I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, is the second-longest running off-Broadway show, running from 1996 to 2008. This particular production by Leeds Gilbert & Sullivan Society is the new 2018 revised and updated edition of the show.

The show is presented in the form of a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. With a few exceptions, the scenes stand independent of the others, but progress in a fashion designed to suggest an overall arc to relationships throughout the course of one's life. With about 30 different vignettes, the show is a wild ride that people of all backgrounds will relate to.
Describing the show doesn’t exactly do it justice though. It’s the emotions that carry it through and luckily for us the actors involved do a stellar job in portraying every feeling they need to put out there. The cast of the show is not afraid to have fun and make fools out of themselves, and all added something to the story. As an ensemble, they were unstoppable. The vocal talents of each performer were showcased very well in the parts they were assigned. 

While this musical is typically done with two men and two women, Leeds G & S production showcases three men and five women, Becky Barwick, Megan Henderson, Emma Smith, Emma Kennedy and Jasmine Caine take on all of the female characters in the show, while Jason Weightman, Matthew Oglesby and Philip Case portray all of the male characters.
Artistic Director Sarah Case deserves a lot of credit for the comedic timing of the scenes. It was clear that she,  as well as all of the performers, had a strong grasp of the comedy this musical calls for. Even if the portrayal of a given circumstance is over the top, it speaks to the truth behind stereotypes that we are all familiar with. While most of the show is comedic, there are also heartfelt numbers, especially in the second act.

Intimate settings are not always ideal for musicals, but the director used this to her advantage. Actors were constantly interacting with audience members making eye contact and comments. The set is minimalistic, consisting of several coloured blocks that transform into various set pieces. These blocks functioned very well as they turned into a dining room table, a bed, and at one point, even a car. Some fascinating “cave painting” style screens stood at the back of the set. Full credit to Philip Case who designed and painted (?) the set. The whole look was enhanced by some subtle but effective lighting changes, created by Steve Limb.
Finally, but by no means least, Kate Dooley provided absolutely first class sympathetic piano accompaniment throughout the production. Thank you.
I was delighted to be asked to stand in for Christine Castle at this production – Christine, this was your loss ! Thank you to Leeds G & S for a fabulous evening’s entertainment.

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