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I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

Author: Julie Petrucci

Information

Date
29th April 2022
Society
Pied Pipers Musical Theatre Club
Venue
ADC Theatre Park Street Cambridge
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Tom Heald
Musical Director
Andrew Taylor
Choreographer
N/A
Producer
Pied Pipers
Written By
Written by Joe Dipietro & Jimmy Roberts, book & lyrics by Joe DiPietro, music by Jimmy Roberts

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

In the form of a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love it is a modern musical revue, which relies on observational comedy about real life human relationships, from the first date to the loss of a partner.  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.

Alan Hay, Antonia Ogilvie, Jilliann Law, Laura Saunders, Luke Thomas, Philippa Watts and Zack Szreter did a stellar job. They were not afraid to have fun and make fools out of themselves, and all added something to the story. The vocal talents of each performer were showcased very well indeed.  As an ensemble, they were virtually unstoppable. They were ably accompanied by four musicians, Simon Andrews (Reeds), András Droppa (Guitar/Bass), James Andrews (Percussion) and the Musical director Andrew Taylor on piano.

The staging was overall black with an open stage.  The chairs, boxes and table, again black, were moved around with swift precision by the cast.  Costumes were appropriate to the character(s). The lighting design by James Wright needed to be good and it was. All cues, particularly the spots, worked well.  Sound was good in the main but I did feel the body mics were not loud enough sometimes which meant the music overpowered the singing on a few occasions. Fortunately the odd times this happened they were adjusted quickly and did not detract from the enjoyment of the audience.

Director Tom Heald deserves credit for the comedic timing of the scenes. It was clear that he, as well as all of the performers, had a strong grasp of the comedy this musical calls for.  I had heard a lot about this show from various people and was looking forward to seeing this production. I was certainly not disappointed.  

Congratulations Pied Pipers’ Director, Musical Director, cast, production team and all involved for a really enjoyable laugh-out-loud show.

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