Review: I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE at Connecticut Cabaret Theatre

On Saturday, June 1, I had the pleasure of seeing I LOVE YOU, YOU"RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin, CT. This musical comedy is written with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. Director Kris McMurray has yet again maximized the quality of the show by finding the ideal cast and bringing out the best in them as individuals and as a group.

The stellar cast of Jon Escobar, Nick D'Angelo, Kristin Iovene, and Cristin Marshall all play multiple roles, all in which all four of them excel. This show showcases the multiple talents of these cast members, including their strong singing skills, and the myriad of characters they can successfully depict. It is clear that they are having a great time up on stage, while all four cast members manage to uniquely become whatever character they are portraying at any given moment. The stage chemistry is strong between all the cast members, reflected across all their characters. Numerous costume changes take place throughout the show, enhancing the believability of each individual character.

TJ Thompson plays piano with Jean Conners on violin. Large portions of the show are communicated through the lyrics of the various songs. The opening number has strong acapella four part harmonies that set the musical tone for the show while the lyrics set the comedic tone for the show. The lyrics spoof some early fictional interactions between Adam and Eve in a brilliant genuinely funny manner that places some modern attitudes and modern male/female dynamics into Adam and Eve.

The show is a series of shorts, but with an overlying theme depicting the challenges of romantic relationships, across all different stages, in a comedic manner. Signs in the front of house left provide titles for each short, as they come on. We see depictions of young singles, middle-aged singles, widowed elders, newlyweds, a married couple who recently had their first baby, a married couple with teen children, and a married couple with an older son who announces his break-up with his girlfriend of two years on the day his parents expected them to announce their engagement. The couples are typically paired off as either Jon Escobar and Kristin Iovene, or Nick D' Angelo and Cristin Marshall. One of the shorts brilliantly spoofs a law firm ad while another is set in a prison. Another short shows the struggles and frustrations of a chronic bridesmaid who is never a bride, and is stuck with a plethora of unflattering bridesmaid dresses that she didn't want to wear at the time and would never want to wear again.

While the show does not shy away from showing some of the challenges some married couples may face, the show's overall message seems to still present the modern singles scene as being far more difficult to navigate. This humor from 1996 remains relevant today as it reflects many attitudes, ideas, and male/female dynamics that still exist.

For married and for single adults, I highly recommend I LOVE YOU, YOU"RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE which is scheduled to continue to run at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin, CT, every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 PM through June 15, 2019. For tickets, please call the box office at 860-829-1248.

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