By Alana Brooks.
While we all know that finding love isn’t really like a cinematic romantic comedy, wouldn’t it be
so wonderful if it was? Nah.
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change opened at the John W. Engeman Theatre in Northport
on January 18, and it portrays both the realistic and absurd journeys people take to find,
sustain, and re-find love. This show, with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy
Roberts, is the second longest-running off Broadway musical in history, and for good reason.
Through a series of nearly twenty different vignettes, viewers are privy to the pressure,
awkwardness, heartbreak, and hilarity of searching for, marrying, and holding on to your person.
Scenes can have you rolling one minute—like with the awkward cat-shirt-wearing couple in
scene three—to wiping a tear away in the next.
The small cast—four extremely talented actors—play all the roles throughout the show and
cover a wide variety of characters. Danny Bernardy and Matt Dasilva (understudy for Jason
“Sweettooth” Williams), were the show’s two “perfect” men—both equally spectacular as they
jumped from character to character, from dud to stud. Lauren Weinberg and Gina Naomi Baez,
our two “perfect” women, sang their hearts out and transformed effortlessly from characters with
first date frights to blushing bride in seconds. It was truly a sight to behold.
The chemistry between the couples, even as they switched roles and storylines, was palpable.
Moments like the Lasagna Incident and the Marriage Tango feel as though you’re watching
someone’s real life unfold, and you can’t look away.
The show’s music is original and diverse, with hilarious lyrics and clever rhymes, like rhyming
“thrill us” with “Bruce Willis.” The cast handled them all with ease and skill. The choreography
woven throughout was a delight—especially with some of the more unique scenes, like the
cast’s synchronized chair rolling in “Highway of Love.”
I can genuinely say that I enjoyed every second of this show, and was both sad when we had to
break for intermission, and even sadder when the show came to an end.
If you want to both laugh and cry, and maybe even see a little bit of your own love story on
stage, make sure to grab tickets to I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at the John W.
Engeman Theatre in Northport, now through March 3!
Note: This show is not family friendly—most scenes have references to sex, use profanity, and
have mature/adult themes throughout.
Run time is two hours with a fifteen minute intermission.