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From left: Vince Gau, Gabi Segren, Cooper Knutson and Hillary Mosman crack up after rehearsing one of almost two dozen vignettes from the play “I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at Lindsay Creek Vineyards in Lewiston.
True love and the very real challenges that come with it are examined with humor and tenderness in the musical comedy “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.”
“Love is amusing and absurd, and so is this show,” said Carrie DeBerard, a veteran Lewiston Civic Theatre actor who plays several roles in the production opening tonight at Linds
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Carrie DeBerard rehearses one of almost two dozen vignettes from the play “I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at Lindsay Creek Vineyards.
The revue’s nearly two dozen mini-stories are presented by a cast of seven performers who depict more than 40 total characters.
“Some of these guys are playing a really wide diversity of characters,” director Terry Lewis said.
Lewis, who directed last year’s civic theater performance of “Almost, Maine,” said the shows have some similarities in the way they examine love through independent sketches.
“I call it ‘Almost, Maine’ on steroids,” he said.
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Vince Gau and Amanda Marzo rehearse a scene from the Lewiston Civic Theatre's production of “I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at Lindsay Creek Vineyards in Lewiston.
One thing the show is not is politically correct, said Hillary Mosman, a 2013 University of Idaho performing arts graduate who is making her civic theater debut.
“There’s some realism in there,” Mosman said. “That’s what theater’s for, is to challenge ideas and habits and laugh at ourselves.”
“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” with script and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, premiered in 1995 and opened off-Broadway a year later, according to a civic theater news release. It was the second longest-running revue in off-Broadway history, with 5,003 performances, when it closed in 2008.
The show’s cheeky vignettes about modern relationships are punctuated by musical numbers both cynical and endearing, ranging from ballads to rap.
“It runs the gamut of emotions,” Lewis said.
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Gabi Segren waits for Matt DeBerard to finish watching a football game during a rehearsal last week.
The stories explore dating, marriage, parenthood, divorce and death through scenes that range from “poignant” to “absolutely hilarious,” he said, and the actors’ ability to repeatedly step out of a role and fully embody the next is remarkable.
“I want to applaud this cast,” he said. “They do an excellent job.”
Lewiston Civic Theat re Executive Director Nancy McIntosh provides musical direction and pianist Sam Weeks accompanies the troupe, drawing accolades from everyone involved:
“We are just super lucky to work with Sam on the piano,” Mosman said.
“He makes the music another character in the show,” DeBerard said.
“He’s a rock star for us,” Lewis said.
Lewis also called assistant director Aidan Walsh’s help with the details of the show “invaluable,” noting Walsh directs a scene, “He Called Me,” in the first act.
A recent rehearsal left cast members periodically in near-tears laughter, an indication of what audiences can expect for themselves.
It’s funny, and it’s relatable, Mosman said: “Everyones’ got a story, and we’re just trying to tell their story.”
Seating in the vineyard tasting room, where the show is being staged, is limited, so McIntosh advised purchasing tickets early.
Stone (she/her) can be reached at mstone@inland360.com.
IF YOU GO
“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”
When: 7 p.m. Jan. 18-20 and 25-27; and 2 p.m. Jan. 21 and 28.
Where: Lindsay Creek Vineyards tasting room, 3107 Powers Ave., Lewiston.
Tickets: $12-$20 at lctheatre.org, by calling (208) 746-3401 between 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and at the door.
Of note: Seating at the vineyard is lim ited, so prepurchasing tickets is advised. Food, wine and beer are available for purchase before the performance. The show includes adult situations, content and language.
