Hard to get tickets for Hamilton? Well, glum theatergoers, have I got a show for you. The Roundabout Theatre Company's sparkling-as-a-jewel production of the classic 1963 musical She Loves Me is a nearly flawless treat that will send you out of Studio 54 dancing, singing and smiling on a level high.
Based on the 1937 play, Parfumerie (which in turn, inspired three films including 1998's You've Got Mail), it takes place in a perfume shop in Budapest in 1934 throughout a period of seven months between June and December. Among the store's clerks there are nimble Georg (Zachary Levi from Disney's Tangled and TV's Chuck), pretty dame Ilona (Jane Krakowski), family man Sipos (Tom McGowan) and debonair Kodaly (Gavin Creel). Soon, the store adds a new employee, Ameila (Laura Benanti) and Georg becomes very jealous of her. But, they don't even know that they secretly exchange love letters anonymously to each other (This takes place before the time of social media and e-mail, just so you know). Meanwhile, Ilona is in an affair with her co-worker Kodaly, but his other commitments makes Ilona think twice before dating the right guy.
This is Roundabout's second time presenting this musical. They produced it for the first time in 1993 and they're doing it again because of Roundabout's fiftieth anniversary and being the theatre company's very first musical production when they produced it the first time around. They even got the same director from that first revival, Scott Ellis, and he brings pure elegance to this new production. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's very lovely score is reawakened thanks to Larry Hochman's glorious orchestrations. Joe Masteroff's book still stands very well. There's even first-class choreography by Warren Carlyle. Carlyle even helped pulled off what I think is the show's best and funniest highlight: the dinner scene at the climax of the first act. That scene is like one of those side-splitting moments coming out of a 1930's Marx Brothers movie or a Three Stooges short film. The gorgeous costumes by Jeff Mashie look divine and the amazing pop-up 3D book like sets by David Rockwell (with help by the brilliant lighting design of Donald Holder) is sure to take a Tony away from Hamilton for best scenic design for a musical.
As Ameila, Benanti (a Tony winner for 2008's revival of Gypsy) gives one of the season's best musical performances as a woman conflicted between her co-worker and her secret admirer without knowing that the two are one at the same. She even has one of the best soprano voices on Broadway, right up there with Kelli O'Hara. Levi is a total free-wheeling delight as Georg. Levi and Benanti's verbal and comic exchanges between them are reminiscent of the sparring matches between Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in their movies together and Jerry and Elaine on TV's Seinfeld. As the pretty-but-sometimes-tough Ilona, Krakowski (of 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame) shows why she's one of the stage's most bonafide comedic actresses. Creel is a sure hoot as Kodaly and McGowan is roaringly funny as larger-than-life Sipos.
Put all these great elements together and out comes the happiest musical in town. If the Roundabout Theatre Company doesn't extend this piece of divine bliss past July 10th and into the rest of summer, there's not much hope in musical theater.
Rating: ***1/2
Parent Advisory: Suitable for ages 10 and up. Contains a scene with a small suicide attempt. Aside from that, it's still harmless fun.
She Loves Me is playing at Studio 54 on 254 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue) for a limited engagement until July 10th. For tickets, go to roundabouttheatre.org or call 212-719-1300.
Ticket Tip: If you're between the ages of 18 and 35, you can see She Loves Me for $25 thanks to Roundabout's Hiptix ticket program. It's free to join. For more information and to sign up, go to roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/HipTix.aspx.
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