Cupid’s Arrows Hit the Mark in Skylight’s ‘I Love You’

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Photo Credit Mark Frohna

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Skylight Music Theatre scores a romantically skewered bullseye (borrowing Cupid’s arrows, of course) with its hilarious musical revue, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. The 21-year-old off-Broadway hit by Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts still retains its charm and wit while sending up the topic of relationships from dating to (attempts at) mating and its attendant challenges. 

The cast of two men and two women—Doug Clemons, Karen Estrada, Kathryn Hausman and Rick Pendzich—displays a wide range of acting talents and vocal prowess within the series of sketches and songs. Not to worry. There is something for everyone to relate to based on “relationship status.”

First date preparation and jitters get the show off to an energetic, comic start in “Cantata for a First Date,” as the foursome dash about in preparation for making a hopefully good impression. It’s the parodies of dating that keep the laughs going, from “Single Man Drought,” bemoaning the lack of a good (straight) man, to stereotypical overly macho behavior in “Why? Cause I’m a Guy.”

Under the spot-on direction of local veteran Pam Kriger, I Love You breaks new updated ground in the poignant, touching “Shouldn’t I Be Less In Love With You?” The wistful look back at a 30-year relationship was originally written for the two couples as opposite sex (i.e. male, female). Kriger acknowledges the strides made in gay marriage, casting the two couples now as same sex. As a result, we see how relationship issues are simply the same, regardless of sexual orientation.

And with Feb. 14 fast approaching, I Love You is a clever and timely reminder that romance comes in all shapes and sizes. Just ask Cupid!

Through Feb. 19 at the Broadway Theater Center, 158 N. Broadway. For more information, call 414-291-7800 or visit skylightmusictheatre.org.