I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – Great Title, eh?
To me, the musical is best when it’s a musical comedy. So if you have a very, very funny show, and very good, funny songs, that’s what the musical does best.
Eric Idle
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a musical comedy presented in a series of vignettes gracing SING’THEATRE in April. Born Off-Broadway in New York, the rompy caught on internationally and has been produced in (take a deep breath) Los Angeles, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, London, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Barcelona, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Budapest, Sydney, Prague, Bratislava, Seoul, Warsaw, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, Dublin, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo, Manila, Wiesbaden, Munich, Heidelberg, Kookaburra, and Christchurch (whew!) and – in SING’THATRE near you – SINGAPORE! In April, at the Alliance Française Theatre. You’ll want to be there…
Tag Line: a musical comedy about everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives, and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.
Producer Nathalie Ribette kindly answered a few questions from Janiqueel. Thanks!
Janiqueel: What were your thoughts upon seeing the title?
Producer Nathalie: I watched a version of this play 10 years ago at Victoria Theatre in Singapore, and I have fond memories of it. Recently, I saw a very simple rendition at the Edinburgh Festival with my two children. It had no costumes, no set, and was performed in a black box with microphones and wires. Despite its simplicity, my children thoroughly enjoyed it and urged me to present it in Singapore. The title is also hilarious and many of us can relate to being in the throws of romance and then wishing something would change!
Through a series of quick-fire vignettes, ILYYPNC roams the maze of relationships and love with a wry wink and an open mind. For a producer, this presented a challenge, to say the least.
Janiqueel: As a director, do you look for ways to make the vignettes relate to one another, or do you think it best to let them function independently?
Director TJ: The show is cleverly written so that even though every scene is completely different, each character no matter their background has some connection to the idea of connection. My role as a director involves creating seamless transitions using smart staging and scene shifts to ensure the smooth flow of the storyline, keeping the audience captivated and intensifying their laughter from the beginning to the end.
Janiqueel: Do you think the audience in Singapore will react differently than the audience in, say, London, would?
TJ: The nice thing about the show is that the scenarios that families find themselves in can be relatable anywhere and anyhow in the modern world. So, some scenes I am particularly looking forward to viewing through a Singapore lens are the scenes with family and their expectations of marriage as well as the work-life balance. We are going to have some fun exploring ways we can relate to these here in Singapore in a unique way compared to overseas.
Just as the related, but still diverse, stories cascade across the stage, the music provides a commentary to complement and comment on the stage action. In charge of that musical challenge, Musical Director Elaine Chan, like the material she’s working with and holds nothing back from the toe-tapping arrangements. A glance at a sampler of the song titles gives an idea of the ideas going on in the play:
ACT ONE: “Not Tonight, I’m Busy, Busy, Busy”; “A Stud and a Babe”; “Why? ‘Cause I’m a Guy”; “The Lasagna Incident”; “I’ll Call You Soon (Yeah, Right)”.
ACT TWO: “Whatever Happened to Baby’s Parents?”; “Sex and the Married Couple”; “On the Highway of Love”; “Shouldn’t I Be Less In Love With You?”; “Funerals are for Dating”.
This is NOT the “Sound of Music”, folks.
Ten years after it premiered in Singapore, ILYYPNC is back with a bang. Take Nathalie Ribette’s word for it:
Janiqueel: What particular challenges did staging this musical present?
Nathalie: The biggest challenge of this show is telling people to come to watch! Even though it is the longest-running off-Broadway show, it is still relatively unknown here in Singapore, so we just want everyone to come down and watch this hilarious show. Audiences should be ready to see a night of outstanding performances and be ready to laugh along with relatable storylines for everyone.
Show running now until 30th April 2023 at Alliance Française Theatre.
Book your tickets now: www.sistic.com.sg/events/iloveyou0423