SHE LOVES ME, Salt Lake Community College's Grand Theatre, Dec. 4-19; 7:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $4 to $13; call 957-3322.
Love. Songs of love. Songs of love sung in a Christmas setting. What could be more pleasant for the holidays than the musical playing at the Grand Theatre? "She Loves Me" is set in Budapest in the 1930s, premiered on Broadway in 1963, and still plays well in 1998 in Salt Lake City.The music was written by Bock and Harnick, who also wrote "Fiddler on the Roof." (You might not recognize any of the songs, though, except the title song. "She loves me, but she doesn't show it, How can she, when she doesn't know it.")
Kristine Jorgensen and Dan Larrinaga star in the Grand's production. They play co-workers, perfume sellers Amalia Balash and George Nowack, who irritate each other to pieces on the job. Unbeknownst to either of them, however, they are lonely hearts pen pals, rapidly falling in love through the mail.
Their unfolding story is upbeat and amusing. (He knows who his "Dear Friend" is before she does.) Both Jorgensen and Larrinaga have great voices -- as do all the actors, actually.
As counterpoint to the naive lovers, two other employees are jaded and world-weary lovers. Brenda Cowley plays a spirited and funny Ilona Ritter. Jared Brubaker is Steven Kodaly, the man with one too many girlfriends.
Arpad Laszlo is the delivery boy who wants more, played with verve by Jason Zambos. Ladislav Sipos, a co-worker, is given a sweet demeanor by Darin Hathaway. Jonathan Klint is Mr. Maraczek. Laura Butler, Berrett Maynard, Charity Pomeroy, Kelly Porter play a chorus of female customers.
"She Loves Me," is directed by Toni Byrd with set by J. Chad Davis, sound and lights by Michael Klint, costumes by Diane Allen, choreography by Cynthia Fleming and music directed by Anne Puzey.
"She Loves Me," is a classic musical, light and right for the season.