Sunday, May 13, 2012

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change


I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE: a nice escape at Actors’ Summit

Every once in a while it’s nice to go to a theatre, relax, hear some pleasant music, enjoy stories of love and life, and smile. That’s the situation at Actor’s Summit with their present offering, I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE.

ILY,YP, NC is a review by Joe DiPietro (book) and Jimmy Roberts (music) which takes a journey from dating and waiting to fall in love, to marriage. Then it lightly probes into the agonies and triumphs of newborns, children, and the pick-up attempts of geriatrics. Not mind blowing, not even mind bending, just a series of songs, some light hearted vignettes, and an occasional emotional twist.

The music is nice. Not memorable, but pleasant. No top ten hits on the play list here, but also nothing grating, ear splitting, or heavy bass.

The Actors’ Summit cast have nice voices, interpret the songs well, hit the right emotional levels and make the ideas flow right along. Stephen Brockway, Aubrey Caldwell, Abigail Allwein, and Keith Stevens play multi-roles with comfort.

It is ironic that Stevens does a charming song, complete with baby talk about the joys of fatherhood, since he is a very, very recent new daddy!

New grandpa Neil Thackaberry’s directing keeps the show moving at a pleasant pace. And, new grandma MaryJo Alexander does a great job with the costumes and props.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE makes for a pleasant afternoon/evening of theatre.