Theater Review—

‘She Loves Me’ Is Darn Close To Perfection

By Julie Stern

WESTPORT — What do you get if you put together music by the team that wrote Fiddler on the Roof (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick), a book by the writer of Cabaret (Joe Masteroff) and an experienced Equity cast under the direction of the very gifted Mark Lamos – who was brought in last year as Artistic Director in order to restore Westport Country Playhouse to its former glory?

You get perfection, or something darn near close!

Although She Loves Me is not as familiar to audiences as many other classic musicals, the response when people do get to see a production of it is one of surprise and delight. Audiences are enjoying a run at Westport that continues until May 15.

Based on a 1937 Hungarian play by Miklos Laszlo, it was made into a number of movies (The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart in 1940, In the Good Old Summertime with Judy Garland in 1949) before making its Broadway debut as a stage musical in 1963, opening in the midst of a newspaper strike.

Set in 1930s Budapest, the story centers on the employees in Mr Maraczek’s perfume and beauty products store, in particular head clerk Georg Nowack, and the new girl, Amalia Balash. While they despise each other on first sight — and things go downhill from there — what the pair don’t know is that each of them is the “Dear Friend” to whom they have been writing letters, through the auspices of a Lonely Hearts Club.

Various subplots highlight the schemes and dreams of the other clerks in the store. There is Steven Kodaly, the brazen lothario; Ilona Ritter, the good-time girl who dreams of meeting the kind of man who would introduce her to his mother; Ladislav Sipos, Georg’s kindhearted older buddy, who is torn between the desire to help his friend, and the demands of a large family who depend on his keeping his job; and Arpad, the bright-eyed delivery boy who dreams of being promoted to a position where he would be addressed as “Mister Laszlo.” And then there is the avuncular Mr Maraczek himself, who for some strange reason, has taken against his former protégé, Georg.

In addition to the uniformly excellent cast — Jessica Grove as Amalia, Jeremy Peter Johnson as Georg, Nancy Anderson as Ilona, Douglas Sills as Kodaly, Michael McCormick as Ladislav, Christopher Shin as Arpad, and Lenny Wolpe as Maraczek  what makes this production so charming is the evocation of a particular time and place (pre-war Hungary). Riccardo Hernandez’s voluptuously lush scenic design and Candice Donnelly’s costuming are put to good use. So is the use of the ensemble to portray the ever-changing parade of customers, as well as the denizens of the Café Imperial where Georg and Amalia go for their ill fated first actual meeting.

Best of all, though, are the two dozen songs. Bock’s music is subtle. You won’t hear these coming out of the speakers at Stop & Shop or Target but it supports, ever so gently, Harnick’s lyrics, which are superb, clever, poetic, and above all, designed to illuminate the characters and advance the story.

She Loves Me is a relatively long show (a good two and a half hours, with intermission) and you sit riveted to your seat the entire time, sorry to see this magical entertainment come to an end. Westport has come up with a winner to start its eightieth season, and you’d have to be a real curmudgeon not to love it.

(Call 203-227-4177 or visit WestportPlayhouse.org for curtain and ticket details.)