By Dale King
A lyric in theme song for the 1970s TV comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show tells us that “Love is all around.”
That short, but sweet and sentimental, assertion could easily apply to the Hungarian perfume store where She Loves Me, the serene and romantic musical that packages amour in various situations, takes place.
The production, now being presented on the masterfully decorated stage at the Delray Beach Playhouse, focuses on employees at a Budapest cosmetics store where love is often the center of discussion and attention since it’s such an integral part of the workers’ lives.
Director/music director Michael Ursua and choreographer Alex Jorth have pulled together a stellar cast whose acting, vocal and dance abilities are second to none.
She Loves Me focuses mainly on employee Georg Nowack (Bob Ruggles) and new hire, Amalia Balash (Shalia Sakona), who, despite being constantly at odds with each other on the job, are unaware that each is the other’s secret romantic pen pal — a circumstance that began when both answered “lonely hearts advertisements” in a newspaper. At the time, Amalia didn’t even work in the store.
So, during most of this delightful tune- and dance-filled production, they remain oblivious to their clandestine exchange of romantic scripts. Yet they both develop feelings of intense joy in receiving the secretly scribed missives. Clearly, they are falling in love.
The audience watches with whimsical glee as the pair bumps heads and feud frequently while they are doing their work at the perfume store, totally unaware that they have romantic feelings growing inside.
The play includes a subplot about the on-again, off-again relationship between the naïve Ilona Ritter (Amanda Lopez) and the cocky, self-centered Steven Kodaly (Alexander Blanco), two other co-workers at the cosmetics emporium.
The musical is based on a work by Miklós László, whose amorous 1937 play, Parfumerie, was the basis for the 1940 James Stewart film The Shop Around the Corner, the 1949 Judy Garland and Van Johnson musical In the Good Old Summertime, and even the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail, which found Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan exchanging anonymous love notes via the internet.
This 1963 musical was written by Joe Masteroff, with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick — the polished librettist who recently died.
The show opens as the staff at Maraczek’s Parfumerie begins arriving for work. Set against an elegant backdrop created by a talented theatrical crew, we meet Ladislav Sipos (Alan Goodman), a clerk who sits in front of the store, reading the newspaper each day. Arpad (Kole Rosin) the shop’s delivery boy, enters on his bicycle. They spot coworkers Ritter and Kodaly at the nearby newsstand. Clearly, they have spent the night together, but they feign arriving separately to keep their “secret” to themselves.
The shop’s manager, Georg Nowack, then enters the scene.
The production moves quickly, advancing from season to season with rapid steps. The show begins in summer, but autumn soon arrives — and Georg tells coworker Sipos about the “Dear Friend” letters.
Winter quickly follows, but the festive season is interrupted by a chaotic scene that occurs when Maraczek (Louis Silvers) demands employees stay late to decorate the store for Christmas. This effectively cancels what would have been the first face-to-face “date” of the “Dear Friends.” Angry, Georg quits.
From there, the production follows a lengthy and sinuous course until the “Dear Friends” inevitably meet. But a lot of things take place before this occurs – lots of personal conversations and a vast array of songs. In fact, the acclaimed musical score enlivens the show and keeps the audience entertained while they await the finale.
The production features a delicious tune-filled menu of wonderful songs such as “Vanilla Ice Cream” — perhaps the best known and most touching melody in the show — along with “A Romantic Atmosphere,” “Dear Friend,” and “She Loves Me,” among other delights. The arrival of each love note is accompanied by a song – “The First Letter,” “The Second Letter,” etc.
After opening with a robust rendition of “Good Morning, Good Day,” the show moves roundly to the tune, “Sounds While Selling” that plays while the staff goes about their sales chores.
Songs fill the air throughout the energetic, high-octane production. Maraczek’s recollections of his bachelorhood (“Days Gone By”) add whimsy and nostalgia. “Will he like me?” Amalia ponders musically just before the planned “date” that doesn’t work out.
The secret of the letter-writing campaign remains unresolved — and does so for quite a while. In the meantime, Maraczek gives Arpad a welcome promotion. He also rehires Georg after a nagging misunderstanding is resolved. In fact, Georg is placed in charge of the store as it moves into the height of the Christmas season (“Twelve Days to Christmas”).
Finally, the truth about “Dear Friends” is revealed. But we’re not even going to touch that significant scene. It’s a festive and fulfilling moment that must be seen and heard to be appreciated.
She Loves Me continues through Dec. 10 at the Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW 9th St., in Delray Beach. Tickets can be purchased online at delraybeachplayhouse.com, or by phone at 561-272-1281.