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Reviewed 1/21/07
Mesa
Encore Theatre has never been known as a
hotbed of controversy. Located as they are in the middle of a rather conservative
community, they’ve
been far from it. When I heard that they were planning on mounting Joe
DiPietro’s long-running and a bit risqué Off-Broadway
romp I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,
I groaned. When Desert Stages mounted it back in 2004 at the center of downtown
Scottsdale in their recently opened Actor’s Café, I called it “a
hoot.” Then again, they weren’t afraid to include all of the
naughty parts. Surely MET was going to slice and dice the piece into a sanitized
version fit for kiddies and elders. Save for one reference moved two feet
south of its original intention, the script that director Emily Mulligan-Ferry has
used (the playwright’s own trimmed and less raunchy version) is still
filled with enough sexual references to create palpitations in their normal
subscriber. But a funny thing happened when MET stopped kowtowing to the
perceived moral majority that is their subscription base: they’ve sold
out almost every performance, added a couple to accommodate the overflow,
and the audiences, ordinarily somewhere between 50 and death, have been sprinkled
with theatergoers who still have their own teeth. Will wonders never cease?
The production that Mulligan-Ferry has helmed is a pretty good rendition. It has inexplicably been bumped up from a quartet to a sextet, but the energy levels are high, the pacing is fast, and despite unbalance among the abilities of the cast, the ensemble is able to sell itself and the show. She has wisely included the expert two person orchestra, musical director Debra Jo Davey on piano and violinist Laura Russ, onstage in a giant booth made to look a little like a picture frame by set and lighting designer Jason Krull. She has also given the more acting-intensive scenes to her stronger actors and the more intricate songs to her stronger singers.
Josh Fesmire, Mandy Rose, and Molly LaJoie can each carry a tune to various extents, but they tend to make more points when they’re struggling through first dates, complaining about the dearth of available men, or attempting pickups at funerals. LaJoie does give a lovely rendition of “I Will Be Loved Tonight.” Robyn Bydalek is the strongest singer, belting a funny version of “Always a Bridesmaid.” Jeffrey Davey is a good comedic foil, such as his take as a new father, but his voice isn’t up to the level of the rest of the cast. Matt Bauer and Rose do an enjoyable turn as they run through a relationship in five minutes.
Krull’s set is basic, and includes a nice pull-out platform that does double duty as table and bed. His goboes for the church scenes and isolated specials for certain moments are nice touches. Davey and Russ even get a chance to make a little comedy of their own while doing an excellent job supporting the singers.
I’m still trying to get past the shock of hearing the words “condom” and “shit” in Mesa. Once past the shock value of a “potty-mouthed” show, the ensemble proves to be an enjoyable collection in a solid production. Rest assured, MET will return to what it is most comfortable doing when they open their next show, the well-worn I Hate Hamlet.
