I Love You Because
I Love You Because
Music by Joshua Salzman
Book & Lyric by Ryan Cunningham
Directed and choreographed by Roy Alan
Musical direction by Chris Leavy
Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park FL</strong>
Hey, they used dirty words in this show! Despite WPPH’s tendency toward squeaky clean entertainment, I distinctly heard “Pns Pmp” and even “Cnnlng*s,” so while there isn’t explicit sex onstage, you know these people are actually D**ng *t. Stodgy Austin (Todd Mummert) writes trite greeting card messages and just broke up with his off stage girlfriend. His brother Jeff (Christopher Norton) recommends taking six month to get over it and date the worst girl he can find, just to recalibrate. Meanwhile Marcy (Lulu Picard) is in the same situation and her BFF Diana (Belinda Johnson) advises the same thing. Diana even sings a song about the math behind the six month thing (The Actuary Song) which makes her the geeky cute one. These opposing teams meet on a Jewish dating site, apparent to make the break up easier when the time comes. Of course, Mary and Austin fall for each other after suitable agonizing (…But I Don’t Want To Talk About Her, Because of You) but the interesting relation forms between Jeff and Diana. They become Friends With Benefits, and grease through all those awkward “getting to know you” moments with the delusion that the sex is only temporary. They seem more fun as a couple while Marcy and Austin have the Democrat / Republican thing lurking in the background. When their lust wears off, why, it just might be presidential election time. Awk-ward!
I loved this cast and I liked some of the songs even if I couldn’t hum one right now if you held a bagel to my head. The plot holds few surprises and it takes silly jokes and excellent singing to keep this show alive. I love Norton’s hair with its carefully and critically greased look, and paired with Mummert they look a bit like Abbott and Costello – the tall guy get the acid straight lines, and short guy practices looking hurt but always driving he comedy forward. Ms. Picard is sassy cute and she and Mr. Mummert are a darling couple and you do cheer for them even if the script telegraphs its punches. You can hear those plot turns coming, and then a small voice in the back row goes “oh oh!” But that also says the audience is on board with the story – it’s a mixed message. Over on the side, stalwarts Chris Leavy and Sam Forrest keep the jazzy soundtrack flowing, and I’ll give the set high marks. This show was well received, the house was full and there were plenty of overheard compliments.
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, please visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org
