Thursday, May 6, 2010

"She Loves Me"



















Kristin Shoop Jenko and Jim Fitzpatrick




















Kim Misci

Arlington Friends of the Drama presented a sparkling production of
She Loves Me, a musical based on a play by Miklos Laszlo that also inspired the films The Little Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail.

She Loves Me is a hopeful work. Perfume shop employees Georg Nowack (Jim Fitzpatrick) and Amalia Balash (Kristin Shoop Jenko) are constantly fighting at work but unaware that they have responded to each other's lonely-heart ads--they've used aliases--and become secret friends. By the end of the play they discover the truth and love triumphs. Amalia sings:

Ice cream. He brought me ice cream!
Vanilla ice cream! Imagine that!
Ice cream, and for the first time we were together without a spat!

Ilona (Ann McCoy), another shop employee, also finds love, at the library: A trip to the library has made a new girl of me.

Here's to vanilla ice cream--Sheila Rehrig made sure there was plenty at the production party-- libraries, brilliant musical director Brian Rehrig, director J. Mark Baumhardt, the crew and designers, and a cast that sang marvelously.

At the production party I asked whether I could take pictures. "We're actors!" someone answered.
















left, Matthew Kossack; David Herder



















Sheila Rehrig hosted the production party



















left, Ann Mccoy; music director, Brian Rehrig



















James Grana



















Melissa Fenton



















center, director J. Mark Baumhardt

8 comments:

  1. This looks like fun...
    how nice for them that you were there!
    xxo

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  2. It was fun, and I used to hate musical comedies, couldn't understand why someone would suddenly burst into song; I was all about dialogue, monologue--tragedy.

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  3. nice pictures from a nice party; it looks like it at least.
    I try to imagine you behind the camera, while all the people smile at you.
    It's always kind of mystic; I read your blog, and there are always proofs that you move, that you are alive,;-) and I always try to get a feeling for the 'living person' behind the blog.
    Can you understand that?
    All the best from cologne to you, Mim, smilla

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  4. Smilla, yes I do understand. What we photograph reveals something of us, though we don't photograph ourselves.

    The party was a happy one, in part because the play was a success, but mostly because the people were outgoing and charming.

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  5. do ypu know zhe movie "8 femmes" by Francois Ozon?
    I didn't like plays or movies either with people bursting out in a song, like you wrote. But this one is really wonderful and worth seeing it. With wonderful actresses...simply great, and stunning costumes.

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  6. sorry for all my 'written mistakes' ...

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  7. Don't worry about mistakes, Smilla! I'll be sure to order film on Netflix.
    Warm regards to you in Cologne, despite the frost warning in the Boston area.

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  8. I find the play's leitmotif alluring, how two people who bicker constantly can fall for each other when their eyes are covered (metaphorically speaking). It says a lot about presentation, truth and of course... love.

    Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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