Presented by: SecondStory Repertory
She Loves Me is a musical based on a charming play by Miklos Laszlo about a man and woman who write letters to a "Dear Friend" they have never met, but it turns out they work in the same shop. You might recognize the plot from Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail. With a book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, it has some of the most fun songs you're likely to hear in a musical. The musical is a perfect kind of chamber musical with a small cast and a light story, but the songs move the plot and characters along brilliantly and everything serves the production. There is nothing extraneous.
She Loves Me is now playing at SecondStory Repertory in Redmond Towne Center Mall. It stars Jon Lutyens and Anne Kennedy as the cutely feuding couple. They strike the right balance of fight and flirt. The slimy toad, Kodaly, is manfully played by Matt Shimkus, as he romances any female he can, including the boss' wife. Ilona, the shopgirl he treats shabbily, is lustily sung by Alyssa Keene. The boss, Maraczek, is delightfully played by Dale Bowers and his long-time worker, Sipos, is drolly played by Mark Waldstein.
If you have never seen the production, this is a rare opportunity. Hopefully the musicians, led by Kevin Miller, will mesh better with the performers as they continue, giving a more seamless experience. It reflects a simpler era, pre-World War II, and goes down like an exotic European candy.
Written by: Miryam Gordon
Added: February 15th 2010
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