Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre revisits enemies to lovers trope ‘She Loves Me’
Many a romance novel explores the enemies to lovers trope, showing two people who can’t stop bickering with each other, but also can’t seem to see how perfect they are for each other.
Hungarian playwright Miklós László ran with the idea in his 1937 play “Parfumerie.” The play was later adapted for screen by James Stewart-Margaret in “The Shop Around the Corner” and Robert Z. Leonard in “In the Good Old Summertime.”
There’s also, of course, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in 1998’s “You’ve Got Mail.”
In 1963, the story made its way back onstage via “She Loves Me,” which features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by Joe Masteroff.
Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s production of “She Loves Me” opens Friday and runs through Aug. 17 at the Schuler Performing Arts Center at North Idaho College.
The musical is set in Budapest, where Maraczek’s (Michael Hynes) Parfumerie lies. The shop employees are middle-aged salesman Ladislav Sipos (Adam John Bingham), teenage delivery boy Arpad Laszlo (Anders Haglund), Ilona Ritter (Amy D’Orazi), who is having an affair with the suave Steven Kodaly (Sam Stickels), and Georg Nowack (Jesse Hampsch), the shy assistant manager.
Nowack has been writing to an anonymous woman he calls “dear friend” and shares that day’s letter with Sipos. Later, a young woman named Amalia Balash (Chloe Sundet), who has a “dear friend” of her own, unbeknownst to Nowack, is hired at the shop.
As the seasons change, things at the shop are tense. Nowack and Balash can’t stop bickering, while Maraczek is short-tempered with Nowack, and Ritter and Kodaly are dealing with problems of their own.
To escape the troubles at work, Nowack and Balash find solace in their respective “dear friends.” Eventually, the pair arrange to meet their “dear friend” in person.
The musical also features Becky Brilliant, Sydney Glover, Adele Trapp, Tamara Schupman, Alyssa Day, Daniel John Bell, Sergio Dijiani, Andre Lajevardi, Tamara Schupman, Richard Altenbach, Michael Hamil and Anden J. Leo.
Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s production of “She Loves Me” is directed and choreographed by Gary John La Rosa and stage managed by Robin Hill.
The show is music directed by Scott Michaelsen, who conducts the orchestra. The orchestra also includes Richard Altenbach (violin 1), Rebecca Stamm (violin 2), Elizabeth Lund (violin 3), Cassandra Jabbora (viola), Sofiya Vinnikova (cello), Harmony Young (bass), Steve Friel (reeds 1), Merilee Updike (reeds 2), Andy Plamondon (trumpet), Kim Snow (French horn), Matt Goodrich (keyboard 1), Andrew Ingersoll (keyboard 2) and Chris Grant (percussion).
The musical features scenic design and technical direction by Michael Brandt, props design by Carrie York, sound design by Ryan Dill, music/audio supervision by Michael Thorpe, costume design by Erin Lee McSwain, lighting design by Alana Shepherd. Mike Chapman is the production manager.