I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

book and lyrics by Jo DiPietro
music by  Jimmy Roberts
Sing'theatre
Alliance Francaise Theatre, Singapore

It's easy to see how this fun, frothy musical revue became one of Off-Broadway's longest running shows. Taking one through the ups and downs of love, life and relationships from the heady days of courtship to one's silver years, one feels instantly drawn in by this string of unconnected but highly relatable scenes that deliciously bleed into each other. 

While the book comes across dated in parts and seems to lurch quite suddenly from romantic bliss to marital apathy, I particularly appreciate the efforts to localise the text. A scene featuring Asian parents giving a sardonic toast to their unmarried son hits deliciously close to home. 

Sing'theatre's production is slick and entertaining, featuring a strong, versatile cast of performers (familiar faces Benjamin Chow, Andrew Marko and Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai and newcomer Misha Paule Tan), a clean functional set by Wong Chee Wai and excellent live musical accompaniment by Elaine Chan and Han Oh. Director TJ Taylor deftly ties all the elements together, giving us a show that unfolds as seamlessly as a TikTok video. All in all, a very entertaining night out indeed.

The Crystalwords score: 3/5