In Louisville, an exuberant production of ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ is a triumph

After 11 Theatre knocks it out of the park with their first production in collaboration with CenterStage Theatre Company thanks to strong direction and a balanced ensemble

Grab a date and head on down to this production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Don’t be turned off by the basement space or simple set, After 11 Theatre and CenterStage deliver a splendid performance that’s worth the trip out to Louisville.

Far from a new show, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is one of the most successful and longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time. The musical is a series of short vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. The play’s tagline is “Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.”

Set in a contemporary time, the musical traces the overall arc of relationships from first dates to bad dates, to sex, to marriage, to divorce, and, finally, death. With few exceptions, the scenes stand independent of the others, but progress like the overall arc of relationships throughout one’s life. Featuring all different kinds of lovers, if you can’t relate to something in this musical, you haven’t been in love!

The script lovingly satirizes gender stereotypes and all sorts of rom-com tropes. Though the original show premiered in 1997, this production features a script that was updated in 2018. So, that means along with singing about love, the characters make modern references to Netflix, Peloton, Kate Hudson, and the Kardashians. The show’s first act is very light; it’s basically a series of funny SNL-style musical sketches. While I had expected the show to be silly given the title, I had not expected to be emotionally moved by a touching Act Two.

Director Heather Frost spoke directly to the audience in her pre-show remarks about the unique making of the show. She explained that this was the first production from 11 After Theatre Company and was produced in collaboration with CenterStage Children’s Theatre. Frost spoke about her love for the cast and crew and her passion for this show; her dedication is apparent in her work.

From the opening stage picture, you know you are in good hands. The musical begins with the entire cast in the bathroom arranged in two rows divided by men and women for the musical “Prologue.” They lament the struggles of finding love. Then, we watch them strip in front of us, get ready for dates, and sing – and hold up amusing signs – about their characters’ baggage (humorous examples include ‘too short,’ ‘fakes it,’ and ‘likes Nickelback’). The entire production is magnificently staged. The Black Box Theatre is not a large space, but Frost expertly coordinates scene transitions that use small set pieces and signage to indicate several unique locations.

Not all of the actors are the strongest individual singers, but music director Natan Ortega has done a fantastic job of building their confidence as an ensemble. As a unit, they are exceptional. The actors’ harmonies, paired with the steady musical backing of accompanist Richard Stone, make for a joyous evening of masterful musical melodies. CenterStage’s Black Box does not have many lighting instruments, but Brian Miller uses the equipment effectively to help the actors bring their performances to life. Occasionally, there are a few dark patches in the downstage portion of the stage (closest to the audience), but hey, every space has its quirks.

Topnotch cast

All of the actors do a remarkable job. Each performer in this eight-person cast brings their A-game and is given a moment in the spotlight. Real-life couple Fiona Wohlfarth and John Boggs play onstage lovers several times and have palpable chemistry. The pair have extraordinary voices and nail their emotional ballads. Robert Janacek has a great number called “The Baby Song” where he starts signing in baby-talk – realizes how lame he sounds – switches to a funky bass breakdown, and then goes back to baby-speak when he hears his kid cry on the baby monitor.

Melissa Fike’s performance of “Always a Bridesmaid’ and her monologue as a divorced woman recording a dating video was outstanding. Fike has great timing and is an engaging storyteller. Michael J. Martinkus and Joan Harrold nail a hilarious musical number called “Tear Jerk” in which Martinkus is slowly won over by Harrold’s selection of a romantic comedy for their movie night. David Cervera and Jessica Peterson flex their acting chops with a challenging scene set at a funeral. Together, they find love even around death and loss in a sweet number called “I Can Live with That.” The show ends on a high note with the full cast’s vivacious performance of the title number, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.”

I spoke with Frost after the show about 11 After Theatre’s future plans and she said she hopes for this to become an ongoing collaboration between the organization and CenterStage Theatre Company. As a Louisville local, I would definitely be interested in having more high-quality, professional theatre like this in the area. This was a great production for the space and presents a strong vision for what consistent adult programming would look like in CenterStage’s Black Box Theatre.

11 After Theatre and CenterStage’s performance of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a funny, honest, and moving look at all things love. If you have ever been in love (or ever hope to be in love), I’d highly recommend you attend this enchanted production playing now through October 22.