'She Loves Me' transports audience into world of the parfumerie

This weekend, Torn Ticket II gave three performances of “She Loves Me,” directed by senior Allison Benko, with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1963, is an adaptation of the play, "Parfumerie"(1937) by Miklos Laszlo, which formed the basis of the 1940 film "The Shop Around the Corner." "She Loves Me" tells the story of two lovers who don’t know they’re lovers; after responding to a "lonely hearts advertisement," the two correspond by letter with no idea of each other’s true identity. Most of the first act of the play involves quarreling between the lovers, who are, in fact, co-workers at the same perfume shop.

The story begins with an introduction to the magical setting of the perfumery. The first number, “Good Morning, Good Day,” shows the opening of the shop in the morning and introduces us to some of the main characters.

And what characters they are! Within the world of the perfumery, we meet an eclectic bunch of men and women including store owner, Mr. Maraczek (played by first-year Suvi Rajadurai), a kind man who sings about his days as a young bachelor as he dances around the shop with a broom. Everything changes for him, however, when he finds out his wife is cheating on him with one of the clerks. There is also Ilona Ritter (played by sophomore Rachel Sheldon, the executive multimedia editor for the Daily), a young woman in love with fellow clerk Steven Kodaly (junior Lincoln Gray), who, in turn, continuously skips out on dates with her. Ladislav Sipos (first-year Nathan Watts) is an older clerk concerned with supporting his family -- his mantra is “never say no.” Last are the two main lovers, Georg Nowack (senior Dan Pickar), a lonely bachelor and long-time clerk, and Amalia Balash (senior Grace Oberhofer), a young woman who arrives looking for a job and is hired by Mr. Maraczek for her outstanding sales skills.

One of the most enjoyable moments in the play occurs at local restaurant Café Imperiale. The song, titled “Romantic Atmosphere,” features an incredible performance by senior Paul Perrone as "the waiter." According to our dear waiter, the restaurant, despite its mediocre food, will prioritize a romantic experience for couples over all else, and, as if to prove his point, he proceeds to sing and set the table while couples dine, lit by romantic lighting.

This song also sets the stage for one of the most climactic moments of the play, as the restaurant is also the site of the first “meeting” of the lovers, and it certainly is not idyllic. The situation starts out romantically enough: Amalia and Georg plan to meet, and agree that she will have a copy of "Anna Karenina" (1877) with a rose in it and he will wear a rose. However, within minutes, things go awry.

Though love is not always a simple thing, in this play, the holidays' approach heightens the magic of "She Loves Me." In a flourish of singing and selling, we see the store decorated as customers buy presents for loved ones -- the same sort of activity that will undoubtedly descend upon Boston in a few weeks. Indeed this magical setting, combined with wonderful music and character development, offered a thrilling space for romance to unfold.