A six-month Off-Broadway run is no small thing these days, and the musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is celebrating this recent anniversary by introducing "Authors' Evenings," beginning Feb. 18. The idea is that since the musical revue, by composer Jimmy Roberts (A...My Name Is Still Alice) and lyricist/librettist Joe DiPietro (Over the River and Through the Woods) offers a satirical examination of "the last surviving special interest group in America: Hopeful Heterosexuals," a perfect tie-in would be to have best-selling authors of books devoted to dating and romance offer their expertise to audience members.
Champagne will be served before the show, and the authors will be in the lobby at intermission to mingle, chat and answer questions about finding and keeping love.
Here are the special guests announced so far:
Feb. 18: Robin Gorman Newman, founder of Mensch Finders, author of How To Meet A Mensch In NY.
Feb. 25: Nate Penn & Lawrence LaRose, authors of The Code, Time Tested Secrets For Getting What You Want From Women - Without Marrying Them!.
March 4: Dr. Judy Kuriansky, radio host, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Dating.
March 11: Lynn Harris & J.D. Helman, authors of MTV's Singled Out Guide To Dating.
After productions at Long Wharf and NJ's American Stage Company, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change opened Aug. 1, 1996 at the Westside Theatre on West 43rd St.
The musical, which is being produced by James Hammerstein, Bernie Kukoff and Jonathan Pollard, stars Danny Burstein (Company; Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh), Jennifer Simard, Robert Roznowski and Melissa Weil. Musical director is Tom Fay, sets are by Neil Peter Jampolis. Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts' songs, including "Cantata For A First Date," "Tear Jerk," "A Stud And A Babe," and "I Can Live With That," are available on the show's cast recording on Varese/Sarabande. Joel Bishoff directs the show, which has musical direction by Tom Fay and vocal/instrumental arrangements by composer Roberts. Sets are by Neil Peter Jampolis, lighting by Mary Louise Geiger, costumes by Candice Donnelly.
--By David Lefkowitz and Robert Viagas
