She Loves Me

Infobox Musical
name= She Loves Me
subtitle=


caption= Original Broadway Poster
music= Jerry Bock
lyrics= Sheldon Harnick
book= Joe Masteroff
basis= Miklos Laszlo's play
"Parfumerie"
productions= 1963 Broadway
1964 West End
1993 Broadway revival
1994 West End revival
awards=

"She Loves Me" is a musical and movie with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.

The musical is the third adaptation of the play "Parfumerie" by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film "The Shop around the Corner" and the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version "In the Good Old Summertime". It would surface yet again in 1998 as the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan feature "You've Got Mail". The plot revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash who, despite being consistently at odds with each other at work, are unaware that each is the other's secret pen pal met through lonely-hearts ads.

The original Broadway production played in 1963, and the show enjoyed a West End production and award-winning revivals on each side of the Atlantic in the 1990s.

Background and productions

Producer Lawrence Kasha brought the three writers together. After one preview, the Broadway production, directed by Harold Prince and choreographed by Carol Haney, opened on April 23 1963 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, where it ran for 302 performances. The cast included Daniel Massey as Georg Nowack, Barbara Cook as Amalia Balash, Barbara Baxley as Ilona Ritter, Jack Cassidy as Stephen Kodaly, Nathaniel Frey as Ladislav Sipos, Ralph Williams as Arpad Laszlo, and Ludwig Donath as Mr. Maraczek. The romantic, old fashioned show was short on big song and dance numbers, and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre was too small to generate a big profit. An original cast recording was released by MGM Records and subsequently re-released on CD on the Polydor label in 1987.

The West End production opened on April 29 1964 at the Lyric Theatre, where it ran for 189 performances. The cast included Gary Raymond, Rita Moreno, Anne Rogers and Gary Miller. [http://www.mtishows.com/show_history.asp?ID=000141] A London cast recording was released by Angel Records [http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=1035] .

After forty-two previews, a Roundabout Theatre Company-produced Broadway revival, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Marshall (assisted by his sister Kathleen), opened on June 10 1993 at the Criterion Center Stage Right. It later transferred to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre to complete its 354-performance run. The cast included Boyd Gaines as Georg, Judy Kuhn as Amalia, Sally Mayes as Ilona, Howard McGillin as Kodaly, Lee Wilkof as Ladislav, Brad Kane as Arpad, and Louis Zorich as Mr. Maraczek. A revival cast recording was released by Varèse Sarabande.

The West End revival, also directed by Ellis and choreographed by Marshall, opened on July 12 1994 at the Savoy Theatre, where it ran for one year. The cast included John Gordon Sinclair as Georg, Ruthie Henshall as Amalia, and Tracie Bennett as Ilona. A revival cast recording was released on the First Night label [http://www.castalbumdb.com/singer.cfm?RecN=1499] .

ynopsis

Act One

On a beautiful summer day in an eastern European city in the 1930s, the employees of Maraczek's Parfumerie arrive at work ("Good Morning, Good Day"). Working at the shop are Ladisov Sipos, a middle-aged salesman with a family; teenage delivery boy Arpad Laszlo; Sexy and gullible thirty-something Ilona Ritter; Steven Kodaly, a suave ladies' man; and Georg Nowack, the shy manager. Mr. Maraczek arrives to open the store, and it is soon full of "Sounds While Selling". The clerks tell the customers, "Thank You, Madam". Georg has been exchanging letters with a "dear friend", and he shares today's romantic letter with Sipos. Maraczek advises Georg to get married and recalls being a bachelor ("Days Gone By").

Arpad begins stocking the shelves with the new musical cigarette case. Mr. Maraczek insists that they will manage to sell one within an hour. A nervous young woman, Amalia Balash, enters, hoping to obtain a job at the Parfumerie. When Georg tells her they are not hiring, she demands to speak with Maraczek. Amalia takes one of the cigarette cases and convinces a customer that it is really a musical candy box that plays each time it is opened to gently tell the owner "No More Candy". Maraczek is impressed and immediately hires Amalia.

Georg and Amalia constantly argue at work, finding solace in their anonymous romantic pen pals, little knowing their respective correspondents are none other than each other ("Three Letters"). At last, they arrange to meet their pen pals in person. Their fellow employees observe their bickering, and Sipos explains to Arpad that they argue because they unknowingly like each other very much. Arpad naively suggests they tell Georg and Amalia this, and Sipos retorts that they'd never believe it.

Maraczek is becoming harder to please, and he seems to be frustrated with Georg. On the morning of his date, Georg tells Sipos that "Tonight at Eight" he will finally meet his "dear friend". Meanwhile, Amalia explains to Ilona that even though she has not met her "dear friend" yet, she knows him very well from his letters ("I Don't Know His Name").

Mr. Maraczek and Georg argue, and when it becomes obvious that Maraczek is about to fire Georg, Sipos knocks over the stack of musical cigarette boxes to distract him. Maraczek reprimands Sipos and leaves. Sipos tells Georg that no replacement would treat him as well as Georg does ("Perspective"). Maraczek insists that everyone stay late to decorate for Christmas, but Amalia says she must leave early for her date. Georg asks to leave too, but Mr. Maraczek refuses to let him go. Georg angrily quits, and the other employees sadly say "Goodbye Georg". Amalia leaves clutching a copy of "Anna Karenina" with a rose in it so that her "dear friend" will be able to identify her. She wonders, "Will He Like Me?" Meanwhile, inside the shop, Kodaly begins seducing "Ilona". They make a date, but when Mr. Maraczek insists they must close the store early, Kodaly realizes that he has time for a 9:30 date that he previously scheduled. He postpones his date with Ilona, and she angrily declares that she will never fall for a man like him again ("I Resolve"). Georg is nervous and asks Sipos to give "dear friend" a note explaining that Georg could not come.

