By producing the energetic, unabashedly honest and often hilarious "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," BoarsHead Theater, 425 S. Grand Ave. in Lansing, has made sure it will close out the year with the kind of performance that will bring audiences back for the 2003 season.
With musical sketches ranging from the hilarious "Tear Jerk," about a man trying not to burst into tears at a "chick flick" with his date, to a poignant song about romance after 30 years of marriage, the show takes a sometimes bitter, sometimes optimistic look at love and relationships in modern America.
With lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, "I Love You" is a perfect fit for the four youthful cast members. Philadelphia director William Roudebush picked a fun-loving musical and cast it accordingly with people who have fabulous comic timing.
"Single Man Drought," sung by Julie Hogan and Mollie Hall, gives voice to the frustrations of finding a man after 30. "Why? 'Cause I'm a Guy," performed by Scott Boulware and Ben Dibble, gives the men a chance to strut their machismo.
Parental disappointments are addressed in "Hey There, Single Guy/Gal," set to a 1950s' doo-wop, while Hogan and Dibble get cold feet in the wedding vows cantata at the end of the first act.
Each performer brings an energy and excitement to the show, giving the audience the feeling that they have been invited to a party rather than a performance.
The jokes and songs have wide appeal, earning more than one laugh of recognition from theatergoers of any age.
Some of the best moments in the show left humor behind for a moment, such as the poignant "Shouldn't I Be Less in Love with You" in the second act and the heartfelt "I Will Be Loved Tonight" in the first.
Other skits were almost too cheesy, with dancing pizza delivery men in "He Called Me" and googly-woogly baby talk in "Baby Song."
Many of the skits will be familiar to college students. In "On the Highway of Love," a father reprimands his children, yelling, "Don't make me stop this car."
Many women will sympathize with Hall in "Always a Bridesmaid," as she bemoans a closet full of unwearable dresses and horrible husbands. "Is that 32 real seconds or 32 football seconds?" Hall later asks wearily as she waits for Boulware to turn off the game.
Similarly, Dibble sits buried beneath a pile of Marshall Field's bags and Hogan frantically dances outside the department store's women's restroom in "Waiting."
"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" is a show not to be missed by anyone who's ever been stressed over a date or frustrated by parental nagging. Before finals week, take your significant other, best friend or even your mother and enjoy an evening of pure, no-stress entertainment.
"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" will continue this weekend at the BoarsHead Theater, 425 S. Grand Ave. in Lansing and will run through Dec. 15. Ticket prices range from $13-$34. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call the box office at (517)484-7805.
