Theatre News and Reviews

It has been written, “Love is wonderful the second time around.” That holds true in this repeat production of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, No Change” now running at Chico Cabaret.

This musical farce, seen here April 7, premiered off-Broadway in 1996 and has played to appreciative audiences wherever performed. With book and lyrics by Joe DePietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, the revue charms with cute sketches and songs about the singles scene, nuptials, parenthood and old age.

Under the masterful direction of Chico Cabaret’s own Sue Ruttenburg, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” moves the sequences forward using bare-bones staging against black scenery. This allows the audience to concentrate on the talents of the four actors as they move through life’s sequences with facial expressions and body language.

A gleaming black grand piano occupies a pedestal at stage rear. It is an appropriate place to introduce the talents of pianist Jevon Gegg-Mitchell, a newcomer to Chico Cabaret. Gegg-Mitchell becomes one of the actors with enthusiastic vigor, feeling the music as he plays the catchy songs.

Four actors whose voices blend into a rich mixture of song depict the numerous scenes with contagious appeal. They assure the audience that 90 percent of the time men still date women, marry them and make babies.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 13th, 2005 at 9:02 pm and is filed under Theatre, Local. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.