Mr. Maraczek's private investigator enters the shop and tells him that Kodaly is having an affair with his wife. Maraczek had assumed it was Georg. The investigator leaves, and Maraczek's wife calls to say she'll be out late. Maraczek points a gun at his head and pulls the trigger as Arpad enters the shop. Meanwhile, in the Cafe Imperiale, the head waiter is trying to maintain a "Romantic Atmosphere" as Amalia waits with her book and rose displayed. Georg and Sipos enter and are shocked to realize that Amalia is Georg's date; however, Amalia does not know Georg is her "dear friend". Georg sits at Amalia's table and mocks her, singing a "Tango Tragique" about a friend of his who was murdered on a blind date. They argue, and Georg leaves. As the cafe closes, Amalia, still waiting, begs her "Dear Friend" not to abandon her.

Act Two

The next day, Mr. Maraczek has survived his suicide attempt, and Arpad comes to visit him in the hospital. Maraczek is impressed with Arpad's hard work in his absence, and Arpad asks to be promoted to sales clerk ("Try Me"). Georg also stops by, and Maraczek apologizes and asks him to return to his job. Maraczek tells him that he must fire Kodaly and mentions that Amalia has called in sick. Maraczek also promotes Arpad.

Georg is worried about Amalia and visits her at her apartment. She fears he has come to spy on her and tell the others she is not really sick, so she attempts to get out of bed and get ready for work ("Where's My Shoe"). Georg forces her back to bed; he has brought her some ice cream. He apologizes for his rudeness the previous night, but Amalia tells him that he was right about her date; if "dear friend" really loved her, he would have come. Georg, meaning well, makes up a story that he saw an older, bald, fat gentleman looking into the cafe. Georg says the man told him that he had to work and could not meet his date. He must be her "dear friend". Amalia is surprised to find she enjoys her conversation with Georg. After he leaves, she begins a letter to "dear friend" but can only think of Georg's kindness and his gift of "(Vanilla) Ice Cream".

Georg joyously decides that "She Loves Me". At Maraczek's, Ilona explains to Sipos that she has gotten over Kodaly; last night, she went on "A Trip To The Library" where she met Paul, a kindly optometrist. Kodaly bids everyone goodbye, stating it was "Grand Knowing You". With "Twelve Days to Christmas" left, the employees are busy helping last-minute shoppers. Georg and Amalia enjoy each other's company during this time. On Christmas Eve, Amalia tells Georg she has invited "dear friend" to spend the evening with her and her mother. She invites Georg as well, and he hesitatingly accepts. Mr. Maraczek returns to the shop for a happy reunion, and Ilona announces her plans to accept Paul's proposal that night, even though he does not know he is going to propose yet. Sipos leaves to join his family's Christmas party, and Maraczek takes Arpad for a night on the town.

Georg helps Amalia with her packages as she leaves the shop, and they accidentally drop one of the musical cigarette boxes. Amalia intends to give it to "dear friend", but Georg says he really would like it; it will remind him of the day he first met her. He admits that he always thought Amalia was the sort of girl he could fall in love with. Amalia confesses to having similar feelings, and Georg takes one of Amalia's letters to "dear friend" out of his pocket and begins reading it aloud. Amalia finally understands that Georg really is "dear friend" and they embrace.

ongs

;Act I
* Good Morning, Good Day - Georg, Arpad, Sipos, Miss Ritter, Kodaly
* Sounds while Selling - Customers, Sipos, Kodaly, Georg
* Thank You, Madam -
* Days Gone By - Maracek
* No More Candy - Amalia
* Three Letters - Amalia, Georg
* Tonight at Eight - Georg
* I Don't Know His Name - Amalia, Miss Ritter
* Perspective - Sipos
* Goodbye Georg - Customers, Clerks
* Will He Like Me? - Amalia
* Ilona - Kodaly
* I Resolve - Miss Ritter
* A Romantic Atmosphere - Waiter
* Tango Tragique - Georg
* Mr. Nowack, Will You Please? - Amalia, Waiter
* Dear Friend - Amalia ;Act II
* Try Me - Arpad, Maracek
* Days Gone By (Reprise) -
* Where's My Shoe? - Amalia, Georg
* Vanilla Ice Cream - Amalia
* She Loves Me - Georg
* A Trip to the Library - Miss Ritter
* Grand Knowing You - Kodaly
* Twelve Days to Christmas - Carolers, Customers, Clerks
* Vanilla Ice Cream (Reprise) -
* Finale - George, Amalia

Awards and nominations

1963 production
*Tony Award for Best Musical (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Jack Cassidy, winner)
*Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Producer of a Musical (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Author of a Musical (nominee) 1993 Broadway revival
*Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Boyd Gaines, winner)
*Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Judy Kuhn, nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Jonathan Freeman, nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Sally Mayes, nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Scenic Design (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Costume Design (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Choreography (nominee)
*Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revival (winner)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Boyd Gaines, winner)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical (Sally Mayes, nominee)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee) 1994 London revival
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival (winner)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Direction of a Musical (winner)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (John Gordon Sinclair, winner)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Ruthie Henshall, winner)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical (Tracie Bennett, winner)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design (nominee)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer (nominee)
*Critics Circle Award for Best Musical (winner)

References

* [http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?ID=000141 Extensive information at the MTI website]
* [http://www.musicalheaven.com/s/she_loves_me.shtml Information from the Musical Heaven website]

External links

*
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458477/ She Loves Me] (1978) - the movie, in the Internet Movie Database
* [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=1&res=9F0CE4D71531F93BA35753C1A965958260&oref=slogin NY Times review]