THE highs and lows of the heteronormative relationship life cycle takes centre stage in Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts’ 1996 musical comedy, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
Through song and dance the production’s energetic four-member cast navigate their way through first dates, first flaws, meeting potential parent-in-laws, wedding speeches, suburbia, parenthood and, eventually, the “death do us part” bit as well.
Along the way over 50 characters are impressively brought to life and around 30 of Niall Griffin’s costumes/wigs are deftly slipped into by enthusiastic performers Neels Clasen, Taryn-Lee Hudson, Brandon Lindsay and Claire Taylor.
By flipping chairs, lifting café tables and turning around furniture, the action can instantly jump from a busy New York street to a late-night cinema auditorium to a house in suburbia to the inside of a nuclear family’s car. Blink and you might even find yourself attending an open-casket wake.
Directed by Elizma Badenhorst and played out against a colourful set and lighting design by Griffin as well, the result is a quirky series of scenes/vignettes separated by catchy melodies that’s created live by violinist Danielle Asherson and pianist Wessel Odendaal, who is also the show’s musical director.
Among the characters you can expect to meet over the course of the piece’s two-act run are meddling Jewish mothers, dancing Italian pizza boys, overbearing first-time parents, tipsy bridesmaids, nagging teenagers, exhausted paternals, nervous first-time video daters and even funeral attendees.
Those viewers who were around during the 90s will also experience added enjoyment from the script’s various pop culture references and comedic tropes. And let me tell you, pulling off the perfect Fran Drescher impression is no mean feat!
As with any longstanding and commercially popular musical, deciding which items from its musical repertoire is best ultimately becomes a subjective choice.
Prologue/Cantata For a First Date, Tear Jerk, Cantata Reprise/Wedding Vows, Marriage Tango, and I Can Live With That are all numbers that stood out for me during the performance I attended.
The same argument can be made for a production such as this that relies heavily on a cohesive ensemble, rather than on individual performances. Not only does Badenhorst’s players achieve this, but they are also proper triple threats who are able to make everything look effortless and easy on stage.
That said, Clasen is the cast member who most often stands out for me. Whether taking the lead in a scene or simply in the background to help create movement and/or context, he’s always able to project a memorable presence.
In addition to singing, he’s also a strong actor that is able to bring a noticeable amount of authenticity and vulnerability to his characters, including the more outlandish ones. Clasen’s Tear Jerk, Marriage Tango and Shouldn’t I Be Less In Love With You? scenes, in particular, are all good examples of his ability.
Recognised as the second-longest running Off Broadway musical of all time, over the past two decades the show has been translated and adapted into various other languages and cultural milieus - including Hebrew, Polish, Korean and even an authentic Ozzie setting.
Thanks to a combination of its universal subject matter, commercial appeal, enjoyable set, upbeat music, committed cast, Timothy le Roux’s choreographic direction and overall creative overseen by Badenhorst, I Love You’s South African life has the potential to be long and prosperous.
All the ingredients are there. Depending on how well the current Cape Town run goes - as well as its upcoming season at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre in Johannesburg - perhaps the company could look into giving the piece a lekker Mzansi makeover should the potential be there for future, longer runs? Our country’s unique sense of humour, sayings and local characters would make for relationship comedy musical gold.
Until then, hook arms with a loved one and hail a yellow taxi cab to Camp’s Bay, to learn the secret sung to a happily-ever-after.
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