[NEohioPAL]"Perfect date play" Rave Review for I LOVE YOU... at Actors' Summit

Mon Jul 22 22:12:16 PDT 2002

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A perfect date at Actors' Summit Theater
Humor is the best aphrodisiac
By David Ritchey 
HUDSON -- "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" is the perfect date play. 
Most of us are familiar with the date movies -- a film that's the prelude to 
a romantic evening. But, date plays are a bit rare. Now Actors' Summit 
Theater has staged the ideal date play with its most recent production by Joe 
DiPietro (book and lyrics) and Jimmy Roberts (music). Few "date" problems 
have occurred that aren't brought to the stage in song or in dialogue with 
this wonderful musical review. 

People in the audience were laughing so much that the actors had to wait for 
the laughter to drop enough for them to go on with their lines. 

DiPietro wrote "Over the River and Through the Woods," which was popular with 
Actors' Summit audiences last season. "I Love You" is a much better, much 
funnier script than "Over the River." 

The cast has four of the most charming, talented performers gathered on any 
local stage in a long time. Andrew Brelich, Jenn Goodson, Kari Kandel and 
Keith Stevens play DiPietro's various characters, who, in the script, are 
aged somewhere between 20 and death. These four Ohio actors have more than 
enough skill to bring this script to life and charm the audience into having 
the best time since the first date was invented. 

In an opening song, the cast sings about the problem of dating and confesses 
that we all have our share of "emotional baggage." After a particularly bad 
date with an egomaniac, one woman sings, "I could grow old alone, just fine." 

In another sequence, a wedding has ended and the bridesmaid catches the 
bouquet. She wears a typically bad bridesmaid's dress -- pink and white 
ruffles -- and sings a song with the lyrics, "Too many weddings, too many 
dresses." The song is a litany of the description of dresses she's bought to 
wear in other people's weddings. 

One of the most interesting sequences shows a meeting of a singles group in 
the local prison. In a "Scared Straight" parody, a prisoner in a "scared 
married" program scares a single man and single woman into marriage. 
A scene played by two senior citizens (a man and a woman) in a funeral home 
brought some of the loudest laughs of the evening. During their impromptu 
meeting, the two talk about the funeral homes they used when their spouses 
died -- this leads to an hilarious discussion of the comparative comfort of 
chairs at the local funeral homes. 

"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" may be the best laugh-filled show of 
the summer, or, perhaps, of the whole season. It is the perfect show for a 
summer's night -- bright, witty and romantic. 

If the play has a moral or a lesson it's this: love and marriage are mighty 
good and very funny. 

Neil Thackaberry (director) helps the four-person cast create dozens of 
wacky, in-love characters. This bit of comic confectionery is one of 
Thackaberry's best directing efforts since Actors' Summit moved to its new 
theater in Hudson. 

John Franks (piano and musical direction) is on stage with Jennifer Beryoung 
(violin) for the length of the performance. These talented musicians 
accompany the songs and provide appropriate background music at other times. 
The quality of the musical performances is superior, and Franks deserves the 
credit for the uniformly excellent performances of the songs and the 
emotional interpretation of those songs. 

Don't miss "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." It's adult, it's 
charming and it's a laugh machine. Humor can be one of the best aphrodisiacs. 

The show will continue through July 28. For reservations and ticket 
information, call (330) 342-0800. 

David Ritchey has a Ph.D. in communications and is an associate professor of 
communications at The University of Akron. He is a member of the American 
Theatre Critics Association. 

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<HTML>A perfect date at Actors' Summit Theater
 Humor is the best aphrodisiac
 By David Ritchey 
 HUDSON -- "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" is the perfect date play. Most of us are familiar with the date movies -- a film that's the prelude to a romantic evening. But, date plays are a bit rare. Now Actors' Summit Theater has staged the ideal date play with its most recent production by Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and Jimmy Roberts (music). Few "date" problems have occurred that aren't brought to the stage in song or in dialogue with this wonderful musical review. 
 
 People in the audience were laughing so much that the actors had to wait for the laughter to drop enough for them to go on with their lines. 
 
 DiPietro wrote "Over the River and Through the Woods," which was popular with Actors' Summit audiences last season. "I Love You" is a much better, much funnier script than "Over the River." 
 
 The cast has four of the most charming, talented performers gathered on any local stage in a long time. Andrew Brelich, Jenn Goodson, Kari Kandel and Keith Stevens play DiPietro's various characters, who, in the script, are aged somewhere between 20 and death. These four Ohio actors have more than enough skill to bring this script to life and charm the audience into having the best time since the first date was invented. 
 
 In an opening song, the cast sings about the problem of dating and confesses that we all have our share of "emotional baggage." After a particularly bad date with an egomaniac, one woman sings, "I could grow old alone, just fine." 
 
 In another sequence, a wedding has ended and the bridesmaid catches the bouquet. She wears a typically bad bridesmaid's dress -- pink and white ruffles -- and sings a song with the lyrics, "Too many weddings, too many dresses." The song is a litany of the description of dresses she's bought to wear in other people's weddings. 
 
 One of the most interesting sequences shows a meeting of a singles group in the local prison. In a "Scared Straight" parody, a prisoner in a "scared married" program scares a single man and single woman into marriage. 
 A scene played by two senior citizens (a man and a woman) in a funeral home brought some of the loudest laughs of the evening. During their impromptu meeting, the two talk about the funeral homes they used when their spouses died -- this leads to an hilarious discussion of the comparative comfort of chairs at the local funeral homes. 
 
 "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" may be the best laugh-filled show of the summer, or, perhaps, of the whole season. It is the perfect show for a summer's night -- bright, witty and romantic. 
 
 If the play has a moral or a lesson it's this: love and marriage are mighty good and very funny. 
 
 Neil Thackaberry (director) helps the four-person cast create dozens of wacky, in-love characters. This bit of comic confectionery is one of Thackaberry's best directing efforts since Actors' Summit moved to its new theater in Hudson. 
 
 John Franks (piano and musical direction) is on stage with Jennifer Beryoung (violin) for the length of the performance. These talented musicians accompany the songs and provide appropriate background music at other times. The quality of the musical performances is superior, and Franks deserves the credit for the uniformly excellent performances of the songs and the emotional interpretation of those songs. 
 
 Don't miss "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." It's adult, it's charming and it's a laugh machine. Humor can be one of the best aphrodisiacs. 
 
 The show will continue through July 28. For reservations and ticket information, call (330) 342-0800. 
 
 David Ritchey has a Ph.D. in communications and is an associate professor of communications at The University of Akron. He is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association. </HTML>

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