Love. There are countless ways to define love. And to be honest, if you ask me, I would just look you in the eyes, and shrug because there is no definite way of talking about it. But Repertory Philippines’ latest production, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change managed to present various facets of it, explore its different sides, and make us laugh along the way. I watched the performance last June 28 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Theater and I am delighted!
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a restaging of the lighthearted Joe Di Pietro and Jimmy Roberts musical. It follows the love story of different characters ranging from big-city singles and awkward wallflowers to suburban settlers and sassy seniors all played by a cast of four! The local adaptation features noteworthy performances from Gian Magdangal, Krystal Kane, Marvin Ong, and Barbara Jance.
Arriving clueless about the musical, I braced myself for an emotional play. And boy, was I wrong? I found myself laughing and giggling behind my hands at every sequence. The lighthearted yet too close to home stories are sure to have every audience relating to it one way or another. The actors’ performances blew me away. For a 2-hr show, they put themselves in numerous roles and gave each one depth and life. It would be unfair, and honestly it is hard, to pick a favorite character or performance. But I would be lying if I tell you that I don’t have a favorite sequence. Because I do, it is the prison scene. The performances of the four actors and the wit of the script hit it home for me!
Aside from the acting, I want to give praise to the set design. It is simple yet emphasized the scenes. There are two tables and a couple of chair but the way they were immersed into the scene was done seamlessly and it was rather believable.
In an era of online dating and instant relationship where romance is just a swipe (or two!) away, Repertory Phillipines’ (REP) I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change dives into what love in the modern times really is. And it does it with no tears but rather laughter and captivating song numbers.
The show will have its last two shows tomorrow, July 6 at 3:30 PM and 8PM. You can still buy your tickets at Ticket2Me.
