I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
By Joe DiPietro, music by Jimmy Roberts. Director: Stephen Pike. The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. April 24 – May 5, 2013.

Billed as “everything you ever thought about relationships, but were too afraid to say,” this is a slick, smart, sexy, very New York flavoured musical, played as a series of set piece vignettes showing couples at various stages of relationships from dating through old age. The first act is amusing and fast-paced, tending to draw fun from stereotyping along the ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’ vein. The lyrics are snappy and well-honed and the material covered unashamedly lightweight.

The second half of the play moves into deeper territory, covering established relationships, marriage, divorce, the art of finding time for sex while parenting young children, and negotiating new love after widowhood. Members of the audience who are no longer at the stage of life where they are playing the field will appreciate the dryer humour and pathos of this material more than the first act.

Stephen Pike has pulled together a cast with some of Canberra’s best musical comedy talent. Dave Evans, a red haired Ryan Gosling look-alike, has marvelous rapport with the delightful Jenna Roberts, who sparkles through her various roles. Jenna is especially moving as a middle-aged divorcee making her first dating video. Christine Forbes plays through a succession of geeky, awkward characters in the first act, but then comes into her own in the second as a wry serial bridesmaid commenting on her disastrous gowns and the equally disastrous marriages of her friends. The whole cast is musically strong, backed very ably by a boutique ensemble of piano, violin and bass. A simple, cartoon-inspired set with minimal props and quick set changes made for a glitchless and enjoyable night. If you are after a lighthearted romp with great music, you'll love this show.

Cathy Bannister

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