Eastman Opera Theatre brings She Loves Me, an old-fashioned romantic Broadway musical, to the Kilbourn Hall stage for four performances beginning Thursday, Nov. 7. The two-act, two-and-a-half-hour production features music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, who also wrote the songs for Fiddler on the Roof.
The musical is based on the 1937 play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo, a story that was then adapted for the movies The Shop Around the Corner (1940), In the Good Old Summertime (1949), and You’ve Got Mail (1998). The plot revolves around two perfume-shop employees, George Nowack and Amalia Balash, who constantly bicker at work. Outside of work, though, the two have unknowingly struck up a relationship through an anonymous romantic pen pal service, exchanging letters full of loving words.
The musical, which like the 1940 film retains the Hungarian setting of the play premiered on Broadway, on April 23, 1963, under director Harold Prince.
“She Loves Me is an antique jewel of a musical, as utterly charming today as when it was first produced 50 years ago,” said Stephen Carr, assistant professor of opera at the Eastman School of Music and stage director for the production. “It’s a sweet, romantic story with infectious music, some of it Hungarian dance-influenced. You’ll leave whistling something, some song, from the musical.”
Eastman Opera Theatre’s production will feature two alternating casts of leads for the main roles: Danika Felty and Alicia Ault as Amalia; Matt Moisey and Sam Grosby as George; and Kimberley Merrill and Andrea McGaugh and Jacob Stebley and Matthew Swensen as shop employees Ilona Ritter and Steven Kodaly. The cast also features John Leighton as delivery boy Arpad Laszlo; Jarrett Logan Porter as another shop employee, Ladislav Sipos; David Gleichman as perfume shop owner Mr. Maraczek; Evan Roberts as Detective Keller; and EE Ming Chua as a waiter. Appearing in the ensemble are Lena Anderson, Alexander Brickel, Justin Hancock, Rebecca Herlich, Stephan Hernandez, Paige Kiefner, Jennifer Lawrence, Sean McNeeley, Abby Middleton, Kara Mulder, Evan Roberts, Laura Sanders, Rachel Sanguinetti, and Sara Sommerer.
Wilson Southerland, a conductor, vocal coach, and pianist, is music director for Eastman Opera Theatre’s She Loves Me. The production runs at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, Friday, Nov. 8, and Saturday, Nov. 9; with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 10. Lectures about the musical production will be presented one hour before each performance in the Ray Wright Tribute Room (Room 120) in the Eastman School of Music.
Tickets to She Loves Me are $20 general admission, with discounts for student and UR ID holders, and are available at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St., 585-454-2100, or online at https://www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets/ .
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Calendar Listings:
Thursday, November 7
Eastman Opera Theatre – Jerry Bock’s She Loves Me. Romantic musical about feuding coworkers who are each other’s secret pen pals. Pre-performance chat at 6:30 p.m. in Ray Wright Room.
7:30 p.m.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Tickets: $20 general admission; discounts for student and UR ID holders; available at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St., 585-454-2100, or online at https://www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets/ .
Friday, November 8
Eastman Opera Theatre – Jerry Bock’s She Loves Me. Romantic musical about feuding coworkers who are each other’s secret pen pals. Pre-performance chat at 6:30 p.m. in Ray Wright Room.
7:30 p.m.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Tickets: $20 general admission; discounts for student and UR ID holders; available at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St., 585-454-2100, or online at https://www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets/ .
Saturday, November 9
Eastman Opera Theatre – Jerry Bock’s She Loves Me. Romantic musical about feuding coworkers who are each other’s secret pen pals. Pre-performance chat at 6:30 p.m. in Ray Wright Room.
7:30 p.m.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Tickets: $20 general admission; discounts for student and UR ID holders; available at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St., 585-454-2100, or online at https://www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets/ .
Sunday, November 10
Eastman Opera Theatre – Jerry Bock’s She Loves Me Romantic musical about feuding coworkers who are each other’s secret pen pals. Pre-performance chat at 1 p.m. in Ray Wright Room.
2 p.m.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Tickets: $20 general admission; discounts for student and UR ID holders; available at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St., 585-454-2100, or online at https://www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets/ .