreak and loss. Still, it's a classic, old-school musical, and its current incarnation at Actor's Co-op offers plenty of charm, though comes up short on authenticity.