I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change
I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change
Book and lyrics by Joe DiPieto
Music by Jimmy Roberts
Directed by Michael Edwards
Musical Direction by Christopher Leavy
Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park FL</strong>
Winter Park can’t get enough of this show; the playhouse folks are doing this for the seventh time in eleven years. Tonight’s ensemble includes Roy Alan and Heather Alexander assisted by Patrick Brandt and Heather Lea Charles. This premise is simple: couples sing their way through the stages of romance from first date to a post funeral pickup in the old folk’s receiving line. From the Benedictine chant that opens the show “Cantata for A first Date” to “Wedding Vows” we wiggle thought the prenuptial struggles of finding someone, then spending the second act figuring out who the heck that person snoring next to you is and why are they there? None of these tunes are bad, but some skits stand out: In “The Lasagna Incident” Ms. Alexander and Patrick are tennis buddies. She won’t let him win and wonders why he won’t make a pass even though she’s wearing one of those short short tennis outfits. He speaks of “respect”, she asks the “G” question, and then agrees to make him lasagna if he brings the wine and the condoms. Oops, is she really saying that? I guess so… Another awkward moment arises in “And Now the Parents.” Roy and Ms. Charles visit his parents, the folks are hoping for an engagement announcement but are disappointed as the couple is having an amiable break up, and now a fragile and well wrapped gift is going to waste. By the send act the kids are here, and with it a loss of time and energy for the horizontal rhumba. “Marriage Tango” takes that to extreme, the only way Roy and Ms. Charles can function daily is to constantly cross check each other. Lastly I’ll mention “Funeral Are for Dating.” Mr. Brandt is now an old geezer who’s become a connoisseur of funeral homes and services; he fills his spare time hitting on widows like Ms. Charles who hasn’t got that much going on any more herself. It’s touching and funny like an old Carol Burnett sketch. Backing all these orange slices of life is the solid musical efforts of Mr. Chris Leavy on piano and Ned Wilkinson, this time he limits himself to only playing the violin. It’s a fun and relaxing show, even your ex would enjoy seeing it again. Why not call her up and rattle her cage?
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, please visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org
