Do you like me? Circle yes or no.
This Valentine’s season, one of the longest-running musical comedies in history heads to International City Theatre to remind us why the answer to this question can be funny, frustrating, and worth it.
“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” strings together witty songs and sketch-style scenes that trace the romantic journey from first crushes and bad breakups to marriage, kids, in-laws, and the long haul of growing old together.
First premiering Off-Broadway in 1996, the musical revue — with book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts — features sharp observational humor while keeping the emotional core of the lifespan of a relationship front and center.
ICT’s “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” will run from Feb. 18 to March 8. (Photo courtesy of International City Theatre).
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ICT’s “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” will run from Feb. 18 to March 8. (Photo courtesy of International City Theatre).
The show’s first act revels in the anxieties and absurdities of modern dating, while the second turns its gaze to life after “I do,” touching on everything from road trips to retirement.
Opening Wednesday, Feb. 18 and running until Sunday, March 8, audiences are invited to deepen their experience with a post-show cast talkback on March 1.
Ticket options include previews at $44, regular performances ranging from $56 to $59, and dinner packages for a full night out.
For more information about attending “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” head to ictlongbeach.org/iloveyou.
‘Man of La Mancha’
Few musicals dare to grapple so boldly with the power of imagination, the cost of idealism, and the necessity of hope as “Man of La Mancha.”
Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ classic 17th century novel Don Quixote and as resonant today as when it first premiered in 1965, the musical frames its story through a striking theatrical device: Cervantes himself, imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition, stages his unfinished novel as a play-within-a-play to defend both his work and his belief in humanity.
Presented by Musical Theatre West and opening on Friday, Feb. 13, this production invites audiences into a story that asks an age-old question: Is it madness to dream the impossible dream, or is it the greatest act of courage?
Musical Theatre West’s “Man of La Mancha” will be on show through March 1. (Photo courtesy of Musical Theatre West).
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Musical Theatre West’s “Man of La Mancha” will be on show through March 1. (Photo courtesy of Musical Theatre West).
Maybe “mad” is the wrong word. “Quixotic” would be better.
Indeed, with book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, and music by Mitch Leigh, “Man of La Mancha” is less a literal retelling of “Don Quixote” than a meditation on why stories matter and why there’s power in impossibility.
Running until Sunday, March 1, the show already has limited availability on some nights, so be sure to secure your tickets at musical.org soon.
Bob Cole Conservatory
The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB opens February with two distinctly different — and equally compelling — concert experiences, each spotlighting the breadth of talent thriving on campus.
Produced by CSULB’s Student Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), “Beach Café Goes to Broadway!” hopes to offer a lively, celebratory evening that channels the spirit of New York City in song.
Created in honor of the chapter’s upcoming Carnegie Hall tour in June, the program pays tribute to the Big Apple through a wide-ranging mix of Broadway favorites, jazz standards, and choral works that capture the city’s energy.
The concert showcases not only CSULB’s accomplished choirs and jazz ensembles, but also standout individual student performances, creating a café-style atmosphere that highlights both ensemble excellence and emerging voices.
Performances are on Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
It’s a nice way to send these performers off to Carnegie Hall in style.
Then, enjoy a faculty artist recital on Monday, Feb. 9, when cellist David Garrett presents a program of Baroque depth with “Bach and His Influence.”
David Garrett, faculty artist at Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, will trace the remarkable reach of Johann Sebastian Bach’s musical language across three centuries of cello repertoire.
Joined by faculty colleagues Sheng-Ching Hsu (violin) and Phillip Triggs (viola), as well as students from his cello studio, Garrett curates a program that is both scholarly and deeply expressive.
The recital centers on Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 3,” a cornerstone of the instrument’s literature, and expands outward to reveal Bach’s imprint on later composers.
Works include Max Reger’s “Suite No. 1,” Garrett’s own arrangement of Bach’s “Ricercar a 3” from Bach’s “The Musical Offering,” and Heitor Villa-Lobos’s “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1,” a 20th-century Brazilian homage to the master.
These two February programs, both taking place in Daniel Recital Hall and free to the public, reflect the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music’s commitment to musical diversity and educational excellence.
Check out shorturl.at/U838J for more info.