She Loves Me: A Review

     The premiere performance in a theater company’s season should leave you happy, and excited to see the rest of the season.  This is why it will often be something well known, or a musical that will have the audience walking out with the tunes in their heads and a smile on their lips.  Unfortunately, instead of a smash hit, Cinnabar Theater has stumbled out of the gate with the musical She Loves Me.

     If you are at all familiar with the 1998 movie You’ve Got Mail, then you will be familiar with the basic plot of the musical.  Two people, Georg (Roy Eikleberry) and Amalia (Sheila Willey) fall in love through their anonymous pen pal letters, oblivious to the fact that they both work at the same shop, where they act a enemies/rivals.

     Visually, the production was pretty decent.  Scenic designer Mark Robinson did an excellent job creating a visually appealing set that fit the small Cinnabar stage very well.  Costume designer Julia Hunstein Kwitchoff also displayed some appealing work, which helped transport the audience to the proper time period.  The singing was also spectacular.  Each cast member absolutely shone in this department, and it helped to make the often dated and awkward songs in the show easier to deal with.

     What unfortunately killed this production, was the acting.  Most of the principals felt stiff and awkward.  The two leads, Roy and Sheila, should have been the highlight, but had zero chemistry on stage.  In a couple of scenes, the ensemble actors (who were excellent), felt more believable and real.  One exception to the disappointing acting was Jon Shillington’s Ladislaw.  Jon was the true star of the show, and never failed to deliver a humorous or touching performance while he was on stage, whether he was singing or acting.  In contrast, many of the other actors only seemed comfortable singing.

     While it is usually a great idea to support local and smaller theaters, the beautiful singing just couldn’t make up for the acting.  The musical itself also felt very dated.  Perhaps the next production, Crimes of the Heart, will fare better.

She Loves Me is running at the Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma until October 2. Tickets run $25-$35.  For tickets or more information, call 707-763-8920 or visit www.cinnabartheater.org .