She Loves Me

[edjames]

One of the more successful revivals on Broadway this season, the Roundabout production of this classic Broadway musical is a delight. Very entertaining and charming.

The musical is an adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklós László, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop Around the Corner and the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version In the Good Old Summertime. In 1998 it was filmed as the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan feature You've Got Mail.

The plot revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash who, despite being consistently at odds with each other at work, are unaware that each is the other's secret pen pal met through lonely-hearts ads.

It features a lovely score, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock, who also wrote the music for Fiddler On The Roof (another successful Broadway revival this season).

The wonderful cast stars Laura Benanti as Amalia, Zachary Levi as Georg, Jane Krakowski as Ilona, Gavin Creel as Kodaly, Byron Jennings as Maraczek, and Tom McGowan.

Alas, the show is slated to end its run in July, so hurry and catch it before it closes.

[bostonman]

She Loves Me is one of those shows that is unfortunately not well-known by the average theatregoer, though most diehard theatre fans (and people in the biz) always speak very highly of it. I'm not sure how one really defines a "perfect" show, but I would have to say I consider She Loves Me a contender for that designation. Funny, poignant, tuneful, smart, and one of those shows where you essentially know how things will end up, but the journey to get to that moment has lots of wonderful twists.

 

Even the songs that aren't the "hits" all add so much to the show. One of my own favorite numbers is one called "Sounds While Selling" early on in the show, which gives us a taste of the average workday at the shop - 3 clerks assisting 3 lady customers. But often what we hear are little bits of their conversations combined, so we get crazy funny lyrics like "I would like an eyebrow...under my...chin" or "Here'a an inexpensive...perfume called...rat." All to a breezy tune that gives us the feeling that Maraczek's Parfumerie is a classy, fun place to shop. (Though of course, soon intrigue starts sneaking into the plot that will threaten to change that millieu.)

 

I haven't seen this production yet, but I do agree with Ed - go see this, especially if you don't know the show. You'll be in for a really nice evening. (And perhaps have a bit of a craving for ice cream afterwards, lol.)

[body2body]

I've always loved the title song.

You get just a little of it at the end of this promotional clip.

[bostonman]

I'm not sure how one really defines a "perfect" show, but I would have to say I consider She Loves Me a contender for that designation.

 

As a follow-up to that statement - I'm watching the livestream of the Drama Desk awards, and orchestrator Larry Hochman just won the best orchestration award for his work on this new revival of the show. One of his comments was to "thank my friends Sheldon Harnick, Joe Masteroff, and the late Jerry Bock, for writing the perfect musical." So there.

[BasketBaller]

It's long been one of my favorites. I'm seeing this revival in a couple of weeks.