” I Love You, You’re Perfect,Now Change”

Recommended*** For decades, when people think of Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, they think of the “BIG” musical productions- some old, some new, but once in awhile, the Marriott people surprise us with a smaller, revue instead of the lavish, big ensemble productions they are known for. Change is nice and can be good for the theater as well as the audiences ( Marriott does have one of the largest subscription bases for a regional theater). They are currently doing a clever little musical revue that pays tribute to dating, romance. marriage and more, written by Joe DiPietro and composer Jimmy Roberts. While it is an adorable little show, directed and choreographed skillfully by  Matt Raftery, who has a cast of four sensational triple threats on stage, it is not what the Marriott audiences expect to see on their stage.

Yes, the talent is super and most of the scenes/skits are adorable, but two hours is just more than we need to get the point across- cut out some of the scenes, forget the intermission ( how many beverages can you really sell in 15 minutes?) and make this a slick 90-100 minutes of solid comedy. This is a journey as four actors ( the always reliable Bernie Yvon. Alex Goodrich ( who truly shows his comic side as well as some strong singing), the adorable Kelly Anne Clark ( who has played Woman #1 on many stages) and Johanna McKenzie Miller ( who gets to show us her versatility in her many characters in this show). Four top people, who can sing, dance, play for laughs and get us to think about our lives and the paths we have chosen.

There are some scenes that outshine others in this “tour de force”- “Always a Bridesmaid”, “Marriage Tango” ( Alex and Johanna are hysterical), “I Can Live With That: ( a wonderful meeting between Bernie and Johanna in a funeral parlor), and one of the most powerful scenes is “The baby Song”- the videos in this production truly help the story and the shots of Bernie on the floor with “his little girl” are amazing. This is a simple set show (Thomas M. Ryan) and great lighting effects (Jesse Klug) and as it is a “small” show, the musicians- Patti Garwood and Steve Winkler are in proportion to the cast. Of course, as usual, costumes at Marriott ( Nancy Missimi) and props ( Sally Weiss) are sheer perfection- as I have said, it is not a typical Marriott production, BUT, it is in fact up to the quality that one expects at Lincolnshire. So, how about shortening it a bit and letting the audience see the magic from start to finish without having to run out and use their cell phones.

“I Love You” will continue at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire through August 11th with a performance schedule as follows:

Wednesdays at 1 and 8 p.m.

Thursdays  8 p.m.                                          

Fridays  8 p.m.

Saturdays 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sundays 1 and 5 p.m.

Tickets range in price from $40- $48

Students and seniors- $5 discounts

On certain performances, dinner/theater packages are available for as low as $55

To reserve your ticket/dinner call the theater at 847-634-0100 or visit www.MarriottTheatre.com

Plenty of free parking on the complex which is located just south of Half Day Rd ( route 22) and just East of Milwaukee Ave(route 21) in Lincolnshire.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to review round-up and click at “I Love You,You’re Perfect,Now Change”