SHE LOVES ME in Concert Comes to Historic Temple Performing Arts Center

Temple Theaters is excited to present She Loves Me: A Concert, directed by Brandon McShaffrey with music direction by Gina Giachero. The 1963 musical comedy written by Joe Masteroff (book), Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) and Jerry Bock (music) will have a limited run, April 14 - 16 at the historic Temple Performing Arts Center. The concert presentation showcases the beautiful music that has made She Loves Me one of the most charming musical comedies about the mysteries of falling in love.

Based on the 1937 play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo, She Loves Me is the story of the employees at Maraczek's Parfumerie and their search for love. In 1930s Budapest, co-workers Amalia Balash (Madison Paige Buck) and Georg Nowack (Christopher Fitting) constantly bicker, while at night they write anonymous romantic letters to their "dear friend." Will love continue to blossom when Amalia and Georg discover they are one another's "dear friend"? Meanwhile, cashier Ilona Ritter (Paige Smallwood) is having an affair with the suave cad Steven Kodaly (JorDan Dobson), who is also seducing Mr. Maraczek's wife. Will Kodaly changes his ways or will Ilona find a new man?

Performances are dedicated to Sheldon Harnick, who will be presented with the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts (TFMA) Tribute Award at the Saturday, April 15 performance, recognizing his outstanding creative contributions to American musical theater. Harnick is a renowned Broadway lyricist whose career spans more than six decades and who has been acknowledged with the Pulitzer Prize and several Tony Awards. A prolific collaborator, Harnick is well known for his legendary artistic partnership with composer Jerry Bock, with whom he wrote Fiorello!, Fiddler on The Roof and She Loves Me. Among his many awards, Harnick is the recipient of the 2016 Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater and the 2016 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. Previous awardees of the TFMA Tribute Award include singer Joy Abbott and cinematographer Garrett Brown.

Director Brandon McShaffrey is a Philadelphia-based director, choreographer and educator who serves as Producing Director for Mauckingbird Theatre Company, and is an Assistant Professor at Temple University teaching in both the Boyer College of Music and Dance and the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. His recent productions include The Odyssey and Hair for Temple Theaters as well as La Canterina/Der Shauspieldirektor and The Merry Widow for Temple University Opera Theater. An alumnus of Temple University, McShaffrey also directs and choreographs regularly at Maples Repertory Theater in Macon, Missouri.

Music director Gina Giachero is returning to Temple Theaters for her fourth show; she previously musically directed Hairspray, Godspell and Anything Goes. Her area credits include Big Fish and The Secret Garden at 11th Hour Theatre Company and Upper Darby Summer Stage's Shrek and Mary Poppins. Giachero is also a harpist and educator at the Arden Drama School.

The 2016-2017 season concludes with twin productions of Caryl Churchill's Love and Information, running April 19-30 in the Randall TheateR. Temple Theaters' 50th Anniversary Season in 2017-2018 will include Romeo and Juliet, Guys and Dolls, Hit the Wall and more.

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