Preview: Musical Gem SHE LOVES ME to Capture Hearts at Forte Theatre Company

Forte Theatre Company is kicking off its main stage season with the classic musical She Loves Me, running October 4–13. 

Featuring a score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof) and a book by Joe Masteroff (Cabaret), She Loves Me follows two feuding clerks in a 1930s European parfumerie who unwittingly fall in love as anonymous romantic pen pals. (Sound familiar, you You've Got Mail fans?) I recently connected with Director Randall Dodge about the show: 

What’s the elevator pitch for She Loves Me?
Broadway gold that most have never heard of.

What makes She Loves Me such a great fit for Forte Theatre Company?
The smaller cast size with a wonderfully complex script and story arc for the lead characters plays into our ability to focus the story in a much deeper way, than the typical musical. One of Forte's strengths is digging deeper into character and script analysis. She Loves Me has something to say about humanity and decency in the light of everything happening in the world today. How two people who think they know each other so well can be so wrong about who the other person really is...how similar we all are and just stop and listen to each other.

Can you give some background on the story of She Loves Me and its various iterations?
She Loves Me is based on the classic 1940s MGM film, The Shop Around The Corner, starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, which was based on a 1930s Hungarian play by Miklos Laszlo called Parfumerie. She Loves Me was first produced on Broadway in 1963, both directed and produced by Harold Prince, the impresario that brought us such enormous hits as Sweeney Todd, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, and The Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few.

What sets this particular musical version apart?
We have kept the cast size to the bare minimum, to give our actors the room and responsibility to tell this story in the truest way possible. Albeit we perform in a 900 seat theater we are attempting to make this production feel immersive and intimate. 

Are there any differences to look for in the musical vs. the movies? 
Absolutely! There is actually no movie version of She Loves Me, however it is the first Broadway musical to be live streamed during the 2016 Roundabout Theatre revival. The score and lyrics written by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick propel the story forward in a marvelous way. Through song we get a deeper sense of vulnerability and passion that these characters possess. 

Any fun facts or stories from behind the scenes? 
I personally worked with Sheldon Harnick (lyricist for She Loves Me) on the west coast premiere of A Wonderful Life at Laguna Playhouse in the early 90s as a very young actor. This was the musical version of the classic Jimmy Stewart film It's A Wonderful Life. Sheldon was such a kind, loving, gentle man who was approachable and inspiring. After performing the song I was in for him at our first rehearsal (which was a three part harmony operatic number called "Linguini" sung on the porch of Martini's new home), I went right up to Sheldon and asked what he thought of the song. He very gently said, "you need to listen to the other two singers, and find where you part fits in." I thanked him for the direction and confessed that that might be difficult over the sound of my knees knocking together out of sheer terror and nerves having to sing for him. He smiled, reached out and took my hand, squeezed it, and said "You'll find it, I'm sure of it".

The following season Laguna produced She Loves Me. Being a very green young actor I asked if Sheldon would be joining us for this one. The director deadpanned, "No, but if you'd like to, call him." Years later while bar-tending in New York, Sheldon walked in for lunch one afternoon with Jerry Bock (who just happened to live in the building above the restaurant). Sheldon recognized me and introduced me to Jerry. Finding out that I had a callback for the tour of She Loves Me, which had just had a revival on Broadway in 1993, Jerry brought me a signed song collection book from She Loves Me, which I still own to this day.

What are some aspects of the show that you're most excited about? 
Sharing this remarkable score with an audience that for the most part will be hearing it for the first time. She Loves Me is a hidden treasure in the musical theatre. One of the best kept secrets, which is a huge responsibility to get right, which we are fully dedicated to making happen.

Who are our feuding, romantic leads? 
Katie Berg is playing Amalia Balash which we couldn't be more excited about. She is a marvelous talent who blew us away in the auditions and who has brought a wonderful sense of style and grace to the role made famous by Barbara Cook. 

William Salinas who is playing Georg Nowak is a wonderful young man who we saw play the lead in Kinky Boots at Waukesha Civic Theater. He has a great voice and a can do attitude that is contagious to watch on stage. He brings joy to the role that is palpable.

What do you hope audiences take away from this production?
Joy, and a much broader perspective about the types of show worth seeing. Even though the show name might not grab you as an audience member, trusting the work and vision of a theatre company that has tried to produce family friendly quality productions to this point hopefully will bring audiences here and help us build the arts in the suburbs.

Who would you say this show is perfect for? 
Everyone! One of our guideposts has been to produce family friendly entertainment that multiple generations can share together in a communal environment. She Loves Me delivers this in the most charming way — with love, joy, and understanding.

To learn more and secure your tickets, visit fortetheatrecompany.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.