Friday night I had the distinct pleasure of seeing a new
off-Broadway musical, in Toronto, thanks to Angelwalk Theatre Company’s
production of I Love You Because. A charming piece of theatre with
memorable tunes, a sweet story and some good laughs, I Love You Because is another sure hit for the company. Artistic Director Brian Goldenberg continues to demonstrate a commitment to bringing new musical theatre to the Toronto audience, and we at
EAP couldn't be happier.
A modern day romance inspired by the Jane Austin classic, Pride and Prejuidce, I Love You Because is
set in contemporary New York City. Our
hero, Austin, (Jeff Madden) is nursing a broken heart when he falls in love
with the flighty photographer Marcy, played to perfection by Elena Juatco. The pair couldn't be more opposite. Austin is a romantic, lover of poetry and
emotionally open while Marcy is a fly by the seat of her pants artist-type, who's determined to break her bad romantic track record by keeping things
casual. With the help of their friends
and siblings the pair eventually discovers their differences make them perfect
for one another.
Before the show I had the chance to chat with cast member
Michael De Rose about his experience working on this show, and more generally as an actor in Toronto. The Woodbridge native is thrilled to be
debuting with Angelwalk in I Love You
Because.
We talked about the
company’s mandate and track record of quirky off-beat musicals like last year’s
[title of show] and Songs for a New World. The tradition continues with I Love You Because.
“I haven’t worked with Angelwalk before,”
Michael said, “but I have been watching their work for a number of years... [T]hey have picked such interesting work, and it has been a great
experience being on stage in this show.”
In fact, Michael nor I were familiar with I Love You Because until this production. I was able to previews some of the songs on iTunes, where the off-Broadway cast recording is available. I had the same reaction as Michael to the catchy tunes and wanted to
know more about the show’s writers Joshua Saltzman and Ryan Cunningham.
The pair were nominated for a Drama Desk for the off-Broadway production. And it turns out they are also graduates of the NYU TISCH Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. The very same program were our friends Julianne Wick Davis and Dan Collins developed Wood.
All in all I enjoyed the show tremendously. The cast is very even, and it's the kind of show where all of the six cast members, whether leading lady or supporting character, are clearly having a ball up there. You surely will too!
I Love You Because runs until April 15th. Shows are Tuesdays - Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. There is no performance next Sunday, April 8th, for Easter. Tickets are $35-$45 dollars and $25 for persons under 30 with valid I.D. Group rates are also available. For more information please call 416.872.1111. Or online here. Be sure and check out this Toronto debut!
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