THE SHOW:
I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE is a series of songs and sketches (mostly comic) about the interpersonal relationships of life. Act I is about the common and not-so-common mishaps of dating; Act II is about marriage, raising kids, divorce, remarriage, and a number of other topics. Obviously, Act I works as a cohesive whole much better than Act II. The cast is comprised of two women and two men, and the accompaniment is provided by a pianist and a violinist. (When I saw the show, the two instrumentalist were of opposite genders, which they highlighted in a "Battle of the Sexes" rendition of the Entr'acte.)

THE DIALOGUE:
Some sketches are weaker than others. Luckily, the worst sketch, right near the beginning of the show, where a man and woman on a blind date decide that, due to their busy schedules, they will skip some of the traditional awkward moments of the dating process, is not included on the CD. Unfortunately, we don't fare as well with "Satisfaction Guaranteed," which is quite offensive, and is the only completely spoken sketch included on the recording. In my opinion, a better choice for inclusion would have been the poignant soliloquy by the divorced woman at the video dating service....or perhaps the singles club meeting held at Attica State Prison.

THE MUSIC and THE RECORDING:
Of the 19 tracks on the CD, 17 are comedic. Most of the music is fantastic, and the cast members have good voices and great comedic timing. My favorite number has to be "Always A Bridesmaid," a lament by a frequent wedding witness whose hideous gowns have longer lifespans that the marriages to which they were worn. ("For Tabatha, I wore taffeta. You should never: people laugh at ya.") Other favorites include "Single Man Drought," about two women on dates from hell, "Tear Jerk," in which a macho guy gets dragged to a `chick flick' movie, and "I Can Live With That," the musical conclusion to a great scene where two elderly people flirt at a funeral.


Way way off-Broadway in Wisconsin.   April 13, 2005
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

A confession. I haven't actually heard the cd but I plan to. I have seen this musical here in the fly-over. A talented cast of four actors, dances & sings thru quite a number of vignettes about that enternal, battle: man vs woman. It starts out hilariously at the dawn of time & maintains the laughs through such sketches as "Single Man Drought", "Cause I'm a Man", "Always a Bridesmaid", & the very touching & personal "Shouldn't I be less in Love with You?" There are 15 others. How you relate to this play may depend on you age. Over 50 may be best since some of the bits are a bit dated. The under 30 crowd is usually not self-aware enough to see themselves in these situations. But everyone will laugh. The songs are funny. Give it a listen or see it if you can. I love live theater.


Fabulously Funny, Irreverent and Clever!   April 1, 1999
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This musical revue is great! It's in my CD player right now on shuffle, and every number is unique and fun to listen to, and also so true. This view about relationships is so true to life! I laughed a lot, and would love to be able to get some of the sheet music!


The best musical you've never heard of   August 14, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This show is the longest-running off-broadway musical, and I can't believe I'd never heard of it before. I saw it live at the Edinburgh Festival by the National Student Theater Company and went back twice more. It's funny, clever, and touching without the slighest hint of corn. Love, dating and romance are hardly new topics for musical theatre but the melodies are so memorable and the lyrics so fresh that it will speak to you if you've ever had any kind of experience with love. My favorites are the achingly yearning "I Will Be Loved Tonight," and "We're Married -and We're Gonna Have Sex" which will have you falling out of your seat with laughter. If you love musical theater, get the CD, then get yourself to New York to see this fab, fab show!